Penalty kill ‘in sync’ for Hurricanes during Stanley Cup Playoffs

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Carolina Hurricanes have not found the key to unlock their power play so far in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but they owe much of their success to the other half of the special teams equation.

The Hurricanes have killed their past 18 penalties, dating back to Game 2 of their Eastern Conference Second Round series against the Philadelphia Flyers. For the playoffs, the unit is 42-for-44 (95.5 percent) on the penalty kill, the top-ranked team remaining in the postseason.

“I think our PK has been solid,” captain Jordan Staal said on Sunday. “Obviously the numbers are there, but we’re limiting chances too. We’ve done a good job of pressuring when we can, and when we can’t, we eat pucks. Your goalie is always your best penalty killer, and (Frederik Andersen) has been good there too.”

The penalty kill was a hallmark of the team’s success during the regular season too, when Carolina ranked 11th in the League at 80.5 percent.

“It’s been pretty solid all year,” coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “Everyone knows we’re aggressive, but at the right times. Just being on the same page. Our penalty killers have a pretty good idea of what we’re doing out there."

In the Eastern Conference Final against the Montreal Canadiens, Carolina has fine-tuned its short-handed game. The Hurricanes did not allow a shot on goal in 3:40 of short-handed ice time in Game 2 on Saturday, when they earned a 3-2 overtime win to even the best-of-7 series 1-1.

The win followed a 6-2 loss in Game 1 in which Montreal scored four straight goals in the first period. The penalty kill was unblemished in the game, allowing one shot on goal in 2:27, and it served as an example of how the Hurricanes look at their best.

“It was more Hurricanes hockey than anything in Game 2,” Staal says. “That’s suppressing shots and having the puck and playing in their end. It’s pretty hard to get shots on net for the other team when you’re playing in their end, grinding (them) down.”

Game 3 is at Bell Centre in Montreal on Monday (8 p.m. ET; TNT, HBO Max, truTV, SN, CBC, TVAS).

Defenseman K'Andre Miller, who averaged 1:54 of short-handed ice time during the regular season, attributes Carolina’s success to the team's practice habits.

“I think it’s just instilled in our daily life,” Miller said. “I think having our PK going against our power play in practice every day, both are making each other better. Iron sharpens iron, if you will. I think our penalty kill does such a good job pressuring and just limiting time and space for the opponent.”

The Hurricanes spread penalty-killing duties across the roster. Ten players averaged at least 1:30 during the regular season, including scoring threats like forwards Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis.

“Obviously we have good players, (so) we have good penalty killers,” Brind’Amour said. “We have good players who understand how it works. I don’t want to jinx it here, but just being in sync helps.”

In the playoffs, Carolina's unit has excelled at limiting offensive zone entries. Once an opponent gets set up in the offensive zone, the PK keeps the puck out of harm’s way.

“We do a really good job of keeping it to the outside,” Miller said. “And like ‘Jordo’ said, when they are able to create something, we do a really good job of either blocking a shot or Freddie makes a big save. He’s been unreal in the playoffs. We just have to continue to do that.”

While the team is satisfied with the penalty killing, it could use more scoring touch with the man-advantage. The Carolina power play is 5-for-42 (11.9 percent) in the playoffs, ranked 13th in the NHL. 

“There’s an opportunity there,” Staal said. “This time of year, it’s not going to be easy. They’re most likely going to be tight games. I’m glad we’re comfortable in (special teams) situations, and we’re willing to do whatever it takes to try to get us that win.”