Flames’ penalty kill looks to build off strong finish after tough year

When it came to the Calgary Flames’ special teams last season, it was bad no matter the situation. Any time the referee’s arm went up, it usually wasn’t good news for Calgary. The team likely preferred to stay five-on-five for the full 60 minutes.

We’ve already looked at their power play last season and how it shapes up heading into the new year. Now let’s dive into the penalty kill, the struggles that plagued it, and whether the Flames can build off a strong finish.

What went wrong?

Even with Dustin Wolf standing on his head most nights, it often wasn’t enough. Here’s a look at the penalty kill units most often deployed in front of him:

PK1
Backlund–Coleman
Bahl–Andersson

PK2
Sharangovich–Huberdeau
Weegar–Pachal

PK3
Rooney–rotating forward

What’s strange is that at even strength, Calgary was one of the NHL’s better defensive clubs. Yet on the penalty kill, they were on pace to set franchise lows.

One of the biggest issues — and one that bled into all areas of their game — was face-offs. Winning the draw is critical on the PK to clear the puck and kill time. But that rarely happened for the Flames, who finished 30th in the league in faceoff percentage at just 46.2. When you’re losing that many draws, you’re immediately on your heels and chasing.

Among the pairings, Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman remained a dependable duo. Backlund has long been one of the league’s best defensive forwards, and Coleman provided consistency.

Jonathan Huberdeau joined the PK mid-season and actually looked comfortable. His offensive instincts allowed him to anticipate plays and disrupt passes, and he scored three of Calgary’s seven shorthanded goals.

Beyond those three, however, the Flames lacked reliability. Yegor Sharangovich couldn’t find consistency in any area of his game, and Kevin Rooney — who logged the third-most shorthanded minutes among forwards — was serviceable but unspectacular. Others rotated through, including Justin Kirkland, Joel Farabee and Jakob Pelletier.

The struggles largely came down to effort and cohesion. Too often, the Flames were outworked, failed to close passing lanes, or couldn’t keep play to the outside. Clearing attempts regularly failed, giving opponents second and third chances — which NHL teams usually capitalize on.

How do the Flames fix this?

Fixing a struggling PK doesn’t require reinventing the wheel. It comes down to simplifying and executing: block shots, disrupt passing lanes, and clear the puck. Easier said than done, but that’s the formula.

Of course, the easier solution would be to simply take fewer penalties. But with frequent offenders like Pachal (88 PIMs) and Martin Pospisil (84 PIMs) on your team, that’s unlikely.

On defence, Kevin Bahl will continue to play a major role. The bigger question is what happens once Rasmus Andersson is traded. Does Zayne Parekh see significant PK time, or does that responsibility fall to depth options such as Joel Hanley or Ilya Solovyov?

Up front, only three names seem certain: Backlund, Coleman and Huberdeau. Beyond them, it’s wide open. Sharangovich will likely get another look, while players like Kirkland and Farabee could see reps.

Pospisil is another intriguing option. First, he’ll need to stay out of the box. But his hard work in puck battles, willingness to block shots, physical edge and speed — he ranked in the 99th percentile in top skating speed, per NHL Edge — give him the tools to become a strong and potentially productive penalty killer.

Like the power play, a fresh approach from the coaching staff will be necessary. Last year’s formula clearly didn’t work. The silver lining is that Calgary actually finished strong, killing 90 per cent of their penalties over the final 10 games. If they can build on that momentum, improvement is possible.

Here’s a look at potential PK units to start the season:

PK1
Backlund–Coleman
Bahl–Andersson/Solovyov

PK2
Kirkland–Huberdeau
Weegar–Pachal

PK3
Sharangovich–Pospisil

If the Flames hope to play meaningful hockey in March and April, their special teams will need massive improvement from a year ago.

Do you think Calgary has what it takes to turn things around?