Vancouver Canucks penalty kill a big part of playoff success [Video]

Killing penalties hasn’t always been a strength for the Vancouver Canucks.

The team’s penalty kill struggled through much of 2022-23 and threatened to be the worst in NHL history. After rebounding slightly late in the regular season, Vancouver still finished with a league-worst 71.6 per cent success rate.

Now the special teams unit has become a strength for the Canucks, particularly in the first-round playoff series against the Nashville Predators which the Canucks lead 2-1 heading into Sunday’s Game 4.

“It’s just such a big part of the playoffs, killing penalties,” said Canucks defenceman Carson Soucy. “You never want to put yourself down on the kill, but at the same time, it can be a big mood boost, for this team especially.

“It just brings a whole lot of confidence to the group, whether it’s a blocked shot that gets the bench up, whether it’s a big save or even …