Playoff PK Units Far Outclassed Flyers
By Colin Newby
The Tampa Bay Lightning captured their second consecutive Stanley Cup last week while Philadelphia Flyers forwards Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier got some extra time to hit the golf course, an unfortunately common occurrence during their time in Philadelphia.
Hopefully, they tuned into the Stanley Cup Playoffs and caught onto an intriguing statistical trend that needs to be taken into account if the team hopes to rebound from the disappointment of the 2020-21 season.
Flyers Struggle on the Penalty Kill
The Flyers ranked 26th in the NHL on the penalty kill (PK) in 2018-19. Newly hired head coach Alain Vigneault allowed assistant Mike Yeo to revamp the PK in 2019-20, which improved to 11th at 81.8%.
The addition of center Kevin Hayes sparked the unit and kickstarted the Flyers’ return to the postseason. He demonstrated superb puck control skills and added four shorthanded goals (SHG).
The PK unit dropped to a dismal 73.1% in 2020-21, ranking 30th in the NHL behind only the New Jersey Devils. Forward Scott Laughton scored the team’s lone SHG on April 29, coincidentally the day they were eliminated from playoff contention.
Success of Top Units in Stanley Cup Playoffs
The Lightning finished with the fourth best PK in the NHL during the 2020-21 regular season and continued their success with an 84.1% kill rate in the playoffs. The Vegas Golden Knights finished first with an outstanding 86.8% kill rate during the regular season, while the New York Islanders finished sixth at 83.7%. Each of the three teams advanced to the NHL Semifinals.
The Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals, and Boston Bruins rounded out the remainder of the top six penalty killing units in the NHL. Each of the three teams was eliminated in the playoffs by a team also in the top six.
The Montreal Canadiens clinched a playoff berth with just one more point than the Flyers during the 2020-21 regular season. They struggled on the PK, finishing 23rd overall. However, the sudden chemistry they found on the kill during the postseason played a vital part in their remarkable playoff turnaround.
Huge contributions from captain Shea Weber and forwards Philip Danault and Joel Edmundson helped the Canadiens kill 91.8% of their opponents’ power plays during the postseason.
Flyers’ Offseason Needs
General manager Chuck Fletcher will look to address a multitude of needs this offseason, and the acquisition of a bottom-six forward with a gritty style and value on the PK could be one of them.
The current roster also holds potential for better disciplined play, more physicality, and overall better results. Hayes, Giroux, and Couturier have all proven themselves as capable penalty killers in the past, and improvement from the team’s top defensemen should be expected.
As the old cliché goes, the goaltender is ultimately the most important penalty killer. Veteran Carey Price certainly solidified that statement for Montreal during the playoffs, and a stronger season from young netminder Carter Hart in 2021-22 would undoubtedly help the Flyers do the same.