SUNRISE, Fla. — In an exciting third-period rally, Nate Schmidt and Carter Verhaeghe found the net, while Anton Lundell contributed a goal and two assists, leading the Florida Panthers to a 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night.
Uvis Balinskis also added to the scoreboard for Florida, allowing them to surpass Toronto and take the lead in the Atlantic Division.
For Edmonton, Leon Draisaitl notched his 44th goal, joined by Brett Kulak and Zach Hyman in finding the back of the net.
This match marked the first return of the Oilers to the Panthers’ home ice since their defeat on June 24, when Florida triumphed 2-1 in the decisive Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. Earlier this season, Florida managed a narrow victory, overcoming Edmonton 6-5 at their Dec. 16 clash in Edmonton.
Both squads featured 12 players from the same lineups that faced off in Game 7 of the much-anticipated series.
### Takeaways
**Oilers:** Edmonton is battling through a five-game losing streak, the worst since a similar stretch in December 2021. In this slump, the Oilers have been unable to maintain a solid defense, conceding at least four goals in each game.
**Panthers:** The Florida Panthers managed the win without Matthew Tkachuk, sidelined due to a lower-body injury from the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament. “He’s out near-term, we know that. We’re just making sure that we get … different ideas on treatment plans,” since coach Paul Maurice expressed his hopes for Tkachuk’s recovery.
### Key Moment
Zach Hyman’s late goal brought the Oilers closer at 4-3 with just 3:35 remaining on the clock. However, Edmonton’s rally was hindered by two penalties picked up within the following three and a half minutes.
### Key Stat
Leon Draisaitl’s goal marked his 316th over the past seven seasons, moving him ahead of Auston Matthews from the Toronto Maple Leafs for the most goals in that period. Matthews and his team gear up to face the New York Rangers on Friday.
### Up Next
The Oilers continue their road trip with a final stop in Carolina on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Panthers remain in Sunrise, preparing for a matchup against Calgary, which sees Flames forward Ryan Lomberg returning to his former home following his role in Florida’s Cup-winning campaign last season.
