Edition: U.S. / Global


By Alex Yannis
Published: January 13, 2001

There was a time early in the season when the Devils considered killing a penalty a huge accomplishment. They got off to a bad start by allowing three power-play goals in their first game; that put them last in the 30-team league in killing penalties, and they remained there for more than the first month of the season.

With Kurt Kleinendorst, the assistant coach, assigned specifically to the penalty-killing units, the Devils have made a gradual improvement in the last month or so. Their efficiency has been so good lately that they have killed off 42 consecutive penalties, a span encompassing 12 games.

When you have good and intelligent players, you can put in a good system, Kleinendorst said after yesterday's practice in preparation for tonight's game against visiting Toronto.

The Devils have nine penalty killers. A huge part of their success requires that they keep their shifts very short, but some spend more time on the ice than others. John Madden and Jay Pandolfo are the leaders among the forwards, while Scott Stevens and Ken Daneyko are the leaders among the defensemen. Stevens stays on the ice longer than any of the others when the Devils are killing a penalty. Alex Yannis