One of the hallmarks of the Chicago Blackhawks during the Joel Quenneville era has been their strong penalty killing in Stanley Cup winning seasons. In fact, looking at Chicago’s penalty kill numbers can be used as a decent reference point when it comes to their postseason success that year.
Since the 2009-2010 NHL season, the Blackhawks have finished in the top-10 in the NHL in penalty kill percentage, three times — 2010, 2013, and 2015. They also went on to win the Stanley Cup in each of those seasons. They’ve finished outside the top-10 four times — 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2016.