All in the details: Stars penalty kill providing firm foundation for playoff success

I’ve always been a sucker for details, which explains why one of my favorite TV shows of all-time is How It’s Made.

Where else can I learn the in-depth intricacies behind creating golf balls, bubble gum, asphalt and tape measures in 30 minutes? What goes into making artificial Christmas trees? And how is something as simple as a ballpoint pen so complex?

Fascinating stuff, right?

I love trying to find a cause for every effect. If I’m reading a brochure, I skip the big, bold text up top and immediately read the bullet points. In the world of Dallas Stars television, I’m always looking for themes, threads and little statistical nuggets that might help explain bigger storylines.

Bottom line: details matter. Legendary basketball coach John Wooden put it so eloquently: “It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.”

The Stars penalty kill might be the biggest little thing currently driving their surge through the 2025 playoffs.

Through 11 games, Dallas is 34 for 38 when shorthanded. That translates to 89.5 percent, which is good enough for second and only trails the Carolina Hurricanes (92.6 percent). That’s pretty impressive for a team that has been shorthanded more than any other club.

It hasn’t fazed them one bit so far, as the PK group has continued its longstanding tradition of being one of the most consistent in the NHL.

It starts with assistant coach Alain Nasreddine.

“Great attention to detail by Alain Nasreddine because he runs that group,” head coach Pete DeBoer said after Game 3. “Great buy-in from the guys in that group, and great goaltending which is always a key to penalty killing. As a team, we’re still taking too many [penalties] and putting too much pressure on our penalty kill. But they’ve been absolutely outstanding so far.”

In three seasons under the current coaching staff, the Stars are 82.5 percent on the penalty kill. Just like in this postseason, that ranks second only to Carolina. That’s an impressive mark, especially when you consider the revolving door of personnel that has been used.

While Esa Lindell has been the Stars’ shorthanded stalwart for nearly a decade, names like Jani Hakanpää, Ty Dellandrea, Luke Glendening, Radek Faksa and Chris Tanev have all served time with the Stars PK in recent years.

This season, new names like Ilya Lyubushkin, Cody Ceci, Colin Blackwell and Oskar Bäck have joined a cast largely led by Lindell, Sam Steel and Wyatt Johnston.

But it doesn’t seem to matter who is out there or how critical the kill may be at a certain point in the game. The Stars always seem to find a way to get it done.

How so? The answer largely hinges on details.

“I think it’s just his attention to detail in the meetings,” Ceci said of Nasreddine. “He doesn’t throw everything at you. He just throws little things that they like to do and that helps us focus. Obviously, having Otter back there helps the penalty kill a lot, too. He ends up taking a guy pretty much. He’s been great for us throughout the series.”

“It’s just his details,” Johnston added of the assistant coach. “He makes it so simple to play. It’s pretty straightforward and you know what you need to do. He makes it a lot easier so we know our reads and positioning. He does a great job with the details and talking through different situations.”

“He gets us dialed in and is super detailed in his pre-scouts,” Steel said. “He’s great at making adjustments on the fly, too. He’s super detailed and likes to work things out with the guys. I think that’s a big part of it. He bounces ideas off of you and gets your thoughts.

“It’s been two exceptional power plays we’ve faced and it’s been a challenge, but I think we’ve done a good job. And when there is breakdown, Jake’s there to make big saves.”

That seems to be a pretty good recipe for success and a good reason as to how the PK bounced back so quickly from a late-season slide.

Amidst a seven game winless skid to close out the regular season in April, the Stars went 13 for 23 on the penalty kill. They allowed a power play goal in six of those games and were in the middle of one of the leakiest stretches of recent years.

Dallas then dove into the First Round against the Colorado Avalanche, who posted the NHL’s eighth-best power play (24.8%) during the regular season. It was their fifth straight season finishing in the NHL’s top 10. Spearheading the Avalanche attack was Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas and Cale Makar, all of whom finished in the NHL’s top six in power play points.

But the Stars flipped a switch, killing 19 of 22 penalties in the series. All three power play goals were scored by MacKinnon, with only one coming in the final five games of the series.

A number of those kills came at critical junctures. With a 3-3 tie late in Game 2, Mikko Rantanen was called for hooking. But the Stars PK held strong to close regulation and finished the job early in overtime to open the door for Blackwell’s eventual game-winner.

In Game 3, Mason Marchment took a double minor with 40 seconds remaining in regulation in a 1-1 game. Colorado logged five shots during the long power play, but couldn’t cash in. Lindell posted 8:09 of shorthanded time on ice (the most by any player in a playoff game since 2021) and Tyler Seguin potted the winner two minutes after the penalty ended to give Dallas the series lead.

They also killed an early double minor in Game 7 to keep the game scoreless and set the stage for a historic comeback.

“At times, it’s just as important as scoring a goal,” Johnston said. “That PK in [Game 3] at Colorado, we may not be sitting here if we don’t kill off that four-minute penalty where like three of it was in overtime. It’s super important. I think we all have that trust that we’ll get it done and have that excitement for the guys that go out to do the job.”

Through four games of the Second Round, it’s been a similar story of shorthanded shutdowns. The Stars are 15 for 16 on the PK against the Winnipeg Jets, who finished the 2024-25 regular season with the NHL’s best power play (28.9%). That includes an active stretch of 10 consecutive kills.

Needless to say, it can be a turning point in a period, game or series. And that provides a sincere sense of pride for those serving on the PK.

“You never want to see your team take a penalty,” Steel said. “When they do, it’s your job to make sure they don’t score. Besides not allowing them to score, it can make a big impact on the game whether it’s a momentum shift or whatever. It can be stressful at certain points of the game, but it’s a thrill and you learn to love it.”

“I’ve tried to pride myself for my whole life on being a guy that’s good in both ends of the ice,” Johnston said. “It’s so important come playoff time to be able to defend well. The PK is so important and can be so crucial in a game or a series.”

Three of the top four shorthanded time on ice leaders in the 2025 playoffs wear Victory Green, with Lindell (54:27, first), Ceci (40:14, second) and Steel (36:18, fourth) atop the list.

All in all, 10 Stars are averaging over 1:25 of shorthanded time on ice per game this postseason. Whatever the lineup and whoever the personnel, the PK group isn’t missing a beat against some of the League’s top power play threats.

“Our special teams have been a difference maker for us this year in the playoffs, and they have to continue to be,” DeBoer said.

After all, it’s the little things that make the big things happen.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Josh Clark is a writer for DallasStars.com. Follow him on X @Josh_Clark02.