Penalty kill

A penalty kill is the defensive assignment a team faces while playing shorthanded, most commonly four skaters against an opponent's five after taking a minor penalty. The killing team's only job is to survive the two minutes without conceding, since a power play converts at a far higher rate than even-strength play. Two formations dominate: the box, four skaters forming a tight square to deny the middle and cut off cross-ice passing, and the more aggressive diamond, used to pressure teams working the puck through the point. A strong penalty-kill unit can single-handedly change a game's momentum, turning a rival's best scoring chance of the night into nothing. Formation breakdown at The Seattle Times.