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Panthers try to end struggles against Senators

Oct 22, 2008 - 8:40 PM OTTAWA (Ticker) -- A meeting with the Ottawa Senators likely will not help the Florida Panthers end their scoring struggles. The Senators look to continue their dominance of the Panthers on Wednesday, when the teams meet at Scotiabank Place. Florida has scored two goals or fewer in each of its last three games, dropping a pair of decisions - including a 3-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Monday. While rarely scoring, the Panthers are creating opportunities as they have averaged 34 shots per game over that span. Finding goals in Ottawa will be difficult for Florida, which has lost each of its last four visits to Canada's capital and is 13-3-1 at Scotiabank Place since 1999-2000. The Panthers are averaging just over two goals a contest in that stretch. The Senators also have had trouble scoring recently, registering just two goals in two of their last three games. Following its best offensive game of the new season, a 6-3 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes, Ottawa dropped a 4-2 decision to the Boston Bruins on Saturday in the middle contest of its five-game homestand. However, Jason Spezza - who is second on the team with three goals this season - has four tallies and eight assists in his last nine games against the Panthers, helping the Senators to a 7-1-1 record in those meetings.