After Kevin Stenlund made it 4-3 Florida before the second period was over, Edmonton’s power play had two vital opportunities in the final frame that their record-setting man advantage from last season (32.4 percent) couldn’t convert when they needed it to.
The Oilers power play ranks 12th in the NHL at 21.7 percent and is 0-for-11 in their last three games.
The curtain fell on an eventual 5-3 defeat to Florida that dropped Edmonton’s overall record to 5-11-1 heading into Wednesday’s meeting with the Hurricanes at PNC Arena, where Carolina ranks first in the NHL since the start of the 2020-21 season with an 82-22-12 record.
The Hurricanes are 5-1-0 at home this season, outscoring opponents 19-12, and are 29-8-2 in their last 39 home games, dating back to last season.
Edmonton is 2-7-0 on the road this season, getting outscored 41-27 and leads the League with 33.4 average shots per game. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes lead the NHL in shot attempts per game this season (72.29) as well as shot attempt differential (+393). The Oilers rank top three in both categories.
In their last meeting on Nov. 10, 2022, the Hurricanes won by a 7-2 scoreline where Russian forward Andrei Svechnikov scored his second hat trick in as many games against Edmonton. McDavid scored in the defeat and has scored in his last two trips to Raleigh.