Nick Blankenburg scores in overtime as the Predators beat the Kings 3-2

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Nick Blankenburg scored at 1:03 of overtime to help the Nashville Predators to a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.

Zachary L’Heureux and Jonathan Marchessault also scored, and Justus Annunen made 22 saves for Nashville, which is 2-0-1 in its last three games.

Quinton Byfield and Alex Laferriere scored, and Darcy Kuemper made 23 saves for the Kings, who are 8-1-2 in their last 11 games.

In overtime, Blankenburg converted the rebound of a shot by Filip Forsberg for his first goal as a member of the Predators.

Annunen, who was acquired from Colorado in a Nov. 30 trade, improved to 2-1-0 in three games with the Predators.

L’Heureux scored the game’s first goal with 5:44 remaining in the first.

Roman Josi drove down the left side and beat Kings defenseman Kyle Burroughs with a toe drag before finding Marchessault in front for his third goal in as many games.

Josi returned to the Nashville lineup after missing the last four games due to a lower-body injury.

Kings: Playing the sixth game of a seven-game trip, the Kings found a way to tie the game after falling behind by two goals.

Predators: Nashville is 2-7 this season in games that have gone to overtime.

Marchessault had an apparent goal at 8:31 of the second negated by a hooking penalty. And, after serving that minor, he doubled Nashville’s lead at 14:00 of the second. He has five goals and three assists in a six-game points streak.

The Kings went 0 for 1 on the power play Saturday. Los Angeles has not scored a man-advantage goal in six games, going 0 for 10 in that stretch.

The Kings visit the Washington Capitals on Sunday in the finale of their seven-game trip, while the Predators host the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday.

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

Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi (59) skates the puck past Los Angeles Kings defenseman Kyle Burroughs (7) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Nashville Predators players celebrate the team's 3-2 overtime win in an NHL hockey game against the Los Angeles Kings, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Los Angeles Kings defenseman Kyle Burroughs (7) pushes Nashville Predators center Gustav Nyquist (14) to the ice during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Los Angeles Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper (35) blocks a shot on goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Nashville Predators, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Los Angeles Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper (35) blocks a shot on goal by Nashville Predators center Mark Jankowski, right, during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Nashville Predators defenseman Nick Blankenburg (37) scores the game winning goal past Los Angeles Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper (35) in overtime of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. The Predators won 3-2. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Nashville Predators defenseman Nick Blankenburg (37) celebrates his game winning goal against the Los Angeles Kings at the end of overtime of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. The Predators won 3-2. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

For Christians around the world, Christmas is the joyful celebration of the birth of Jesus. To affirm their beliefs — that God is present and hasn’t abandoned them — the faith community at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, is embracing its holiday traditions just days after a deadly shooting there.

“When people say, ‘Where is your God?’ He is more evident now than he’s ever been to us,” the Rev. Sarah Karlen told The Associated Press. “I’m sure the phrase ‘Prince of Peace’ and ‘God with us’ is going to be leaned into a little more this year.”

Karlen is a pastor at City Church, which in the late 1970s founded the school where she’s also the theater teacher. On Saturday, in the same space decorated with festive trees where students had performed their Christmas concert just the previous week, the church held the funeral of a 14-year-old student, Rubi Patricia Vergara. She was killed Monday when another student opened fire, also killing a teacher and wounding several others at the school on the same campus.

“When we say that God is with us, especially here at Christmas time — when we say, you know, Emmanuel ‘God with us,’ that he came to Earth to be with us — I know beyond a shadow of a doubt each and every one of us here at City Church would say that in a very new way,” Karlen added.

Decked in holiday light displays and a Nativity scene, the evangelical, nondenominational church with over 1,200 members also hosted a vigil service Tuesday.

Then, drawing from Scripture and particularly the Book of Job, pastors addressed the challenge of reconciling faith in a loving God with his allowing great suffering to occur.

Karlen also challenged some of the taunts on the school’s social media that questioned its religious beliefs. To the assembly’s applause, she repeatedly affirmed God’s presence in the midst of the grieving and the weariness.

“None of us on our staff are saying that we understand why or how something happened. But we do understand that God sees us, sees things very differently than we do,” Karlen said later.

Police are continuing to investigate why Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow, 15, attacked the school before fatally shooting herself. While dozens of school shootings have happened across the U.S. in recent years, the vast majority are carried out by teenage boys and young men.

Barbara Wiers said faith is helping teachers, students and families make peace with the possibility they will never have complete answers.

“There may never be sense made out of this senseless tragedy. But. God, right? God understands, and God was there, and God is still here,” said Wiers, the school’s director for elementary education and communications. “Ultimately, it’s not about man’s judgment, although there’s going to be all of that — because of the legal system and how that plays out. But God’s just judgment will reign. And we trust him for that.”

The school remains closed as staff work to repair the physical damage so that it won’t retraumatize teachers and students immediately upon their return, Wiers said. Safety and wellness protocols are also being reviewed.

But on Christmas Eve, City Church plans to hold caroling and candlelight services, hoping that the community will draw comfort from the familiar traditions.

“We know this is a long road for all of us, but the start is to be in the presence of God with one another, and to hug one another, and to sing together, to pray together,” Karlen said.

Other churches affiliated with the school, as well as the broader community in Madison, quickly came together to help, from alumni starting food drives to evangelical ministries sending chaplains to pastors sitting up with those hospitalized.

“Healing will come slowly, but they will not be left alone,” said the Rev. Kerri Parker, executive director of the Wisconsin Council of Churches, whose member organizations include about 2,000 churches and 1 million Christians.

At Saturday's funeral, Vergara's uncle, Andy Remus, said the family has “no bitterness or unforgiveness" toward the Rupnows. He urged the school to continue its mission to teach Christian values and praised the community's response.

“For every person that says, ‘Where is your God now?’ There are 10,000 good, caring people in Madison,” Remus said, his voice breaking.

Abundant Life Christian School is part of Impact Christian Schools, a network of private educational institutions that welcome families regardless of their creed, said Impact’s executive director Chuck Moore.

Moore said he hoped the shooting’s occurrence so close to the holidays wouldn’t forever tie Christmas with tragedy for the community.

“Even in the midst of awful, it’s still a time we can rejoice,” Moore said. “We can focus our celebration on who Christ is.”

Already teachers at the school have talked about Jesus and faith in “every classroom, every subject, all day long, because God isn’t siloed to Sunday,” Wiers said. And that focus will continue when the school reopens sometime in January.

“We’re changed. Our family is changed. But God hasn’t changed. He didn’t move. He hasn’t been altered at all,” Wiers said. “And the message hasn’t changed. God is good. God is good all the time. He is faithful and he is true. And while we are brokenhearted, he’s going to walk us through this.”

In the last prayer before leaving the church for the cemetery on Saturday, City Church's lead pastor also urged the community to let God's comfort and promise of eternal life break through the crushing pain.

“There is a heaven, don’t let your heart be troubled," the Rev. Tom Flaherty said. "This is not all there is, folks.”

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Supporters hold candles during a candlelight vigil Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, outside the Wisconsin Capitol in Madison, Wis., following a shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School on Monday, Dec. 16. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)