Penalty kill: box and pressure

Setup

1. Four penalty killers (X1–X4) and a goaltender in full gear defend one end against five power-play skaters. Full equipment for everyone.
2. Box: two forwards (X1, X2) high near the tops of the circles, two defenders (X3, X4) low on either side of the net front.
3. The box is one common shape; a diamond or a more aggressive wedge are other options. Start with the box so the principles are clear.
4. The power play sets up in an overload with the puck at the point.

How it runs

1. Passive first: the power play passes slowly and the box shifts as a unit towards the puck, sticks in the passing lanes.
2. Add triggers: a bobbled puck, a pass along the boards, a player with their back to the play, or a pass behind the net. On a trigger, the nearest two killers pressure together while the other two protect the slot.
3. Win it and clear it. A shorthanded team can't be called for icing, so a hard clear down the ice is the safe play.
4. Live reps of up to 40 seconds, about the length of a hard penalty-kill shift. Rotate killers, with water and rest between.

Coaching points

• Protect the slot first; let low-percentage shots from wide come.
• Sticks on the ice and in lanes; take away the pass across the slot before anything else.
• Pressure in pairs and only on a trigger. One killer chasing alone opens the box.
• Get in shooting lanes with the stick down. Teach shot blocking as its own skill before asking for it in a drill.
• Call the trigger out loud so all four move together.
• Net-front battles use legal body position: no cross-checking or holding.

Common mistakes

• Box too wide, leaving the slot open.
• Chasing the puck behind the net and losing the net-front player.
• A soft clear up the middle instead of a hard one off the glass or down the ice.
• Turning to watch the puck and losing track of the player behind you.