Defenseman Niko Mikkola earned First Star honors for his first-ever NHL multi-goal performance in the Florida Panthers 5-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena.
Mikkola tied the game twice before the Panthers pulled away with three consecutive goals.
Edmonton’s Connor McDavid also scored twice, but it wasn’t enough for the struggling Oilers. who dropped both of its games in the Sunshine State.
McDavid opened the scoring 5:59 into the first by one-timing Leon Draisaitl’s pass by Sergei Bobrovksy from an extreme angle near the goal line. The second assist on the play went to Evan Bouchard.
Evander Kane put the visitors up by two 3:01 later when he finished off Derek Ryan centering feed by snapping a shot under Bobrovksy’s glove. Ryan McLeod was able beat a couple of the Panthers to the puck along the boards and bump it to Ryan.
Kane would take a roughing minor eight seconds later and the Cats would make the Oilers pay at the 10:36 mark when Sam Reinhart won a board battle and sent a cross to Carter Verhaeghe, who loaded up and beat Calvin Pickard from the high slot.
Mikkola would get his first of the night with 4:07 left in the frame. After Mattias Ekholm’s clearing attempt struck Zach Hyman, Kevin Stenlund took possession, cut across the zone and dropped to the big blueliner, and he put a shot between Pickard’s torso and left arm.
McDavid would put the Oilers back on top by beating Bobrovsky blocker side on a penalty shot five minutes into the middle frame. It was the third penalty shot goal of his career.
Mikkola would match McDavid’s brace 1:08 later, rushing up the ice after Verhaeghe stripped the puck from Kane and kicked it over him to send him on his way. Looking to center to Evan Rodrigues after avoiding a fallen Philip Broberg, Mikkola’s pass hit either Kane or Pickard and found the twine behind the goaltender.
After setting up Mikkola’s first marker, Stenlund got one of his own at 13:42 when he converted a second rebound after taking the initial shot of the sequence and then having Pickard make a blocker save on Eetu Luostarinen.
With his team finally in the lead, Bobrovsky stopped all ten of Edmonton’s third period shots and Sam Bennett scored with Pickard pulled for an extra attacker with 43 seconds remaining to clinch it. Stenlund and Gustav Forsling picked up the helpers on the Bennett’s first of the season.
No Barkov, no problem! Missing their number one center, the Panthers found a couple of unlikely offensive heroes in Mikkola and Stenlund, who finished with three points, and were able to overcome the Oilers after spotting them two early goals and then seeing McDavid pot a penalty shot to give Edmonton the lead back. Florida has won six consecutive games on home ice and are 7-1-0 in their last eight games. Up next, the mighty Boston Bruins.
Pressure & Viscosity
- Niko Mikkola entered the game with one goal on the season and just six in his NHL career before lighting the lamp twice. He finished the tilt with three shots, two hits and a block in 20:11 TOI.
- Kevin Stenlund produced six goals and nine points last season with Winnipeg. After scoring a goal and collecting his first two assists, Stenlund is already up to five goals and seven points in 18 games as a Panther. More Zito magic…
- Edmonton’s Calvin Pickard made his first NHL start since March 27, 2022. He finished the game with 27 saves.
- Sergei Bobrovsky made 25 stops to raise his record to 9-4-1. One notable save was on Leon Draisaitl’s one-timer early in the second period.
- Aaron Ekblad registered a game-high five shots on goal while Evander Kane led the Oilers with four.
- Edmonton fell to 1-10-1 this season when allowing three or more goals.