Power Play and Penalty Kills are the Keys To Success
Penalties are designed to cause your team to feel some pain. That's why there's a penalty box in the NHL. For two minutes, sometimes more, your team gets to skate shorthanded against a full-strength opponent. The only thing tougher than 5-on-4 hockey, if you're shorthanded, is if your team really went on tilt and you're skating 5-on-3 hockey.
Take a look at the Boston Bruins. They have scored a power play goal one out of every four times on the power play throughout the playoffs. They've also killed better than 93% of the penalties they've faced. Is it any wonder they beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-2 in the opening round, and now lead the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0 in the Conference Semi-finals? This is the balance teams need to strike in order to be successful in the playoffs.
On the flipside of that coin is why the Buffalo Sabres are watching the remainder of the playoffs instead of skating in them. They didn't score a single power play goal against the Bruins, and killed only 70% of their penalties. They gave up 5 power play goals, including two in the final game of the series, so it comes as no surprise they're no long in the hunt for Lord Stanley's Cup.
If you're like me, then you're recording the playoffs on your DVR so you can look back at your favorite moments. And if you're really paying attention, cheer for your team to keep their penalties to a minimum, kill 'em when they're shorthanded, and score when they've got the man advantage. These are the keys to winning in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
