The New Jersey Devils had the worst penalty kill in the league last season. Not only was it bad compared to the other teams in the NHL, but it was also one of the worst in the history of the league. The defensemen were bad on the PK. The forwards weren’t holding their own, and the entire unit was awful. They allowed 43 goals on 148 power plays last season. This season, that’s not the case.
This season, the Devils allowed 18 goals on 100 penalty kill attempts. That’s phenomenally better. They are currently ranked 11th in the league. We have to give credit to Alain Nasreddine for fixing this unit. He was given a lot of slack in the offseason after the Devils gave him a legit chance to win the coaching job. His unit was so terrible, and now it’s one of the best parts about the Devils team.
The additions the Devils made in the offseason are making a huge difference. Jimmy Vesey came to the Devils, and they asked him to change the way he plays the game. They didn’t want him to focus on the offensive part of the game. He was specifically told to focus on his penalty killing. Prior to this season, Vesey had one season with more than 70 minutes on the PK. It was his last season with the Rangers where he had 104 minutes on the man disadvantage. This season, he already has 71 minutes, and he’s been phenomenal.
Ryan Graves and Jonas Siegenthaler both added defensive depth to a lineup that desperately needed it. When P.K. Subban, Damon Severson, Dougie Hamilton, and Ty Smith take the bulk of the time on the offensive end, the team needs two rock-solid options to pair with them. They’ve been the top two defensemen on the penalty kill. Siegenthaler has been especially good. He’s been on the ice for three shorthanded goals and just nine powerplay goals against.
The penalty kill was the main reason the Devils won on Thursday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sure, Jack Hughes was phenomenal and Mackenzie Blackwood had one of the best nights of the season, but if the PK doesn’t show up, the Devils lose.
The Blue Jackets had roughly seven minutes of power-play time on Thursday night. The PK gave up 10 total chances in those seven minutes. Only two of them were of the high-danger variety. Only five shots made it through to Blackwood during the penalty kill. The Devils were finding ways to get the puck out of the zone, and even when the Blue Jackets established time in the zone, they had a lot of shots blocked and lanes closed.
This is the best stretch for the Devils penalty kill in a long time. If they keep on this pace, they will be in the top ten for PK percentage in the NHL. This unit is helping the team win, and that is the exact opposite of what was happening last season.