The Penguins return many key pieces from last year's top-10 penalty killing unit

Penalty kill success wasn't enough to save the Pittsburgh Penguins from themselves last year, as a host of other inconsistencies and deficiencies derailed their postseason ambitions for a second straight season.

But being solidly outnumbered was and is far better than the opposite.

Heading into the 2024-25 season, the Penguins, who finished 10th in the NHL last year with an 80.7% overall kill rate, appear to have a plan in place to be effective again against opposing power plays.

“I think we have a solid foundation,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “I think the guys coming back know how we like to kill. I thought these guys did a great job for the most part last year. In that respect, it was one of the highlights of our entire team game.”

The Penguins' two best defensemen, Marcus Pettersson and Kris Letang, are back and will once again take the shortfall into account.

Pettersson led the team on the penalty kill last year with an average of 2 minutes, 40 seconds per night, while Letang averaged 2:32.

Noel Acciari (2:17) and Lars Eller (2:11) also return as strikers.

“That should be our benchmark to at least be where we were and hopefully even better,” Eller said. “We have a system that we can trust and trust. Often the goalkeeper has to be the best penalty taker when you see these statistics.”

Last season, when the Penguins were in the shootout, Tristan Jarry faced 168 shots for a save percentage of .857.

Alex Nedeljkovic, who has been sidelined week-to-week to start the season with an undisclosed illness, made 138 saves on 158 opposing power-play shots and posted a slightly better save percentage of .873.

For comparison, 2024 Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets had a shorthanded save percentage of .861.

With Nedeljkovic out, the Penguins' penalty kill will likely feature ahead of rookie Joel Blomqvist in some capacity, as he appears capable of starting the season as a backup goaltender.

“Our goalies were really good in my opinion, especially in the (penalty kill) last year,” Eller said. “You know there are four, but it's actually a five-man unit. That's how I think about it. We are only as good as we make each other good. But I have a lot of trust in the group.”

The Penguins must make up for the departures of forward Jeff Carter, who retired, and blueliner Chad Ruhwedel, who went to the New York Rangers last season, both of whom were regular penalty kills in Pittsburgh.

Also of note is the concussion suffered by first-year forward Blake Lizotte in the preseason, which was expected to result in extended action on the penalty kill.

His indefinite absence creates another void, as Lizotte was often paired with Noel Acciari in pre-season, presumably in the hope that they could start the year as one of the club's best forward teams undermanned.

Acciari, in particular, will do his part to introduce newcomers to the Penguins' penalty kill and familiarize them with the system.

“I think we can definitely keep going and be better than the top 10,” Acciari said. “Just little keys that helped me pass on what helps them be quicker and helps you get on the same page sooner to start Game 1.”

It's actually very effective, and once I've done it – when everyone agrees and everyone participates – it's really very hard (penalty shootout) to play against. I enjoyed it.”

Striker Drew O'Connor and defender Jack St. Ivany, who averaged 1:43 and 1:46 respectively, are also looking to build on last year's shorthanded success.

Defenseman Ryan Graves, who played 1:59 minutes per night while shorthanded, also returns.

Ultimately, a blueprint is just a blueprint.

The Penguins still have to kill the penalty all year long.

But with the club's season opener against Rangers set for Wednesday, Sullivan is pleased with the progress and potential of the penalty shootout.

“We like what we’ve seen so far,” Sullivan said. “I think the foundation we have in penalty killing is pretty solid and I think the new guys we're going to bring into this group will pick up the concepts pretty quickly.”