2011 NHL Playoff Predictions: Ranking the Penalty-Killing Units

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Special teams are often the thing that make or break a playoff series.  Succeeding on the power play can help your team dominate the other team, but good penalty killing helps a team maintain control of a game and a series.

You can play the best five-on-five hockey there is, but everybody takes penalties; if you can't kill those penalties off, then you aren't going to be able to claim Lord Stanley's Cup.

There is an old saying in professional sports: offense wins games, but defense wins championships.  The penalty kill is one of the most essential aspects of a complete defense. 

Here is a ranking of where each playoff team's penalty kill ranks.

16. Phoenix Coyotes

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Regular Season PK%:  78.4%

NHL Rank:  25th

Phoenix has the lowest PK percentage of any team that has made the playoffs, and you don't have to have a crystal ball in order to figure out that that spells trouble.

Teams make the playoffs because they know how to take advantage of the opportunities that you give them, and if you aren't able to stop those opportunities, you're going to get burned.

It isn't as if Phoenix will stay out of the box either.  They are a big, physical team that likes to take the body, and that can lead to penalties.  It's just a simple fact of the game. 

Bryzgalov is one of the elite goalies in the NHL, but even he can't do it all by himself, and you know that the Red Wings will take advantage of that any time you let them.  This could spell a lot of trouble for Phoenix.

15. Chicago Blackhawks

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Regular-Season PK%:  79.2

NHL Rank:  T24th

The Blackhawks have struggled with consistency all around this year, but have been much better toward the end of the season.  A large reason for that has been the play of Corey Crawford in goal.

It's hard to believe that the Hawks decided to part ways with Antti Niemi after his spectacular playoff performance last year, yet Crawford has been a stabilizing force in net.

The Hawks do still have great defensive players and seem to be coming together at the right time, but their play during the regular season, as far as the PK goes, has been underwhelming. 

14. San Jose Sharks

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Regular-Season PK%:  79.2

NHL Rank:  T24th

This is something that could get the Sharks into trouble yet again in the playoffs.  Their penalty kill has been nowhere near as good as in the past, and it is very surprising.

Nonetheless, they are now fortunate enough to have a goalie who has had the experience of winning the Stanley Cup.  This is a first for the team, and the confidence that Niemi can bring to the team once the playoffs begin cannot be understated.

Niemi will have to be a big factor if the Sharks want to improve their PK and make a deep run into the playoffs.

13. Anaheim Ducks

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Regular-Season PK%:  81.2

NHL Rank:  20th

The Ducks have had a pretty good year, but have recently had to make some additions at goalie due to injuries.  They added Ray Emery not too long ago due to an injury to Jonas Hiller.  Hiller still remains out, and Emery has filled in incredibly well.

The Ducks haven't had the best PK though.  This could definitely get them into a bit of trouble in the playoffs where opponents are able to exploit weaknesses if the right adjustments are made over a seven-game series.

The Ducks are a very big team and if they can use that size to their advantage more, then their PK will improve and they can create some trouble for opponents.

12. Boston Bruins

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Regular-Season PK%:  82.4

NHL Rank:  16th

Boston is very solid defensively, but they haven't been spectacular on the penalty kill by any stretch of the imagination.  With players like Zdeno Chara and Tim Thomas, you would expect more from this penalty kill.

Thomas has definitely done his part this season and will most likely win the Vezina Trophy, but his incredibly aggressive style of goaltending can sometimes put him out of position. That is definitely how he plays and he shouldn't change his style just because it's the playoffs, but he definitely has to be mindful of the situations.

Boston could go very deep if their PK is on, but they might also have a short-lived stay if they can't hold it together.

11. Buffalo Sabres

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Regular-Season PK%:  83.1

NHL Rank:  T14th

There's nothing flashy about this Sabres team; they just know what they're supposed to do and get the job done.

Ryan Miller also helps this team, though he has been out with an injury of late.  Even though Miller has been out, Jonas Enroth has stepped up big-time in several must-win games. 

The Sabres are just an all-around good team that is playing really well right now, and their penalty kill is no exception.

10. Philadelphia Flyers

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Regular-Season PK%:  83.1

NHL Rank:  T14th

Another middle-of-the-road penalty-killing group, the Flyers always play solid defense.  Nothing about this team is really flashy, and their penalty kill is no exception.

Like several of the other teams that are very physical, the Flyers make you pay a price if you want to get into the dangerous scoring areas.  Some of the hits are clean and some of them are a bit dirty, but they do what any hard-nosed team would do and make you earn what you get.

They're aggressive, and you really have to work if you want to score against this group of penalty killers.

9. Detroit Red Wings

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Regular-Season PK%:  82.2

NHL Rank:  17th

The Red Wings didn't have the greatest penalty kill in the NHL this year, but they were far from having the worst.  They're pretty much a middle-of-the-pack penalty kill, but have the experience that lots of other teams don't.

The Red Wings are one of the most veteran teams in the league and have many leaders on the team who have won the Stanley Cup and know how to step things up, which is why I ranked them a bit higher than their PK percentage.

One person who will have to overcome his age is Jimmy Howard.  He's a very good goalie, but he is still very young, and he has been severely lit up in some recent games.  If he can recover from that and really perform well during the second season, the Red Wings could be around for a long time.

8. Tampa Bay Lightning

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Regular-Season PK%:  83.7

NHL Rank:  T9th

Even though they have had to deal with several goalie injuries, the Lightning have stayed very strong defensively. 

Now that Roloson is back in net, the Lightning will hopefully get that consistency back that Roloson can provide. 

The one thing that Tampa Bay hasn't had that much of that they have managed to do pretty well in the past is scoring shorthanded.  This year the Lightning have only one shorthanded goal all season.  This team is so fast that you usually expect to see them among the league leaders.

All the same, it doesn't mean that they aren't dangerous. 

7. New York Rangers

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Regular-Season PK%:  83.7

NHL Rank:  T9th

While the Rangers have struggled with overall consistency, one place where they have not struggled that much is penalty killing.

This is largely due to the fact that Henrik Lundqvist has played lights out for them all year long.  He is definitely the Rangers' best penalty killer.  He is capable of taking a game over all by himself, frustrating his opponents until the Rangers are able to put one on the scoreboard.

Lundqvist will have to be a huge part of the penalty kill, as the Rangers face off against the incredibly potent Washington Capitals in the first round.

The Rangers also are capable of scoring shorthanded, with 11 shorties on the season.  Teams have to be careful because the Rangers are very deceptive when it comes to their scoring abilities.

6. Washington Capitals

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Regular-Season PK%:  85.5

NHL Rank:  4th

The Capitals are in a position that is familiar to them: being at the top of the conference at the end of the regular season.  The thing that they aren't really used to is the fact that they aren't doing it by scoring at will; they are doing it by playing well-rounded hockey.

Their past playoff failures have been largely loaded on Alex Ovechkin, but part of the failures had to do with having subpar goaltending.  They are feeling very good in D.C. with Michal Neuvirth.

This year the Capitals' defense will be something that keeps them in the series, not loses it for them. As a result of that improved defense and penalty kill, expect them to make it deep into the playoffs this year.

5. Nashville Predators

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Regular-Season PK%:  84.9

NHL Rank:  5th

They don't call it "Smashville" for nothing.  Teams know that if you're going to score against these Predators, whether it be even strength or on the power play, you're going to have to pay a price. 

Nashville is an incredibly physical team that has a very solid defensive foundation.  Players like Shea Weber anchor this PK.  They are savvy veterans that know their responsibilities and can take care of business in the dirty areas.

It also doesn't hurt to have Pekka Rinne, who is having an absolutely amazing year in net. 

Defense is why the Preds are in the playoffs, and it will have to be their biggest strength if they wish to make it deep into the playoffs.

4. Vancouver Canucks

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Regular-Season PK%:  85.9

NHL Rank:  3rd

Killing penalties are yet another thing that the Vancouver Canucks are very good at.  It almost isn't fair that they should be so well-rounded; it's hard to remember another team that was this good at absolutely everything.

The thing that has hurt the Canucks in the past few years is goaltending, but after winning a gold medal for Team Canada and relinquishing the captaincy to Henrik Sedin, Roberto Luongo has played very solidly.  He also has had the benefit of having a fantastic backup in Cory Schneider, who has allowed him to not get worn out leading up to the playoffs.  Luongo should be rested and ready to go.

Vancouver will not be knocked off easily, and if they do, it'll be because somebody figured out how to solve their awesome penalty kill.

3. L.A. Kings

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Regular-Season PK%:  86

NHL Rank: 2nd

The Kings are a very young team, but they are also incredibly mature.  They are positionally good and they are a team that is not afraid to get physical.

Their defensemen are all strong and disciplined, and Jonathan Quick has proven to be a spectacular young goalie that can win games by himself.

The Kings' peanlty kill is one that can frustrate their opponents and provide some good momentum for their offense.

2. Montreal Canadiens

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Regular-Season PK%:  84.2

NHL Rank:  7th

There are a few teams that are ranked better than the Canadiens as far as percentage is concerned, but I put Montreal here for one simple reason.

Montreal is the most penalized team in the NHL, being shorthanded 322 times.  The fact that they can take that many penalties and still produce a penalty kill in the top 10 absolutely gives them a push in this particular power ranking.

Plus, Carey Price has played so well this season. 

It's fantastic to see how he has responded to being thrown under the bus in Montreal.  People in the hockey world were furious when the Canadiens traded Jaroslav Halak away, but it seems that Carey Price was in fact that right guy to keep.

Montreal's stellar penalty kill could help carry them back to the conference finals again.

1. Pittsburgh Penguins

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Regular-Season PK%: 86.6

NHL Rank: 1st

Pittsburgh was one of the most penalized teams in the regular season, being shorthanded 320 times.  The only team that took more penalties than they did was Montreal. 

Their fantastic penalty kill is one of the things that allowed them to survive the loss of their two best players, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

Not to mention, Pittsburgh scored 13 shorthanded goals this season, which was tied for second in the league.  You can't go to sleep on the power play, because the Penguins might just catch you napping and put one in while they are down a man.

Marc-Andre Fleury proved that old saying true, "Your best penalty killer need to be your goaltender."  One could make a very strong case for Fleury as the league MVP this year, though he most likely won't win it, because of the way he managed to carry his team to another 100-point season.