Slumping Oilers Look to Rebound Against Short-Handed Panthers

Oilers Struggling Despite Draisaitl’s Dominance

The Edmonton Oilers (34-20-4, 72 points) head into Thursday night’s game against the Florida Panthers (35-16-6, 73 points) desperate to break out of their recent slump.

Despite Leon Draisaitl leading the NHL with 43 goals and extending his scoring streak to six straight games, the Oilers have lost four consecutive games and are struggling to find consistency.

Head coach Kris Knoblauch acknowledged the team’s frustration, stating that confidence is an issue right now.

“We’re a fragile group right now, and we’re reluctant to play our game,” Knoblauch said.

With Connor McDavid and Draisaitl leading the charge, the Oilers expect to be one of the best teams in the NHL, but the pressure of maintaining that status is weighing on them.

Draisaitl and McDavid Still Producing

Draisaitl has at least one point in 17 of his past 18 games, totaling 14 goals and 14 assists in that span.
McDavid leads the Oilers with 51 assists and ranks second in points (73) behind Draisaitl.
Goaltender Stuart Skinner has struggled, losing six of his past eight starts.

Defenseman Mattias Ekholm emphasized the need to end the skid, admitting that the team is “in a bit of a hole right now” and must find a way to grind out a win.

Panthers Overcoming Injuries as They Aim to Extend Winning Form

The reigning Stanley Cup champions are coming off a 4-1 road victory over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday, despite being without two key forwards.

Matthew Tkachuk missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury sustained at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Eetu Luostarinen was also unavailable as he and his wife were expecting a child.

Despite those absences, Florida has won three of its past four games and remains in a tight race in the Eastern Conference playoff standings.

Goaltending Matchup: Bobrovsky Expected to Start

Backup goalie Spencer Knight made 18 saves in Tuesday’s win, but Sergei Bobrovsky (23-13-2, .903 SV%, 2.65 GAA) is expected to return to the net against Edmonton.

“We’re not thinking about patterns, streaks, trends or whatever,” Knight said. “We’re just trying to bring the game that we want to play every night.”

Florida has relied on Sam Reinhart, who leads the team with 31 goals and 63 points, while captain Aleksander Barkov has recorded a team-high 40 assists.

Tkachuk’s absence is a challenge, as he remains one of Florida’s most productive players (22 goals, 35 assists, 11 power-play goals) and an emotional leader. However, others have stepped up:

Gustav Forsling leads the team in plus-minus (+30).
Aaron Ekblad continues to anchor the defense (+9).
Carter Verhaeghe has delivered in clutch moments, including the game-winning goal in Florida’s 6-5 victory over Edmonton on Dec. 16.

Edmonton Must Overcome Recent Struggles to Stay in Playoff Race

With only one point separating these teams in the standings, this game carries significant playoff implications.

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Keys to Victory for the Oilers:

Get Stronger Goaltending: Skinner needs to bounce back and hold Florida’s offense in check.
Capitalize on Tkachuk’s Absence: The Panthers are missing their top playmaker, and Edmonton must exploit that gap.
Continue Offensive Production from Draisaitl and McDavid: The two superstars are still producing at an elite level, but the Oilers need more depth scoring to get out of their slump.

After dropping four straight, Edmonton needs a win to regain momentum and stay in the hunt for a top playoff spot. Florida, meanwhile, will aim to take advantage of a vulnerable Oilers team and continue climbing the standings.

Florida Panthers vs Edmonton Oilers Picks and Predictions February 27th 2025