Verhaeghe gets tiebreaking goal in 3rd period as Panthers beat Oilers 6-5

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Carter Verhaeghe scored the tiebreaking goal in the third period and the defending champion Florida Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers 6-5 on Monday in the rematch of the Stanley Cup Final.

Niko Mikkola, Sam Reinhart, Jesper Boqvist, Matthew Tkachuk and Gustav Forsling also scored for the Panthers. Florida won despite star forward Aleksander Barkov missing his second consecutive game with an illness. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 25 shots.

Zach Hyman scored twice, Leon Draisaitl had a goal and an assist, and Kasperi Kapanen and Connor Brown also scored for the Oilers, who snapped a five-game winning streak. Connor McDavid had three assists and Stuart Skinner finished with 22 saves.

Hyman went to the dressing room pouring blood after taking a puck to the face after Bouchard’s power-play blast deflected off of a Panthers player in the second period. He returned for the third period wearing a full face shield.

Panthers: Florida got a huge short-handed goal just 2:42 into the first period as Boqvist stole a puck from a stumbling Evan Bouchard and went in on the breakaway before sending his fifth of the season through Skinner’s legs. It was Florida’s second goal in 214 minutes, including shutouts in the two previous games. Florida leads the NHL with eight short-handed goals.

Oilers: Draisaitl had his sixth straight multi-point game, with 15 points in that stretch. He has 17 multi-point games this season and leads the league in goals (23), even-strength goals (18), and game-winning goals (seven).

Verhaeghe got a centering pass from Bennett from the left corner, got Skinner to go down and fired a shot over the goalie's shoulder into the top left corner to give the Panthers a 6-5 lead with 6:55 to go.

Hyman's goal in the second period was his 200th with McDavid getting an assist. Hyman now has seven goals in his last six games after returning from injury and has 10 on the season.

Panthers visit Minnesota on Wednesday to finish a five-game trip, and Oilers host Boston on Thursday.

AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL

Edmonton Oilers' Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (93) and Connor Brown (28) celebrate after a goal against the Florida Panthers during second-period NHL hockey game action in Edmonton, Alberta, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

Edmonton Oilers' Zach Hyman (18) celebrates after a goal against the Florida Panthers during second-period NHL hockey game action in Edmonton, Alberta, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

Edmonton Oilers' Zach Hyman (18) is injured after taking a puck to the face on a shot by a teammate during second-period NHL hockey game action against the Florida Panthers in Edmonton, Alberta, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

Florida Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (72) is scored against by Edmonton Oilers' Zach Hyman (18) during second-period NHL hockey game action in Edmonton, Alberta, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

Edmonton Oilers' Corey Perry (90), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (93), Leon Draisaitl (29) and Mattias Ekholm (14) celebrate after a goal against the Florida Panthers during second-period NHL hockey game action in Edmonton, Alberta, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

Edmonton Oilers' Leon Draisaitl (29), Zach Hyman (18), Connor McDavid (97), Mattias Ekholm (14) and Evan Bouchard (2) celebrate after a goal against the Florida Panthers during first-period NHL hockey game action in Edmonton, Alberta, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

Florida Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk, center top, scores against Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner, center bottom, during first-period NHL hockey game action in Edmonton, Alberta, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

Florida Panthers' Sam Bennett (9), Matthew Tkachuk (19) and Aaron Ekblad (5) celebrate after a goal against the Edmonton Oilers during first-period NHL hockey game action in Edmonton, Alberta, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

Florida Panthers' Jesper Boqvist, right, scores against Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner (74) during first-period NHL hockey game action in Edmonton, Alberta, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

Florida Panthers Sam Reinhart (13) is checked by Edmonton Oilers' Darnell Nurse, left, during first-period NHL hockey game action in Edmonton, Alberta, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

Florida Panthers players celebrate after a goal as Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner (74) and Ty Emberson (49) look on during second-period NHL hockey game action in Edmonton, Alberta, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

Florida Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, left, tries to make a save as Edmonton Oilers' Zach Hyman (18) is hit in the face with the shot during second-period NHL hockey game action in Edmonton, Alberta, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

Florida Panthers' Sam Reinhart (13) and Edmonton Oilers' Mattias Ekholm (14) battle for the puck during third-period NHL hockey game action in Edmonton, Alberta, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

Florida Panthers' Sam Bennett (9) and Carter Verhaeghe, right, celebrate after a goal against the Edmonton Oilers during third-period NHL hockey game action in Edmonton, Alberta, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The concert took place in an old movie studio in Kyiv, the location kept secret until the final moment in case it was the target of a Russian attack.

More than 1,000 soldiers and young people gathered to listen to the artists who joined forces with a military brigade in an innovative effort to raise funds for Ukraine’s embattled troops.

This was the first and only live performance of the charity album “Epoch,” a collaboration between the 3rd Assault Brigade and eight Ukrainian bands.

The project’s ambitious target is to raise 50 million hryvnias (about $1.2 million) to buy an M113 armored personnel carrier to help get infantry to the front and evacuate the wounded for medical treatment. Since it launched on streaming platforms a month ago, the initiative has raised 9 million hryvnias (around $214,000).

Grassroots fundraising for Ukrainian fighters dates back to 2014, the year Russia first annexed the southern region of Crimea and Moscow-backed separatists launched an uprising in eastern Ukraine. At that time, Ukraine’s defense was made up of a regular army supported by volunteer battalions who weren't financially supported by Kyiv’s government. Self-funding was critical.

Now, advertisements pasted along the sidewalk in Kyiv ask for donations to help fill financial gaps across the military. By scanning a QR code, people can help buy anything from body warmers and drones to armored cars for soldiers defending the nearly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line.

But some charities are seeing a decline in individual donations in part because of the economic situation in the country.

Oleksandr Borodyn, one of the project's organizers, says the idea for the collaboration came from the challenge of continuing to drum up funds to support troops as the war is on the cusp of marking a three-year milestone.

“To raise the same amount of money as at the beginning of the war, you need much more effort. That’s why we came up with the idea that a musician could donate his or her art, and that art would earn money for the army,” said Borodyn, a press officer for the 3rd Assault Brigade.

The initiative comes as U.S. President Joe Biden is rushing out billions of dollars more in military aid before Washington's support for Kyiv’s defenses is thrown into question when Donald Trump takes office next month.

Monobank, one of the largest platforms to process donations, says that in the first 1,000 days of war, nearly 10.5 million unique users made donations totaling around 77 billion hryvnias (about $1.8 billion) to various fundraising organizations.

But some charity groups are finding that voluntary funding isn't what it was in the first year of the full-scale invasion. The Come Back Alive foundation supports troops with anything from military training to buying drones and electronic warfare to repel attacks. In the first year of the conflict, they raised more than 5.7 billion hryvnias ($184 million). So far in 2024, the figure is nearly 3.6 billion hryvnias ($89 million).

“Many people report a worsening financial situation, which limits their ability to contribute to supporting the military,” said Oleh Karpenko, deputy director of the Come Back Alive Foundation.

Three years of war has had a devastating impact on Ukraine’s economy. According to a World Bank report released in May, the number of Ukrainians living in poverty has grown by 1.8 million since 2020 to about 9 million, or 29% of the population.

To help the most vulnerable, the government launched a winter support program at the beginning of December and within days, around 6.5 million people had applied to receive the one off 1,000 hryvnia ($24) payment to help cover utilities, medical services and cellphone costs.

According to Karpenko, local initiatives and smaller-scale fundraising efforts mean many people direct their contributions toward helping specific soldiers or military units they know personally. That reduces the amount received by larger organizations, which he says can promptly address urgent battlefield needs that the government can't meet.

“International support also plays a significant role in donation levels," Karpenko said. "When aid from international partners decreases, it strongly demotivates Ukrainian society. People lose motivation to donate when they perceive a lack of willingness from partners to actively supply weapons.”

Staring up at the large monitors set up on either side of the stage in the form of the three diagonal line symbol of the 3rd Assault Brigade, 26-year-old Oksana Kalenchenko thinks that events like the concert are hugely important in continuing to generate support.

“It’s a reminder to somebody that there is a war going on in Ukraine, let’s keep donating, let’s keep doing everything we can,” Kalenchenko said.

The collaboration album features young artists from Ukraine’s rock, rap and alternative scene, and many of the lyrics reflect events and the reality of living through the conflict.

“We want to show the reflection of contemporary artists to the situation in Ukraine, and in general to Ukraine at war … That’s why the project is called ‘Epoch,’ because it is a transmission of the era we are living in,” Borodyn said.

What also unites all the songs is language. Since the start of the full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, Ukrainian music has experienced somewhat of a revival with many artists shunning the traditional Russian pop scene that dominated the post-Soviet era.

“People did not pay attention to Ukrainian music in such a large number,” says Iryna Panchuk, singer and songwriter for “Renie Cares,” one of the bands on the album. “This is separation, because this is what makes us different from Russia and this needs to be emphasized very strongly — emphasized and strengthened,” she added.

Alex Babenko contributed to this report.

Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Dmytro Odnorozhenko, solo singer of punk rock band Hatespeech sings during the presentation of the music album Epoch, a collaboration between Ukrainian artists and the 3rd Assault Brigade, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Alex Babenko)

People slam during the presentation of the music album Epoch, a collaboration between Ukrainian artists and the 3rd Assault Brigade, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Alex Babenko)

Ukrainian serviceman of 3rd Assault Brigade known by call sign "Avdei" performs together with rock band Proroky, during the presentation of the music album Epoch, a collaboration between Ukrainian artists and the 3rd Assault Brigade, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Alex Babenko)

Dmytro Odnorozhenko, solo singer of punk rock band Hatespeech sings during the presentation of the music album Epoch, a collaboration between Ukrainian artists and the 3rd Assault Brigade, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Alex Babenko)

Ukrainian serviceman dance during the presentation of the music album Epoch, a collaboration between Ukrainian artists and the 3rd Assault Brigade, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Alex Babenko)

Dmytro Odnorozhenko, singer of punk rock band Hatespeech sings during the presentation of the music album Epoch, a collaboration between Ukrainian artists and the 3rd Assault Brigade, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Alex Babenko)

The Crowd react during the performance of punk rock band Hatespeech during the presentation of the music album Epoch, a collaboration between Ukrainian artists and the 3rd Assault Brigade, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Alex Babenko)

Iryna Panchuk, solo singer of indie rock band Renie Cares sings during the presentation of the music album Epoch, a collaboration between Ukrainian artists and the 3rd Assault Brigade, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Alex Babenko)

Indie rock band Renie Cares performs during the presentation of the music album Epoch, a collaboration between Ukrainian artists and the 3rd Assault Brigade, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Alex Babenko)

The crowd reacts to the performance of rap band PVNCH during the presentation of the music album Epoch, a collaboration between Ukrainian artists and the 3rd Assault Brigade, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Alex Babenko)