PREVIEW: Oilers at Panthers

SUNRISE, FL – Just like they did during the Stanley Cup Final, the Oilers are going to have to dig their way out of the hole they’ve made for themselves.

It’s a fitting analogy, since Thursday will be their first trip back to where they experienced the heartbreak of coming up just one goal short in the last game of the 2024 Playoffs.

“We're in a bit of a hole right now as a team, and it's about resiliency. It's about sticking with it," Mattias Ekholm said. "We're gonna have to dig one out here sooner or later and I thought we got off to a good start [Tuesday], but I think at times we're giving them a little bit too easy of offence."

Having lost each of their last four games, the Edmonton Oilers will return to Amerant Bank Arena on Thursday for the first time since Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, hoping to end to a challenging stretch with a victory against the Florida Panthers.

The Oilers have been trying to put it all together after the 4 Nations Face-Off break but have yet to find their game after extending their losing streak with a 4-1 defeat to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday at Amalie Arena.

Leon Draisaitl notched his 43^rd goal of the season and Connor McDavid recorded his 698^th career assist to help open the scoring on the power play, but giveaways and a lack of connection between the Oilers saw the Lightning score four unanswered goals to take command.

Kasperi Kapanen's turnover in the neutral zone resulted in Michael Eyssimont tying things at 1-1 just 1:18 after Draisaitl scored before Stuart Skinner gave up one he'd like to have back on a wrap-around from Brandon Hagel less than a minute into the middle frame.

Victor Hedman got a lucky bounce off Mattias Janmark during a five-on-three man advantage later in the period, and Nick Paul would round out the scoring at 4-1 in the final frame on a deflection off a quick rush created by Nikita Kucherov in the Lightning's zone.

The Oilers have allowed 22 goals over their four-game losing streak that’s their first of that length under Head Coach Knoblauch since his hiring back on Nov. 12, 2023. They’ve allowed 31 goals in seven games during a frustrating February after giving up 32 goals in 14 games last month, while their penalty kill has been beaten in seven straight games.

Despite McDavid recording power-play assists in back-to-back games, the Oilers captain has been outscored 5-0 at five-on-five and is goalless with a -7 rating in the three games since scoring the OT winner for Canada in the final of the 4 Nations tournament.

McDavid (-12) and Ekholm (-9) have the worst plus-minus in the NHL since Feb. 5, so you'd expect it's all going to come together sooner than later for them, but it's going to take everyone coming together to fight their way out of this slump.

The Oilers had a team day off in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday and look to return refreshed and ready to rematch a Panthers side that beat them 6-5 in an exciting game at Rogers Place in Edmonton back on Dec. 16. In the loss, the Oilers got multi-point performances from Connor McDavid (3A), Zach Hyman (2G) and Leon Draisaitl (1G, 1A) while Connor Brown recorded his 100th career point and Kasperi Kapanen also found the back of the net.

Edmonton has won 12 of their last 14 regular season visits Amerant Bank Arena, but their last defeat here was in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, which will no doubt be on their minds on Thursday night.

"We've got things to work on, absolutely. No doubt about it," Ekholm said. "We're in that funk right now and it's gonna take a gutsy effort and an ugly one so to speak that gets us out of it. But right now, we're not there."

The Panthers picked up the win in their last game on Thursday after rookie forward Justin Sourdif recorded the game-winning in a 4-1 road victory over the Nashville Predators. Sourdif was drafted 87th overall in the third round of the 2020 NHL Draft by the Panthers and played 199 games in the WHL with the Vancouver Giants & Edmonton Oil Kings, recording 205 points (86G, 119A).

Sam Reinhart stayed hot coming off his 4 Nations Face-Off win with Canada by scoring in the first period and needs one goal to pass Pavel Bure for the fifth-most in Panthers history. Another Canadian teammate in Sam Bennett is fresh off recording his first 'Gordie Howe' hat trick with a goal, an assist and a fight in the win over the Predators .

Matthew Tkachuk is expected to be out long term with a groin injury suffered during 4 Nations, having factored in on 29.5 percent of all Panthers goals this season.