Carolina Hurricanes’ Penalty Kill Dominated the Senators’ Power Play – The Hockey Writers – Carolina Hurricanes

If I told you the Carolina Hurricanes‘ penalty kill was spectacular and a key contributor to their success, you could pick any of the team’s last eight playoff appearances and be justified in guessing that was what I was referring to. It has been a staple of the Hurricanes’ success for almost a decade, and the 2026 postseason has not been an exception, as they went 20 for 21 shorthanded against the Ottawa Senators in the first round sweep, including killing off three different five-on-three opportunities in the decisive Game 4.

What you may not properly understand is that the Hurricanes’ penalty kill wasn’t just spectacular; it outperformed the Senators’ power play. Of course it did. You cannot kill 20 of 21 penalties if you do not outperform the opposing unit. They were just the better group, they frequently looked like the more dangerous group, and it was one of the decisive factors in the series. However, I don’t think people understand just how good it was.

Base Statistics

The Hurricanes’ penalty kill was almost perfect, killing off 95.2% of the Senators’ power plays. Only the Boston Bruins have a better penalty kill this postseason because they are operating at 100%. Statistically, that means Ottawa’s power play clicked at 4.8%. The Hurricanes also killed off four different five-on-three opportunities throughout the series, and those were pivotal turning points in the later games. They provided a platform for Carolina to build upon.

Carolina gave up a power-play goal to Drake Batherson in Game 4, the first time they were breached. However, in Game 2, the Hurricanes’ killers scored a goal just as Sean Walker was jumping out of the penalty box. It’s one of those where it’s not technically a shorthanded goal, but it is logically. Walker wasn’t involved in the play because he was just stepping out of the box as the clock expired. If you call that an unofficial shorthanded goal, the penalty killers were neutral on the series for production.

Analytical Performance

We can go further. Teams with the extra skater, or two, are supposed to dominate the scoring chances. Especially in the postseason, the power play is supposed to at least generate momentum if not goals. Against Carolina, Ottawa’s man advantage had 3.17 expected goals for (xGF), according to Natural Stat Trick. Carolina’s penalty killers had an xGF of 1.05, meaning they generated a quarter of the expected goals in the series on Ottawa’s power play despite being down at least one player and sometimes two.

The expected goals percentage (xGF%) for Carolina’s penalty killers was 24.82, the best offensive kill in the playoffs as yet. The Hurricanes gave up 21 shots on the penalty kill while taking nine themselves, giving them a 30% share of the shots when on the penalty kill. If these numbers sound ridiculous for a team down at least one player, they kind of are. However, this isn’t new for the Hurricanes’ shorthanded groups. They’ve excelled all season long.

Regular Season Success

Carolina’s penalty kill had 25.28% of the shots this season when killing penalties. That means for every four opponent shots, Carolina also had one. Carolina’s penalty kill also had an xGF% of 18.52. Both of those numbers were far and away the best of any team in the regular season. Carolina’s penalty kill was incredibly unique in that regard, brilliant despite some lackluster goaltending at points.

Carolina led the league in shorthanded goals with 12, but their kill was only 11th overall. Do not be fooled by that, because their expected goals against (xGA) total while shorthanded was second best in the NHL. Carolina is a monster shorthanded, and they’ll take that a step further in the playoffs when the games mean that much more.

If the Hurricanes are going to embark on a deep postseason run, they need to continue their shorthanded dominance. You know the Hurricanes are comfortable when their “power kill” starts to flow, and it can frequently be what kicks Carolina into gear if they start slowly. So far, the signs are promising, but it must continue if the Hurricanes wish to capture the Stanley Cup. Can they sustain their excellent shorthanded performances? There’s no reason to doubt it.