The Top 15 Penalty Killers in the NHL

Special teams play has received more emphasis over the years. It may not be any more important in 2012 than it was in 1982, but it certainly gets more scrutiny.

While the most enjoyable part of the game may be playing on the power play when the big shooters can cut loose, start firing away and put their offensive skills on display, playing in short-handed situations requires great responsibility and diligence for the players on the ice.

It's about speed, quickness, keeping your stick on the ice, positioning and anticipating what will happen next.

Here's a look at the 15 best penalty killers among forwards in the league.

Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins

Patrice Bergeron is one of the most responsible players in the league.

Claude Julien has complete confidence in Bergeron in all situations, and he is the kind of player the Bruins want on the ice in the final minute of the game when they are protecting a one-goal lead.

Bergeron is sensational on faceoffs, winning 59.3 percent of the draws he took in 2011-12. Winning a faceoff often keys his stellar short-handed play. He is a tenacious defensive player who will get in the lane, block shots and passes and direct his teammates to the right position.

Bergeron had two short-handed goals last season, but he scored a memorable short-handed goal in Game Seven of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals against the Vancouver Canucks in the second period.

Mike Richards, Los Angeles Kings

Mike Richards is one of the most opportunistic players in the NHL.

He does not wait for scoring opportunities to crop up. He forces them with his hard work and tenacious forechecking. If he can exploit a scoring opportunity while short-handed, he will do it.

Richards had four short-handed goals for the Kings last season. He is an energetic penalty killer and he gets quite emotional when he scores with his team a man down.

That energy often transfers to his teammates, who pick up their level when he makes something happen while short-handed.

Adam Henrique, New Jersey Devils

Adam Henrique proved to be one of the Devils' most important players last season.

He scored the series-winning, overtime goal over the Florida Panthers and proved to head coach Peter DeBoer that he deserved to be on the ice when the Devils were in crucial situations.

That was especially true when the Devils were short-handed. He tied Richards and Cal Clutterbuck for the league lead in short-handed goals with four. He also had three short-handed assists.

Zach Parise, Minnesota Wild

Zach Parise is one of the hardest working and most intense players in the NHL.

This serves him well in short-handed situations. Parise excels at jumping on loose pucks, taking possession and speeding up ice to create short-handed opportunities.

Parise scored three goals and had four short-handed assists last year for the New Jersey Devils. But it's not just about scoring opportunities. It's also about breaking up the power play and ruining the opponent's momentum. Parise does this regularly.

Jordan Staal, Carolina Hurricanes

Jordan Staal is one of the most explosive and dependable short-handed players in the league.

During the 2006-07 season, Staal scored a remarkable seven short-handed goals for the year. He is an alert defensive player, a solid checker and he has the skating quickness to ruin the opponent's power play and earn scoring opportunities.

Staal averaged two minutes, 38 seconds of short-handed play per game in 2011-12 for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Alexandre Burrows, Vancouver Canucks

When it comes to all-around play, Alex Burrows has been a solid contributor to the Canucks' success for several years.

In addition to being an opportunistic scorer who potted 28 goals last year, Burrows excels while playing in short-handed situations. He is quick to force a turnover and turn the play in the opposite direction.

He scored two short-handed goals last season and opponents must be alert any time they see Burrows on the ice when the Canucks are short-handed.

Tomas Plekanec, Montreal Canadiens

The Canadiens endured a miserable 2011-12 season, but they got a lift in short-handed situations when speedy Tomas Plekanec was on the ice.

Plekanec has an explosive first step that allows him to break out into the open ice when the Canadiens are trying to kill penalties. When Plekanec creates scoring opportunities, he often makes good on them.

He scored three short-handed goals and also added three more assists while the Canadiens were down a man in 2011-12.

Max Talbot, Philadelphia Flyers

Max Talbot is not a superstar, but Philadelphia Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette had no hesitation about using Talbot in short-handed situations.

Talbot led all NHL forwards in average short-handed ice time with an average of 3:29 per game. Talbot scored two short-handed goals and was solid at getting in the passing and shooting lanes and breaking up numerous scoring opportunities. He also scored two more short-handed goals in the playoffs last season.

Cal Clutterbuck, Minnesota Wild

Clutterbuck is a tough all-around player who will stand up for himself and his teammates.

He also showed significant improvement when he was given short-handed opportunities last season with the Minnesota Wild. Clutterbuck tied for the league lead in short-handed goals with four in 2011-12.

Prior to last season, Clutterbuck had only scored two goals while killing penalties in his NHL career.

Darren Helm, Detroit Red Wings

Darren Helm has been one of the most consistent players in the league when placed in penalty killing situations.

Helm did not score any short-handed goals last year, but he scored five times in the previous two years while penalty killing.

However, when the Red Wings were short-handed, head coach Mike Babcock did not hesitate to send the defensively sound and highly energetic Helm on the ice. Helm averaged 2:17 of ice time while the Wings were short-handed.

Pascal Dupuis, Pittsburgh Penguins

Pascal Dupuis continues to be a solid short-handed scoring threat for the Penguins.

He scored three goals while killing penalties in 2011-12, one fewer than he had the previous season. Dupuis excels at getting rid of the puck quickly once he receives it. His shot often shocks opposing goalies because he gets it away so quickly.

Dupuis excels at the mental part of penalty killing. He has a keen instinct for knowing what his opponent wants to do with the puck and he gets himself in the right position to break up the play.

Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks

Few players in the league are more dangerous in short-handed situations than Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks.

Captain Serious scored the game-tying goal late in the third period of the Hawks' 2011 first-round series against the Vancouver Canucks. While Canucks won the series with an overtime goal, Toews showed how dangerous he could be in short-handed situations.

Toews was the leading faceoff man in the league last year, winning 59.4 percent of his draws. Winning faceoffs is obviously a huge part of killing penalties and Toews is almost always positioned correctly when defending opponents' power plays.

Jay McClement, Toronto Maple Leafs

Jay McClement has been one of the hardest working and most efficient penalty killers in the league during the last few seasons.

McClement rarely gets the pay off with short-handed goals. He scored one for the Avalanche last year and that was the first time he scored while killing a penalty since he scored three times in 2008-09

McClement was third in the league last season with an average of 3:06 per game while playing short-handed. He was seventh in that category in 2010-11 while splitting time with the St. Louis Blues and Avalanche.

Eric Staal, Carolina Hurricanes

Once the lockout comes to an end, opponents who go on the power play against the Carolina Hurricanes may find themselves faced with a major challenge.

Head coach Kirk Muller will have the opportunity to team Eric Staal with his brother Jordan Staal in short-handed situations. Eric Staal has scored three short-handed goals in both of the last two seasons.

Eric Staal has excellent acceleration and is almost impossible to catch when he breaks out into the open ice. He is a maximum effort player who excels at getting in the passing lanes while killing penalties.

Lauri Korpikoski, Phoenix Coyotes

Lauri Korpikoski does not have a high profile in the NHL and he certainly is not among the league's elite players.

However, Korpikoski is solid and workmanlike when head coach Dave Tippett puts him on the ice in short-handed situations. He scored three short-handed goals last year after scoring two the year before.

Korpikoski does a good job of breaking up shots and passes and accelerating up the ice with the puck.