Heading into the Olympic break, the Chicago Blackhawks’ penalty kill ranked No. 1 in the NHL with an 85.7 percent conversion rate. Last season it was ranked 14th overall (79.3 percent) and was 27th in the 2023-24 season (75.8 percent). I thought it would be a good exercise to take a look at a couple of their recent games and examine what’s made the Blackhawks’ penalty kill so successful this season.
Chalk Talk
Assistant coach Michael Peca runs the Hawks’ penalty kill and has moved them away from the popular 1-2-1 (aka diamond) to a hybrid 2-2 box/high-press setup (coaches will have different names for their systems, so let’s not get wrapped up in names). Jeff Blashill ran a successful penalty kill during his tenure as assistant coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Between the 2022-23 and 2024-25 seasons, the Lightning had an 81.5 percent penalty kill — seventh best in the league during that stretch.
Seeing as most teams run a 1-3-1 power play, most teams answer with a diamond penalty kill. We took a look at the Blackhawks’ 1-3-1 power play recently and observed how successful teams look to create 2-on-1 battles and force defenders to make a decision. The diamond is meant to clog the middle of the ice, with some teams allowing the strong side defenders to press the puck carrier on the half-wall, but there’s only one defender down low.
The Blackhawks run a variation of a high box press. Forwards are encouraged to pressure the point, and the strong-side defenseman is encouraged to flex out towards the flank instead of staying tethered to the strongside post. The idea is to suppress shots and kill zone time. The Hawks have conceded the sixth fewest shot attempts and the eighth fewest shots on goal while on the kill.
The vulnerability with a high box press is that it opens lanes to high danger areas — especially against adept 1-3-1 power plays. The Hawks allow high-danger chances at the sixth highest rate in the league (30.57 per 60 minutes) while on the penalty kill. This is where it counts to have stellar goaltending. If the man advantage is able to burn past the pressuring defender, they likely have an open path to the net. Spencer Knight has the fourth-highest goals saved above expected on the kill. Arvid Soderblom is ninth.
Game Tape
In the Hawks’ most recent game (a 4-0 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets), Chicago had one opportunity on the kill at the 11:27 mark in the third period. The Hawks generated two shots on goal and only faced one.
Hawks PK Example 1
— Steve Kwiatkowski (@dirtythird.bsky.social) February 25, 2026 at 11:39 AM
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The Blue Jackets won the draw, and as soon as they brought the puck to the point, Jason Dickinson pressured while the three other killers protected the house. When the puck was brought down low, Dickinson released, and Connor Murphy, the strong-side defenseman, pressured the puck carrier. Dickinson eventually created a turnover and passed the puck to Ilya Mikheyev, who was in the high slot. Mikheyev took off, carried through the neutral zone, and was able to get a shot off.
But the Blue Jackets’ power play ranked 18th overall before the break. What did the Hawks look like against a better power play? Of the more recent games, the Hawks took on the fourth-best power play in the league on Jan. 29, a 6-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Hawks PK Example II
— Steve Kwiatkowski (@dirtythird.bsky.social) February 25, 2026 at 12:02 PM
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The Penguins like to pass the puck on the perimeter when on the man advantage. They’re one of the best in the league in creating chances through opening lanes and finding holes in penalty kills. In this power play, the Penguins do just that by finding the bumper who takes a shot at Arvid Soderblom. But Ryan Greene sees the loose puck and doesn’t just dump it, he attacks and finds a streaking Ilya Mikheyev.
What does it all mean?
What we have is a penalty kill that pressures the puck carrier and has both defensemen stay low down by the posts (hence, the 2-2 box formation). Players are coached to not just dump the puck, but to attack as soon as they get it. That’s why players like Frank Nazar create the dangerous chances that they do. It’s also why Ilya Mikheyev has been such an effective player on the penalty kill for the Hawks.
Mikheyev is second in the league in takeaways on the penalty kill (eight), tied for second in individual scoring chances (11), and he’s also top ten in shots on goal (11) and individual expected goals (1.48). While he only has one goal and one assist to show for the chances he creates, Mikheyev’s rushes help bleed seconds off the clock as the power play often has to reorganize itself for another attack. Mikheyev isn’t perfect, but he’s fun to watch when he turns on the jets and attacks through the neutral zone with possession.
However else we can feel about the recent play of the Blackhawks, the penalty kill has been one of the positives that can offer some solace from this season, one of the areas where this team can still finish strong and carry that success into the seasons ahead.