Oilers heading home with momentum on their side

The Edmonton Oilers earned a hard-fought win over the Florida Panthers on Saturday night. It was their first regulation victory in the month of November.

With a 10-9-5 record through seven weeks of play, these Stanley Cup hopefuls haven’t really looked like a serious contender just yet. The goaltending has been shaky, the defence has struggled to move the puck effectively, and too many forwards appear to be out for a recreational skate on any given night.

But games like Saturday’s in Florida remind us why the Oilers are still the team to beat in the Western Conference.

Stuart Skinner turned aside 35 of 38 shots from the Panthers in the win. Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm each posted plus-five ratings while logging over 20 minutes of playing time. Vasily Podkolzin sniped a goal that chased Sergei Bobrovsky from the game. The big winger also stood up for Connor McDavid after the captain was hauled down by one of Florida’s fourth-line pests.

Those are just some of the performances that stood out from the Oilers on Saturday. It was a team victory, one where a bunch of players do a bunch of little things well that make a difference.

The question now is whether the Oilers can continue to follow the blueprint for success that led them to that win in Florida. It’s one thing to find the energy to show up and beat a bitter rival, but it’s another to consistently bring that effort when the games aren’t filled with animosity.

What they said…

Jack Roslovic on the Oilers moving in the right direction as a team…

“Every game, there’s something to build off of, whether it’s learning or keeping momentum. This game is a good momentum builder.”

Kris Knoblauch on the Oilers rebounding after a tough loss in Tampa Bay…

“It was long, it was gruelling, and I thought our effort the past two games was probably our best. It’s not easy coming here, to Tampa Bay and Florida, and playing those two teams. But I thought our guys were really focused and did the little things we needed to do.’’

Stuart Skinner on the Oilers finishing their road trip on a positive note…

“It was massive. That took a lot of guts from our team. It was a really long road trip with some tough travel and some really tough teams to play against, so the fact that we were able to come out and get a win is really important. This win was huge for us.”

Panthers forward Sam Bennett on his team’s comeback attempt…

“After they got a couple quick ones, we fought back and we played a pretty solid rest of the game. We just couldn’t quite get that last one. It was a good push, but we just didn’t have quite enough.”

Backup goalie Daniil Tarasov on coming into the game in relief…

“Everybody knows it’s a huge game coming into tonight. Everybody was ready. I just kind of prepared myself. After the first period, it could happen, you know? Just jumping in the game. A couple shots and it was a good feeling. The boys scored big goals.”

Florida head coach Paul Maurice on making a goalie change…

“Like our team, Bob [Sergei Bobrovsky] is so very consistent and so very strong,” Maurice said of the decision. “There’s no point in leaving him. We’re down 4-1 and we’re going to open up our game. It’s a great time for Danny [Tarasov] to in. He came off a really great performance the last time in.”

Up next…

The Oilers will head back to Edmonton following the conclusion of their season-long seven-game road trip, which saw them post a 3-3-1 record.

They’ll host the Dallas Stars on Tuesday, and then hit the road again on Saturday for a matinee matchup against the Seattle Kraken to finish the month of November.

After that, Edmonton will begin December with a five-game homestand against the Wild, Kraken, Jets, Sabres, and Red Wings.