SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) -- Mike Vernon was up to his old tricks for the Florida Panthers.

Vernon matched a season high with 37 saves and Ray Whitney and Bret Hedican scored as Florida ended a two-game losing skid with a 2-1 victory over Edmonton on Saturday night.

	Edmonton goalie Tommy Salo denies Florida's Rob Niedermayer during the first period Saturday.

"When you get a few shots like I got tonight it keeps you sharp and you stay in it," said Vernon, who will turn 37 on Feb. 24. "I was busy tonight, it felt good."

Vernon had a great stop with his glove on Georges Laraque with 11:56 left. He also stopped Tom Poti, while sliding down, a few minutes later.

Edmonton outshot the Panthers 15-3 in the final period.

"He played like a 23-year-old tonight, make it 22," said Florida's Lance Pitlick. "Mike has kept us in the game since he got here."

Vernon's stops might not have been highlight reel material, but they were important. Especially, because there wasn't any scoring after the first period.

"I knew we hung on in the end. They were very hungry with the puck," Panthers coach Terry Murray said. "They came with the pressure, they were overwhelming us at times. We survived and got the two points."

Florida had lost consecutive games to Eastern Conference powers New Jersey and Philadelphia, and was 1-3-1 in its five games prior to Saturday.

"We probably didn't deserve that one tonight," Whitney said. "We can't rely on our goalie every night. For the rest of the way, we have to start playing like a team."

The Oilers, who had won two in a row, scored seven goals Friday against Tampa Bay.

Edmonton had at least a point in seven consecutive games. It was only the second time this month the Oilers played a game and did not earn a point.

"Some nights we get rewarded and some nights we don't, but you know that the effort's there and the focus is there," Oilers coach Kevin Lowe said. "We're heading in the right direction."

Florida has not lost three in a row since dropping seven straight last March 31-April 10.

The Oilers jumped out to a 1-0 lead just 2:54 in, when Mike Grier one-timed a shot from the slot past Vernon.

The Panthers scored a pair of goals three minutes apart to go up 2-1 after the first. Whitney scored a power-play goal at 4:21 on a shot from just inside the blue line, his 299th NHL point, then Hedican's slap shot beat Tommy Salo at 7:21.

"I tried to get in the seam and fortunately I was able to one-time it," Hedican said. "I'm trying to get open in the offensive zone and get in good shooting position."

Whitney's goal, his 22nd, broke a 1-for-19 power play dry spell for the Panthers.

Vernon improved to 13-9-1.

"I feel like a target everyday, it's just the position." Vernon said. "We didn't play particularly well in our own end tonight, we were trying to get on the same page. I enjoy the game. It helps that you're in there every night or every other night to get in a groove."

For the Panthers, Vernon has been a huge pickup.

"Mike Vernon was great for us," Hedican said. "It's just what we need. We're playing a lot of hockey, and we're running on empty and Mike came up big tonight."