SUNRISE, Fla. – There were a lot of firsts for the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night.
Mark Arcobello scored his first two goals in the NHL, the second in overtime, and the Oilers snapped a five-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory over the Florida Panthers.
Edmonton went on the power play after Florida’s Scottie Upshall was called for tripping 32 seconds into the extra period and Arcobello rifled a slap shot from the left circle that got past Florida goalie Jacob Markstrom 1:23 later.
“I just tried to hit the net,” Arcobello said. “It just topped off a good night and we had a big win.”
Taylor Fedun scored his first career goal and Philip Larsen also scored his first goal of the season for Edmonton. Devan Dubnyk made 20 saves. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had two assists.
Upshall scored two third-period goals and Marcel Goc also scored for the Panthers. Markstrom stopped 23 shots.
Florida has lost six straight and nine of its past 10.
Upshall tied the game with 57.6 seconds left on a slap shot from the left circle. His first goal came at 10:04 of the third when he took a pass from Jesse Winchester from the right circle to the high slot. His shot got past Dubnyk on the right side.
“It was nice to come back, but some mistakes and some errors on our part tonight cost us,” Upshall said.
After the first period ended 1-1, the Oilers scored two goals in 33 seconds early in the second. Arcobello shot from just below the left circle and the puck went high into the net at 2:06 to make it 2-1
The Oilers had been shut out the past two games and outscored 9-0.
“I thought we took some baby steps in the right direction,” Oilers coach Dallas Eakins said. “I liked that we stayed in the fight.”
Fedun, playing in his first NHL game, tipped in a pass from Nugent-Hopkins at 2:39. Fedun was recalled from AHL Oklahoma City on Monday.
“I don’t know if I knew what just happened. It happened so fast,” Fedun said. “I don’t think I processed it right away. I didn’t even know what to do.”
Fedun seems recovered from the right femur he broke in a pre-season game at Minnesota on Sept. 30, 2011. He played the entire 2012-2013 season in Oklahoma City.
“It was awesome to get out there in the first place, get my legs under me and have my first game,” Fedun said. “There was some tough times, but (this) was the ultimate goal dangling in front of me.”
The Panthers took a 1-0 lead in the first on the goal by Goc. Jonathan Huberdeau passed from the right side to Goc in the center. His wrist shot beat Dubnyk on the glove side at 10:35. It was just the fourth time the Panthers scored first in 15 games this season.
Florida has lost four of five games that went past regulation this season.
“Those are points that are slipping away,” Panthers coach Kevin Dinesen said.
The Oilers tied it during four-on-four play with just over three minutes left in the first. Nugent-Hopkins brought the puck down along the boards on the right side. He slid a pass to Larsen in the slot and his wrister beat Markstrom at 16:59. It was the first goal scored by Edmonton in 172:46.
NOTES: This was the first stop on the Oilers’ four-game road trip. … The Oilers have won eight of their last nine games against the Panthers, including five straight on the road. … Oilers LW Ryan Smyth returned after missing seven games with a groin pull. … Florida C Winchester has six points in his last nine games. … Florida RW Kris Versteeg returned to the lineup after being a healthy scratch for the first time in his NHL career Saturday at Washington.
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