Oilers penalty kill rises from stagnant start to season

Edmonton Oilers forwards Mattias Janmark (13) and Connor Brown (28) celebrate a goal during NHL action against the Philadelphia Flyers on Oct. 15, 2024. (Amber Bracken/The Canadian Press)

It didn't take long for the Edmonton Oilers penalty-killing fortunes to tank at the start of the season.

In Game 1, a 6-0 home-ice loss to the Winnipeg Jets, the visitors scored on two of their three power-play chances.

Game 2, also at Rogers Place, the Chicago Blackhawks cashed in on all three of their opportunities with the man advantage in a 5-2 Oilers loss.

By the time they reached Game 6, the Oilers were last in the NHL on 'the kill,' with their success rate hovering at a percentage in the late 50s/early 60s through games Nov. 9.

That's when special-teams unit gave up one in two Vancouver Canucks chances in a 7-3 Oilers win.

In the seven games since, though, Edmonton's penalty kill has been perfect. It's now 28th in the league of 32 teams, sitting at 70.9 per cent through 22 games.

Forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, a shorthanded mainstay, says their newfound success in snuffing out opposition power-play chances has come from a combination of working on their game and new players becoming acclimated to their system.

He said the latter "makes a difference."

"Up front, you want to get to know each other, get your pairs going. Same with on the back end. Those guys had their pairs last year, and it's changed this year. I'm sure there's an adjustment period for them, just like it is for us," Nugent-Hopkins told media after practice on Monday.

"Like I've said before, the more you play together, the more you take reps, the easier it is, the more you can just read off each other."

Players new to the kill include Ty Emberson, Adam Henrique and Troy Stecher, replacing the likes of Ryan McLeod, Warren Foegele, Vincent Desharnais and Cody Ceci.

They join stalwarts Nugent-Hopkins, Connor Brown, Darnell Nurse and Mattias Janmark in four-on-five play.

Nugent-Hopkins said the newfound success shutting down opposing power plays comes from working on the "little details."

"We're definitely a moving kill. You've got to be on the same page. Your routes have to be really good, then you need the saves when they break you down, because it is going to happen at times. I think lately, all those aspects have been better, getting to where we want to be, getting to where we ended up last year. We've still got work to do, and we want to keep improving, but I think the more reps we take with each other, the better we'll get."

Both Nugent-Hopkins and Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch lauded Janmark for his consistent play.

"This year, the last three or four weeks, he's been pretty much one of our better forwards every single night, just consistent," Knoblauch said Monday. "He's putting up some points, outstanding play on the short handed goal the other night, but his overall game has been really good."

Nugent-Hopkins said Janmark and Brown both "think the game" and "read situations" well.

"We definitely lean on those guys, but it definitely takes a full group," he said.