Analytics with Alison Film Study: Power Kill Pays Off

About six weeks ago, the Kraken coaching staff decided to change up how the team's penalty kill played. The four-skater units were asked to apply more pressure to opponents' power plays and look for triggers that could be opportunities to take over possession of the puck and go on the offense.
"Power plays right now are just so good and giving them the time (with the puck) is not really benefitting your PK," Alex Wennberg said. "I feel like the way we (play on the penalty kill) right now, and being aggressive, forces (opponents) to make bad plays, and that's rewarding to do. That's why we lean into that."

Often called a "power kill," this change in strategy has made a big difference in what happens on the ice. Let's look at the results bundled by GEICO:

But there perhaps is no better return on power killing than scoring a shorthanded goal. That has happened five times since the strategy switch, most recently in Sunday's matchup versus Dallas in the first shorthanded situation of the game.

Let's dig in.

Win the faceoff

One of the keys to a successful penalty kill for Dave Hakstol is winning the faceoff. That happened 29 seconds into shorthanded play when Yanni Gourde sent the puck back into the Kraken's zone for an Adam Larsson retrieval.

Seattle would proceed to hold on to the puck for the next 31 seconds, moving the puck north and generating a few scoring chances for Jamie Oleksiak.

"If you have the opportunity to hold on to the puck and take off another 30 seconds, I feel like that's where you (win the penalty kill) most of the time," Wennberg said. "At the end of the day, your job is to kill the play and run the clock down."

Read and react to triggers

Dallas would regain possession after Oleksiak's shot attempts, but Seattle remained aggressive. They challenged the puck on the entry into the offensive zone. Jamie Benn wants to pass across the zone, but Wennberg is closing his gap to force the pass and Jared McCann gets enough stick on the puck to change its direction. Now there's a loose puck as opposed to a completed pass.

Now it's all about a puck battle. Larsson comes below the goal line to knock the puck loose and Carson Soucy starts moving the puck north upon retrieval.

The entry attempt and puck battle are examples of "triggers" - key events by an opponent that signal the opportunity to try and gain possession. The Kraken have been getting better and better at this as they power kill more and more.

"Eventually when you're getting into routines, you find your routes," Wennberg said. "You can read (the play) a little bit better. Maybe in the beginning, you think too much… but, eventually you lean back and trust your judgment. We're getting into the habits of knowing when the trigger is going to be there, when to anticipate it's going to happen. That's why it's clicking."

Take advantage of scoring chances.

And now the puck is on Wennberg's stick. He's already moving through the neutral zone with possession and speed, when two Stars players decide to go for a change.

And when offensive opportunity presents itself on a power kill, well, you make the most of what you're given.

"I always say that if you have the opportunity to score you should take it," Wennberg said. "Obviously you shouldn't risk anything because at the end of the day a (penalty kill) is more about gaining momentum and killing (opponents') plays than scoring yourself; but, if it's there, you should take advantage of it every time."

And that's what McCann does. Let's watch all the details come together and result in a goal.

In total, in 1:33 of shorthanded playing time, the Kraken allowed the Stars just :11 of possession time in the offensive zone. Dallas had no shot attempts, and Seattle scored the first goal in a game they would go on to win 1-4. A good power kill, indeed.

"We went back to (a penalty kill with) more pressure several weeks ago," Hakstol said. "And we're starting to see the benefits of that. (It's) more cohesion a little bit, quicker pressure, a better job reading the triggers. (In addition, we've gotten) faceoff (wins), clears and some key saves that have empowered the guys to get going and be able to play with a little bit more pressure in place."