Oilers gas lead, lose to host Panthers

Niko Mikkola had the first two-goal game of his career, Kevin Stenlund had a three-point effort and the Florida Panthers rallied to defeat Edmonton Oilers 5-3 on Monday night.
Stenlund had a goal and two assists for the Panthers, who have won six consecutive games at home and are 7-1-0 in their last eight games. Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett also scored for Florida, and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 25 shots.
Connor McDavid scored twice for the Oilers. Evander Kane also scored for Edmonton, and Calvin Pickard — making his first start since March 27, 2022 — stopped 27 shots.
The Oilers fell to 1-10-1 this season when allowing three or more goals.
“We are trying to keep the puck out of our net, obviously,” McDavid said. “That's our main focus and we haven't done that.”
Edmonton jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals by McDavid and Kane. Verhaeghe and Mikkola tied it up for Florida, and McDavid scored on a penalty shot 5 minutes into the second period for a 3-2 lead.
It was the 52nd multigoal game of McDavid's career and his first of the season. He was due for a breakout; the four goals he had entering Monday night represented the fewest he'd had through 14 games played to start any of his nine NHL seasons.
He was also due for a big game at Florida - McDavid entered Monday with only one goal in five appearances on the Panthers' home ice.
But Mikkola tied it up for a second time just 1:08 after the penalty shot, and Stenlund put the Panthers up for good with 6:18 left in the second.
Mikkola had two goals, total, in his last 148 games played including playoffs entering Monday - spanning 2,559 minutes of ice time for the Finnish defenseman.
“The coaches and teammates trust you to jump up into the play every time you see it,” Mikkola said when asked about his offensive success. “We want to have one defenceman up in the play and get chances that way. I like it.”
It was Florida's second successful rally from a two-goal deficit this season, after coming from 2-0 down to top Seattle 3-2 on Oct. 28. Edmonton wasted a two-goal lead for third time this season and the second in as many games; the Oilers blew a 2-0 lead in what became a 6-4 loss Saturday at Tampa Bay.
The Panthers improved to 10-0-0 when leading with 5 minutes left in regulation. Bennett sealed it with an empty-netter with 42.6 seconds remaining, his first goal of the season after dealing with injuries for much of the early part of the year.
Florida was without captain Aleksander Barkov, who is listed as day-to-day. He took a knee-to-knee hit in Florida's win at Anaheim on Friday, and tests over the weekend showed he avoided serious injury.
“You can win on any given night no matter how many injuries you have, but you just can't win long-term with key guys out,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “But the pro scouts have done a good job of finding players that fit the style of hockey we play and we brought in some key players that helped us survive.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

CSIS whistleblower hopes they 'lit a match' with allegations of rape and harassment
A CSIS officer who is among a group of whistleblowers raising allegations of sexual assault and harassment in the spy agency's British Columbia office says she hopes their actions have 'lit a match' to change what she calls a 'dark and disturbing place.'
Blasted by Bloc, Conservative MP apologizes for asking minister to speak English
Conservative MP Rachael Thomas has apologized after drawing criticism from other members of Parliament for asking Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge to answer questions in English at a committee meeting.
Jaw-dropping video shows collapse at Coquitlam, B.C., construction site
Emergency work is underway after a collapse at a Coquitlam, B.C., construction site that was caught on camera this week.
Canadian-owned mine will begin closure in Panama after contract deemed 'unconstitutional'
A Canadian mining company is expected to begin the process of closing its multibillion-dollar operations in Panama today after weeks of civil unrest and protests from civilians fearing the ecological repercussions of its open-pit copper mine that is twice the size of Manhattan.
Live updates Israel and Hamas trade blame for ceasefire's end as combat resumes
Israel resumed fighting in Gaza minutes after a temporary ceasefire deal ended, and accused Hamas of having violated the truce. Hamas blames Israel, saying it declined offers to free more hostages.
This year's Christmas tree selection could be sparse in some areas of the country
Families in search of a real Christmas tree this year better act fast or risk having nothing to put presents underneath.
DEVELOPING Statistics Canada to release November job report today
Statistics Canada is set to release its November labour force survey this morning.
NHL veteran Perry apologizes for 'inappropriate' behaviour, says he is seeking help
Corey Perry says he has started seeking help for his struggles with alcohol following his release from the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks.
These are the 5 headlines you should read this morning
A major breakthrough is made on the first day of COP28, former Chicago Blackhawks player Corey Perry apologizes and filmmakers in Bruce Peninsula 'accidentally' discover a 128-year-old shipwreck. Here's what you need to know to start your day.