The Edmonton Oilers were playing the second half of a back-to-back stint in Florida on Wednesday night. Last night, Edmonton lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in a very one-sided game. The challenge Edmonton faced was bouncing back with little rest against a team playing strong hockey of late in the Florida Panthers. Edmonton was able to manage their fatigue as they defeated the Panthers in a high-scoring game.

Edmonton scored first in game

The Oilers opened the scoring in the first period when Oscar Klefbom scored unassisted at the 5:18 mark. Edmonton took that lead into the first intermission before Florida answered back in the 2nd period.

This period saw a total of five goals, three going to Florida and two going to Edmonton. The Oilers' scorers were Zack Kassian and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins while the Florida players that lit the lamp were Alexander Barkov, Colton Sceviour, and Jonathan Marchessault. The net result was Edmonton and Florida heading into the 2nd intermission tied at three.

Kris Russell scored game winner

Edmonton's Kris Russell seemed to be one of the least likeliest Oilers to get the game winner. The defensemen, formerly of the Calgary Flames, had not scored since joining the team. However, at the 12:12 mark of the third period he was part of an odd-man rush with Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, one that the Oiler captain spearheaded with a defensive play in his zone.

Russell, the trailer on the rush, beat James Reimer for what would end up being the game winner.

Edmonton goaltender Cam Talbot, despite being in net for all three goals, had a strong even-strengthed performance on the night. Two of the goals he yielded came when his team was shorthanded. During even-strength play he posted 29 of 30 saves for the win, a victory that ended Florida's five-game winning streak.

Edmonton have Washington next

The Oilers are in the middle of a tough road trip. Next up for them is a game on Friday night at the Verizon Center against the Washington Capitals. The Capitals were victorious on the road on Wednesday against the Philadelphia Flyers. At home on the season, the Caps are 24-5-1, meaning that Edmonton will need to play very strong hockey to come away with a victory.