Oilers' penalty kill has made a major difference in the Stanley Cup Final against the Panthers

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — For all the talk going into the Stanley Cup Final about the Edmonton Oilers' vaunted power play and how Florida might have to adjust to stay out of the box, their penalty kill has actually been one of the biggest difference makers in the series.

Edmonton has killed off 19 of 20 penalties, including three in a 5-1 victory in Game 6 on Friday night to force a deciding Game 7 on Monday night in Sunrise.

“In every series, you work hard at the start of the series, get a little momentum, a little confidence," said forward Mattias Janmark, who has skated 13 minutes on the PK in the final and scored one of the Oilers' two short-handed goals. "They get on their heels maybe a little bit, we get on our toes and get the upper hand. But the next game, they’re probably looking over there at the one goal they can score in the next game, so we’re going to have to be at our best next game.”

With Janmark, linemate Connor Brown and defensemen Mattias Ekholm and Darnell Nurse — plus, of course, goaltender Stuart Skinner — leading the way, the Oilers' penalty kill is converting at an NHL playoff-best 94.1%, allowing just four goals on 68 opposing power plays.

“We’re playing with instinct and fast and closing things down,” Nurse said. “When the block needs to be made, guys are making blocks. It’s good. I think we’re doing it. I think for us even when we have success, we’re always trying to evolve and be even more on our toes.”

So on their toes that the penalty kill has outscored the Panthers power play 2-1 in the series. The Oilers were the first team since the 1991 Pittsburgh Penguins (Mario Lemieux and Bob Errey) to score a short-handed goal in consecutive Cup final games.

That's the result of taking Florida out of a rhythm and having the speed and talent to go the other way. Skinner pointed to winning a faceoff during a penalty kill in Game 6 as one example of being able to set the tone.

“Guys are just battling really hard,” said Skinner, who made four short-handed saves Friday night. “We’re keeping guys on the outside in the neutral zone, and when they do get their chances, we get big blocks. I think we just got a really good flow going right now, and we’ve gotten a lot of opportunities on the PK so for us to have that sort of chemistry has been great and we’ve got to do that for another game.”

Coach Kris Knoblauch delegates penalty killing duties to assistant Mark Stuart, a retired defenseman who skated plenty of these shifts during a 12-year NHL career. Nurse said Stuart does a good job preparing players for what to expect, and the system is working.

“They’re prepared," Knoblauch said. “They know what to do. I think we have a good system for the group that we have.”

Knoblauch also senses confidence from his penalty kill, which has been building now for four rounds. That's turning into smart plays and not a whole lot of mistakes, something that has fueled Edmonton's comeback from down 3-0 in the final.

“I feel like we’re doing a good job of cleaning up sticks and being physical, and when we’ve had the chance to clear the puck, we’ve been getting our clears, too, so it’s a good recipe,” Nurse said. "It’s been good, been instinctual, been fast, shutting stuff down, but we’ve got to do it again.”

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL

Florida Panthers' Sam Reinhart (13) and Edmonton Oilers' Philip Broberg (86) battle for the rebound from goalie Stuart Skinner (74) during the second period of Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final, Friday, June 21, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

Florida Panthers' Aleksander Barkov (16) crashes into Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner (74) during the second period of Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final, Friday, June 21, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Florida Panthers' Sam Bennett (9) checks Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid (97) during the second period of Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final, Friday, June 21, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Florida Panthers' Vladimir Tarasenko (10) is checked by Edmonton Oilers' Darnell Nurse (25) during the third period of Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final, Friday, June 21, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. The Oilers won 5-1 to tie the series. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

Florida Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk (19) is stopped by Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner (74) during the third period of Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final, Friday, June 21, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. The Oilers won 5-1 to tie the series. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

Florida Panthers' Evan Rodrigues (17) is stopped by Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner (74) during the third period of Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final, Friday, June 21, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. The Oilers won 5-1 to tie the series. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

MAGDEBURG, Germany (AP) — Mourners laid flowers near the scene of the deadly Christmas market attack on Monday as investigators puzzled over the motive of the suspect and fears swirled that the rampage could deepen divisions in German society.

The Johanniskirche, a church a short walk from the scene of the attack, has become a central place of mourning since the suspect drove a car into the busy market on Friday evening, killing five people. A carpet of flowers now covers the broad sidewalk in front of the church.

Prosecutors said the number of injured has risen to as many as 235 as more people have reported to hospitals and doctors, but it's possible there was some double-counting.

Authorities have identified the suspect as a Saudi doctor who arrived in Germany in 2006 and had received permanent residency. They say he does not fit the usual profile of perpetrators of extremist attacks. The man described himself as an ex-Muslim who was highly critical of Islam and in many posts on social media expressed support for the far-right.

“The Magdeburg perpetrator had repeatedly attracted attention by threatening crimes. There were also warnings about him but, according to what is known so far, his political statements were so confused that none of the security authorities' patterns fitted him," Justice Minister Volker Wissing was quoted as telling the Funke newspaper group.

He said Germany may have to “draw consequences for our security architecture” and that a serious debate about that will be needed, “but it's still too early for that" as facts and questions remain open.

The country's vice chancellor voiced fears that the attack will fuel online misinformation ahead of a national election expected in late February. He urged people to “take time for the truth” and said: “Don't let yourselves be infected by hatred.”

“There is still a lot we don't know and a lot is unexplained, including the exact motive,” Robert Habeck said in a video posted Sunday. “All the same, I fear that the distrust that was immediately propagated on the net against Muslims, foreigners and people with a history of immigration will entrench itself deeper in society”

On Sunday night, police in the port city of Bremerhaven said they detained a man who threatened crimes at a Christmas market there in a TikTok video. German news agency dpa reported that he had said he would stab any people of Arabic appearance there on Christmas Day.

Mobile vehicle barriers can be seen behind the stalls at the Christmas market on Rotkreuzplatz, early Monday, Dec. 23, 2024, in Munich. (Sven Hoppe/dpa via AP)

Mobile vehicle barriers sit behind stalls at the Christmas market on Rotkreuzplatz, early Monday, Dec. 23, 2024, in Munich. (Sven Hoppe/dpa via AP)

People lay flowers and lit candles in front of the Johannis church close to the Christmas market, where a car drove into a crowd on Friday evening, in Magdeburg, Germany, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

People walk at the Christmas Market, where a car drove into a crowd on Friday evening, in Magdeburg, Germany, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Flowers, candles, wreaths and stuffed animals lie in front of St. John's Church, Monday, Dec. 23, 2024, in Madgeburg, Germany, after a car drove into a Christmas market on Friday. (Klaus-Dietmar Gabbert/dpa via AP)