NHL Game Summary - Edmonton at Florida
Sunrise, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - With a shootout goal from Nail Yakupov, the Edmonton Oilers were able to end a 14-game road losing streak with a 3-2 win over the Florida Panthers.
Viktor Fasth made 35 saves on 37 shots in regulation and overtime play to help Edmonton snap a three-game losing skid overall. Matt Hendricks tied the game in the third with a short-handed goal and Jordan Eberle also scored for the Oilers.
"We all worked really hard today, so it felt good to get this win here on the road," Fasth said.
The Panthers dropped their third straight game despite a strong performance from Roberto Luongo, who made 32 saves. Erik Gudbranson and Jonathan Huberdeau tallied the Florida goals, but all three Panthers attempts in the shootout failed.
"We had a real bad game tonight. We got outworked in every aspect of the game," Panthers coach Gerard Gallant said.
On its first power play of the game, it was Florida allowing the goal. A sloppy turnover to Mark Fayne sent the Oilers the other way. Boyd Gordon passed to a streaking Hendricks, who beat Luongo for the short-handed equalizer in the third period.
The momentum was tilted in Florida's favor early in overtime. In addition to Huberdeau's turnaround shot in the slot that nearly beat Fasth, the Panthers cycled the puck to put pressure on Edmonton but could not capitalize.
Yakupov was the first to go in the shootout and would be the only one to score. Moving right-to-left, he patiently waited for Luongo to go down before beating him with a shot.
Aleksander Barkov tried to even the score with a difficult backhand attempt, but Fasth stretched out just enough to make a pad save. With the game on the line, Jussi Jokinen attempted the same move and Fasth denied it again to secure the win.
Eberle broke the scoreless deadlock a few minutes into the second period. Matt Fraser generated a neutral-zone turnover and sprung Eberle with a great pass. Eberle faked going backhand before snapping the puck by Luongo.
Just two minutes later, Gudbranson answered for the Panthers. He took the pass from Jokinen along the blue line and wristed the puck by a screened Fasth for his second goal of the season, and first goal since Florida's first game of the season.
Huberdeau gave Florida its first lead with 5 1/2 minutes to go in the second. Barkov shot a loose puck and while Fasth made the initial save, he could not stop Huberdeau on the rebound all alone in front.