There are a number of things that have gone right and wrong for the Chicago Blackhawks this season. In the category of good is the penalty kill, which happens to be the fourth-best in franchise history and second in the NHL this season.
Chicago's penalty kill sits at 85.2%. Only the 33-4-8 Colorado Avalanche have a better penalty kill, and just barely at 85.8%. The Blackhawks' penalty kill matched up well against the league's best power play of the Edmonton Oilers in their previous game, which is 33.3%. The Blackhawks shut down the Oilers on both power plays.
The best single-season Blackhawks' penalty kill percentage is 87.1% from the 1993-94 season. And while 1.9% doesn't seem like a lot, it is at this point in the season and the Blackhawks will have to keep doing what they're doing.
The success has come from a combination of aggressiveness, large bodies, getting in shooting lanes, and Spencer Knight. While Knight has been great and he is part of the penalty kill, the effort has also helped him in turn. He is having a great season and a big reason why the Blackhawks are in the playoff race.
The penalty kill has been a big reason why the Blackhawks have come back from the bottom of the Western Conference and are only four points back of a playoff spot. With Connor Bedard healthy and a surging team, a strong second half could be in order.
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