EDMONTON — The Edmonton Oilers may not see the Florida Panthers often during the regular season, but are familiar enough with Roberto Luongo to know how tough the goaltender is to defeat.
Luongo made 31 saves to help the Panthers defeat the Oilers 4-2 at Rexall Place on Sunday.
The win was Luongo's 27th career victory against Edmonton, the majority coming as a member of the Vancouver Canucks.
Goaltender Ben Scrivens made 23 saves for the Oilers (10-24-9)
Jimmy Hayes, Brian Campbell, Tomas Kopecky and Sean Bergenheim scored to extend Florida's win streak to three games. The Panthers (20-11-9) finish a six-game road trip Tuesday at the Winnipeg Jets.
Jordan Eberle and Benoit Pouliot scored for the Oilers.
Hayes gave Florida a 1-0 lead 4:01 into the first period, picking up a loose puck in front of the net and firing a shot past Scrivens.
Oilers defenseman Andrew Ference had broken up a centering pass from Nick Bjugstad, but Hayes was able to beat Eberle to a loose puck in the slot, spun and beat Scrivens.
Jonathan Huberdeau came close to extending the Panthers' lead, but his shot from the high slot hit the goal post.
Eberle tied the game 4:07 into the second period off a scramble in front.
Luongo had difficulty with a point shot from Oilers defenseman Justin Schultz and was unable to grab the puck in front of him. Eventually it came to Eberle who put it into an open net.
Campbell put the Panthers up 2-1 at 6:56 of the second when his point shot was deflected by Oilers forward Matt Hendricks on the way to the net and sailed over Scriven's shoulder.
Kopecky scored 5:08 into the third period to increase the Panthers' lead to 3-1, taking a pass from Derek MacKenzie and beating Scrivens from in close.
The play began when Scottie Upshall won a race to the puck behind the Oilers net and slid it to MacKenzie, who spotted Kopecky.
Pouliot scored 32 seconds later to pull the Oilers to within a goal.
Luongo had made saves on Nikita Nikitin and Derek Roy before the puck came to Pouliot in the slot who shot it past the Panthers goalie.
Bergenheim restored the two-goal lead at 15:28, converting on a turnover by Oilers forward Nail Yakupov at the Edmonton blue line.
Yakupov had the puck poked away from him and it bounced over Ference's stick to Bergenheim, who shot it past Scrivens.
The Oilers begin a four-game road trip Tuesday at the St. Louis Blues.
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