Oilers Beat Panthers

     The Florida Panthers returned home following a six-game road trip and fell to the Edmonton Oilers 4-2 at BB&T Center on Monday night. It was the first game of a four-game homestand for the Atlantic Division leader who dropped their third consecutive game and are winless in their last four games.
     It also ended a seven-game winning streak at home for the Cats. They last lost a game in Sunrise on December 8th against the Ottawa Senators. The Oilers defeated the Panthers for the seventh straight time in this building.
     Edmonton(19-23-5) jumped out to a 1-0 lead at 5:50 of the first period. Taylor Hall stormed through the Panthers zone on a breakaway and scored on a forehand shot by Al Montoya.
     The Oilers moved ahead to a two-goal margin with 2:08 left in the frame on a Florida(26-15-5) turnover in their own zone. Benoit Pouliot passed from the blue line down to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to the left of the crease. He then sent a cross-ice pass to Jordan Eberle in the crease area and he put in a snap shot.
     In the second period, Florida fell behind by three goals as the Oilers put in a tally on their seventh shot on goal in the contest at 4:19. Teddy Purcell had the puck at the right point and passed ahead to Hall at the top right circle. He dashed to the high slot and ripped a wrist shot for his second goal of the game and 18th goal of the season.
     Edmonton had trouble getting the puck out of their own defensive zone early in the third period and the Panthers capitalized on the situation. Reilly Smith picked up the biscuit at the top right circle and fired a slapshot past Cam Talbot for his 13th goal of the season at 2:45.
     Florida responded quickly to close the margin to 3-2 at 5:35. Brian Campbell fed a pass to Shawn Thornton in the low left circle. He flicked a cross-ice pass to the front of the Edmonton cage and Quinton Howden tipped the puck in.
     The Cats attempted to pull the goalie and put out an extra attacker in the final two minutes of the game and they were caught with 1:28 to go. As Montoya was almost at the bench, Hall controlled the puck at his own blue line. He spotted Purcell on the right wing and he scored into an empty net when Montoya scrambled to get back in the crease.