Oilers and Panthers meet after being on opposite ends of comebacks
The Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers -- who had differing roles in massive comebacks Saturday on the East Coast -- will now head west to face each other on Monday night.
Edmonton trailed the New York Rangers 3-0 in the third period before prevailing 4-3 in regulation on Saturday. Meanwhile, later that night, Florida led 3-0 in the first period and 4-1 in the third before losing 5-4 in overtime to the visiting St. Louis Blues.
That concluded Florida's brief two-game pit stop at home, but now the Panthers will start a five-game road trip that begins with Monday's game at Edmonton.
"We made mistakes that are not usual for us," Panthers defenseman Radko Gudas said. "We have to remember the mistakes and forget about the loss."
Gudas is coming off a monster game against the Blues. He scored one goal and had game highs in hits (five) and blocks (four).
Although he has two goals and four assists this season, Gudas is more known as the enforcer on a team that includes offensive-minded defensemen such as Brandon Montour (19 points) and Gustav Forsling (15 points).
Aaron Ekblad has just eight points, but he missed 11 games earlier this season due to injury.
The other key member of the defense is 35-year-old Marc Staal, who is in his 16th NHL season and has 49 career goals and 166 assists.
On offense, the Panthers' leading goal-scorer is Carter Verhaeghe, who has 12. Matthew Tkachuk leads the Panthers in assists (18) and points (27).
Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov (18 points), who scored a career-high 39 goals last season, missed the Blues game due to a non-COVID illness. He didn't travel with the team to Alberta for Monday's game in Edmonton and Tuesday's game in Calgary.
In goal, 34-year-old Sergei Bobrovsky began this season as the starter. But he has slumped with a 4-5-1 record and a 3.62 goals-against average.
Former backup goalie Spencer Knight, 21, has started six of Florida's past nine games. Knight, who was Florida's first-round pick in 2019, has played just 47 NHL games, including 40 starts. But he has better numbers than Bobrovsky this season, including a 6-3-2 record and a 2.63 GAA.
As for the Oilers, they are not totally thrilled with how they played against the Rangers.
"It was a big character win," said Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl, who scored what became the game-winning goal with 2:02 left. "But we can't be going down 3-0 every game. ... It's too exhausting on players."
As expected, the Oilers' top two scorers are Connor McDavid (team-high 16 goals, team-high-tying 20 assists) and Draisaitl (12 goals, team-high-tying 20 assists).
Scoring depth for Edmonton comes primarily from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (22 points) and Zach Hyman (19).
The Oilers made it to the Western Conference finals last season, their best finish since 2005-06.
After the season, the Oilers signed goalie Jack Campbell away from Toronto. Campbell, 30, got a five-year, $25 million contract. The former first-round pick is 7-5-0 with a 4.04 GAA.
Stuart Skinner, Edmonton's third-round pick in 2017, is the backup goalie, going 4-5-0 with a 2.78 GAA.
--Field Level Media
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Israel attacks Iran, Reuters sources say; drones reported over Isfahan
Israel has attacked Iran, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters, as Iranian state media reported early on Friday that its forces had destroyed drones, days after Iran launched a retaliatory drone strike on Israel.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.