Saturday, February 15, 2020 04:00 PM (ET)

Draisaitl leads Oilers past slumping Panthers

Field Level Media
Feb 15, 2020

Leon Draisaitl, who leads the NHL with 92 points, scored his 33rd goal to lead the Edmonton Oilers to a 4-1 win over the host Florida Panthers on Saturday afternoon in Sunrise, Fla.

Florida, which topped the league in goals per game as recently as two weeks ago, was held to just the one goal, scored by 2020 All-Star Jonathan Huberdeau.

The Panthers went 0-for-3 on their power play and are 2-6-1 since a six-game win streak was interrupted by the All-Star break. The Panthers are averaging just 2.0 goals per game during this slump.

Edmonton also got goals from Adam Larsson, Darnell Nurse and Kailer Yamamoto and 33 saves from Mikko Koskinen.

It was the first goal by Larsson, a veteran defenseman, since Feb. 19, 2019 -- a span of 58 games. The goals by Nurse and Yamamoto were empty-netters.

Yamamoto and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each had two assists.

Panthers rookie Sam Montembeault, who made 25 saves, started in place of No. 1 goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (illness).

As expected, the Oilers were without superstar Connor McDavid (quad injury) as well as James Neal (foot), Joakim Nygard (upper body) and Kris Russell (concussion). In addition, Oilers winger Zack Kassian started his seven-game NHL suspension.

The Panthers were without Brian Boyle (upper body).

Edmonton opened the scoring with 15:14 gone in the first. After a turnover by Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov, Yamamoto (secondary assist) and Nugent-Hopkins (primary) got the puck to Larsson, who whistled a shot from the high slot past Montembeault's glove and into the right corner of the net.

There were no goals in the second period, marking the second straight game that the Panthers were scoreless through two.

The Oilers extended their lead to 2-0 just 13 seconds into the third. Draisaitl won a faceoff and then went to the net and was in perfect position to score on a rebound off a shot by Yamamoto.

Florida got on the board with 11:15 left in the third as Huberdeau fired the puck over Koskinen's right shoulder and into the back of the net. It was the 21st goal of the season for Huberdeau, who leads the team in points with 70.

Nurse's empty-net goal with 1:58 left sealed Edmonton's victory. Yamamoto's goal followed 72 seconds later.

--Field Level Media

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