For the first time since Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, the Edmonton Oilers battled the Florida Panthers on Amazon Prime Monday Night Hockey. This was a high-scoring, back-and-forth affair that saw the Panthers defeat the Oilers 6-5. This victory improves Florida’s record to 19-11-2, and snapped their mini two-game losing streak, while snapping the Oilers’ five-game winning streak in the process. With this loss, the Oilers are now 18-11-2 on the season. There were four lead changes in this one, so with that said, here’s your game recap.
Game Recap
The Panthers opened the scoring shorthanded just 2:42 into the first period. Oilers’ defenceman Evan Bouchard lost an edge at the blue line which sprung Jesper Boqvist on a partial breakaway, and he went short-side, past goaltender Stuart Skinner for his fifth of the season.
Zach Hyman got the Oilers on the board 15:12 into the opening frame for his ninth of the season. Connor McDavid found Hyman in the high slot and he ripped the puck upstairs, over the blocker of goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. Shortly after, Matthew Tkachuk regained Florida’s lead on a power-play goal for his 11th of the season. Carter Verhaeghe took the shot, which went off the skate of Tkachuk and into the back of the net.
Hyman got his second of the contest on a breakaway, going to the backhand, past Bobrovsky 6:20 into the middle frame. Then, Connor Brown gave the Oilers the lead 43 seconds later on a short-side one-timer, assisted by Corey Perry. Leon Draisaitl extended Edmonton’s lead on the power play midway through the second period on a patented Draisaitl one-timer from below the faceoff circle. Just like that, three goals in under four minutes gave Edmonton a 4-2 lead.
The Panthers pushed back late in the period, and cut the lead to one with just over two minutes remaining in the second. Gustav Forsling took a wrister from the point and Skinner couldn’t control the rebound. The puck went off the body of the netminder, then off the defender in front, and into the net. Therefore, Edmonton took a 4-3 lead into the second intermission.
Niko Mikkola tied the game at four 6:53 into the third period. Anton Lundell stole the puck from Bouchard and made a great pass to Mikkola who one-timed the puck past the Edmonton netminder. Then, Sam Reinhart gave Florida the lead less than a minute later. He shot the puck from behind the goal line and banked it off Skinner’s head and into the net.
The Oilers quickly responded on Kasperi Kapanen’s fourth goal of the season less than a minute after Florida took the lead. The point shot ricocheted off the end glass, and bounced to the right of the Panthers net, where Kapanen pounced on the loose puck, and jammed it in. However, Florida regained the lead once again on Verhaeghe’s ninth of the season. Sam Bennett found him in the slot, and he made no mistake. That goal ended up being the game-winner as the Panthers held on for the 6-5 win.
The Panthers conclude their five-game road trip on Wednesday (Dec. 18) when they visit the Minnesota Wild. Meanwhile, the Oilers welcome the Boston Bruins to town on Thursday (Dec. 19) for game three of a five-game homestand.
