5 Worst Single-Season Penalty Kills in NHL History

The Detroit Red Wings may be back in the thick of the NHL’s playoff race in the Eastern Conference, but they are on the verge of some dubious history – unless the New York Islanders can win the race to the bottom.

The Isles and Wings are currently Nos. 1 and 2 on the list of worst penalty-kill percentage throughout a single season. New York is killing just two out of every three penalties it takes (67.7 percent), and Detroit is only slightly better at 68.1 percent.

Also, this season’s Calgary Flames are not far off, since they are 10th on the list of the worst PKs of all time.

So this is on pace to be a historically bad year for penalty killing. But there have been worse years and teams nearly as bad. 

Here is a look at the five worst single-season PKs in NHL history. 

5. Colorado Rockies, 1978-79

Power Play rate: 70.6 percent (149 penalties killed on 211 attempts)

Regular season record: 15-53-12, 42 points, last place in the Smythe Division.

What happened: The Rockies, now the New Jersey Devils, started their season by allowing a pair of power-play goals in an 8-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on opening night, which started a season’s worth of terrible PKing.

A 3-14-4 start, in which Colorado’s PK gave up 16 power-play goals, cost incumbent head coach Pat Kelly his job. But replacement Aldo Guidolin did not fare much better since the Rockies went just 12-39-8 and allowed 46 power-play goals – and 34 over their final 40 games.

Somehow, Colorado finished with the second-worst PK in the league that year – more on the worst unit below – and were tied with the Capitals for the third-worst team save percentage that season (.866). Colorado finished with the fewest points in the league and did not retain Guidolin at season’s end, replacing him with Don Cherry – yes, THAT Don Cherry.

4.  Vancouver Canucks, 1984-85

Power Play rate: 70.5 percent (213 penalties killed on 302 attempts)

Regular season record: 25-46-9, 59 points, fifth place in Smythe Division

What happened: The Canucks gave up by far the most goals in the NHL that season – and the fifth-most in a single season in NHL history – so it stands to reason their PK was also historically dreadful. 

Vancouver allowed five goals per game and gave up 89 power-play goals – or more than one per game – over the 80-game season. Somehow the Canucks still finished tied for the most PPGs against, with the Red Wings that season, in part due to their first 20 games where they allowed 31 PPGs, which cost Bill LaForge his job.

Even though it hired Harry Neale to fix the team, the PK did not improve, since Vancouver surrendered 58 PPGs in his 60 games at the helm, including six in its 12-1 loss to the Kings on Nov. 29. The Canucks ultimately missed the playoffs by 23 points in the Smythe Division.

3. Washington Capitals, 1978-79

Power Play rate: 69.7 percent (191 penalties killed on 274 attempts)

Regular season record: 24-41-15, 63 points, fourth place in Norris Division

What happened: Like the Rockies of that year, the Capitals started their historically awful PK stretch early by giving up a PPG on opening night. But Washington’s dreadful PK got progressively worse throughout the season, since it gave up 66 power-play goals over its final 57 games, which was more than 11 teams surrendered over the full 80 games.

Washington finished tied for 14th in the NHL in points that season – though it also was tied with Vancouver, which qualified for the postseason that year. But even though the Caps did not finish last in the Norris, they missed the Wales Conference playoffs by 17 points.  

2. Los Angeles Kings, 1982-83

Power Play rate: 68.6 percent (201 penalties killed on 293 attempts)

Regular season record: 27-41-12, 66 points, last place in Smythe Division

What happened: The Kings started out OK with a 13-10-5 opening, 28-game stretch in spite of their 27 power-play goals allowed. 

But LA cratered quickly, winning just 14 of its final 52 games while surrendering 65 power-play goals – more than eight teams gave up over the full season. The Kings surrendered at least two power-play goals in a game 20 times over that 52-game span, and their .851 team save percentage was tied for 20th in the 21-team league.

The Kings only missed the postseason by eight points – no small amount before three-point games and loser points – despite posting the fourth-fewest points in an 80-plus-game season in franchise history. 

1. Los Angeles Kings, 1979-80

Power Play rate: 68.2 percent (199 goals on 292 attempts)

Regular season record: 30-36-14, 74 points, second place in Norris Division

What happened: Teams with historically dreadful PKs finishing near the bottom of the standings is about what you would expect, but the 79-80 Kings had the worst full-season penalty kill in the sport’s history yet was the only club on the list to make the playoffs.

It wasn’t that the Kings were good though. They finished 12th in the NHL in points and were just one better than the Pittsburgh Penguins and Hartford Whalers in the first season of the 21-team NHL. They gave up 25 power-play goals in their first 16 games yet still somehow won more than they lost in that span (7-6-3).

Even while fighting for a playoff spot, LA’s PK was hardly OK. The Kings surrendered at least one PPG in 15 of their final 19 regular-season games. Then special teams was also their undoing in their four-game series loss to the Islanders, since the Kings gave up three PPGs in 15 attempts and allowed two short-handed goals in the first-round series.