Seizing the opportunity with a man advantage or killing a penalty when trying to hold a slim lead can often be the difference between advancing in the Stanley Cup playoffs and going home thinking about what might have been.
Coaches will have their teams practice their power play and penalty kill in nearly every practice. It's about taking advantage of opportunities, gaining momentum or stopping the opponent in their tracks.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have moved into the Eastern Conference Final, and they would appear to have an excellent chance of surviving against the Boston Bruins and moving on to the Stanley Cup Final.
The Penguins have the best power play of all of the teams in the postseason, and they are third overall in penalty killing.
Jarome Iginla, who arrived in Pittsburgh in a deal with the Calgary Flames prior to the April 3 trade deadline, noticed how everyone on the Penguins power-play and penalty kill units take pride in their jobs.
“Penalty kill, power play, guys are doing a lot of different things that lead to success on this team,” Iginla told thehockeywriters.com. “Wh ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Steve Silverman
Why Special Teams Play Is So Critical in the Pursuit of the Stanley Cup
May 27th, 2013 by Steve Silverman Leave a reply »
Advertisement