Oilers at Panthers
The Florida Panthers looked like a team on the rise going into the All-Star break last month, but they are beginning to lose traction in the Eastern Conference playoff chase as the Edmonton Oilers pay a visit Saturday night. The Panthers have just two wins in eight games (2-5-1) during February after being pounded 6-2 by Philadelphia on Thursday and sit two points out of third place in the Atlantic Division.
“It’s disappointing we haven’t made a push after the break,” Florida right wing Brett Connolly told reporters after Thursday’s setback. “ … It’s going to come from the guys in the room. Individually, everyone needs to be better, myself included. We have 25 games here and we can make a big-time push. It’s just a matter now of just realizing what we’re doing is not near good enough and getting back to work.” The Panthers scored the first four goals en route to a 6-2 win at Edmonton on Oct. 27 and they will get the benefit of not having to face superstar Connor McDavid (81 points), who is out another couple weeks due to a quadriceps injury. The Oilers, who are also missing 19-goal scorer James Neal (foot) and Zack Kassian (suspension), gave red-hot Tampa Bay all it could handle Thursday in the opener of a three-game trip before succumbing 3-1 for their third loss in five contests to remain in a virtual tie for second in the Pacific Division. “We had lots of compete in our game,” Edmonton coach Dave Tippett told reporters. “(Goalie Mike Smith) was really strong. We had some chances there that were, kind of around it, but didn’t capitalize on it. Mistakes end up being the dictator of the game and we came out on the short end.”
TIME: 4 p.m. ET. TV: FS Florida, Sportsnet West
ABOUT THE OILERS (30-21-6): Leon Draisaitl helped set up defenseman Caleb Jones’ goal Thursday and had three goals to go along with four assists in the past three games to boost his league-leading total to 90 points. Kassian, a power forward who is fifth on the team with 30 points, was suspended seven games Friday by the league after kicking Tampa Bay’s Erik Cernak with his skate. Smith (15-10-4, .904 save percentage) turned aside 34 of 36 shots Thursday for his first regulation loss since Dec. 20 and will likely share the goaltending duties with Mikko Koskinen (15-11-2, .909) as Edmonton visits Carolina on Sunday.
ABOUT THE PANTHERS (30-21-6): Captain Aleksander Barkov, who is second on the team with 56 points, scored his first goal in six games Thursday to tie Hall of Famer Pavel Bure for third in franchise history with 152. Left wing Jonathan Huberdeau is cooling off a bit with just five of his team-best 69 points in the last 10 contests while the team’s goal-scoring leader, Evgenii Dadonov, (23) has not scored in eight games this month. Forward Noel Acciari (19 goals) left Thursday’s game in the second period with an upper-body injury and is considered day-to-day and veteran center Brian Boyle could miss his sixth straight with the same ailment.
OVERTIME
1. Edmonton F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has recorded a goal and four assists during a three-game point streak.
2. Florida D Keith Yandle has assists in each of the last two games and needs one goal for 100 in his career.
3. The Oilers lead the league in power-play percentage (29.6), but have also allowed the second-most short-handed tallies (10).