It's important to recognize when to pressure the puck.

Special teams have always been important in hockey.

In the last three years, NHL power plays have operated at close to 20% efficiency, up from the previous eight years. Meanwhile, shorthanded goals are on the rise, with teams scoring an average of 8.06 when down a man after 55 games.

A good penalty killing strategy can be the difference between winning and losing games.

It begins with trigger moments — pressure points when the penalty killing team should pounce on the puck. Whether your team is aggressive or passive on the PK, most of the time, you will only have one chance to clear the puck. You need to be able to recognize when to pressure, so everyone can jump together. With more goals on the PK than ever, sometimes a quick support and odd-man rush can be a nightmare for the opponent.

If you are first on the puck for every pressure point, you’ll have a greater chance to spend less time in your own zone defending.

1. Lost faceoff

In my last article, I talked about having a plan on a faceoff when you are on the power play. Knowing that more and more teams try to generate offence from the faceoff, if you lose the draw, you need to know what to do and where to go.

For the penalty killers, it’s the same pattern as the power play. No one will be set in the next 5-10 seconds after the puck is dropped, so pressuring after a lost faceoff can be a significant trigger moment.

Most NHL teams send their centre to pressure the puck, but at the junior and women’s international level, some coaches send their winger. It allows teams to dictate which side of the ice to keep the puck.

2. Bouncing, loose, or rimmed puck

The second trigger moment is a 50/50 puck, or when you know that your opponent doesn’t have many options. Like when your opponent makes a bad pass and the puck bouncing. It could be any loose puck below the goal line or along the wall. Or, when on the power play, when a team tries to release the pressure and rim the puck.

These are situations that penalty killers need to take advantage of.

3. Rebound or blocked shot

Rebounds and block shots are the easiest trigger moments to recognize.

Every time the power play team shoots, unless it’s a goal, it will be a trigger moment that the penalty killers need to jump on. If you can be first on the puck after a rebound, you are shutting down any secondary opportunities, keeping the puck away from your own net.

For blocked shots, most of the time you are ahead of the players screening your goalie. That allows you to be on the offensive side of the puck.

4. Opponent facing the wall

Another trigger moment comes when the opponent facing the wall. As soon as you see the numbers on the back a player’s jersey, the light turns green for penalty killers.

The opponent doesn’t have many options while they are facing the wall, they won’t see you coming.

5. Broken stick or line change

This one doesn’t happen often, but when it does, everyone should communicate and pressure the puck carrier. In these two cases, the play becomes 4v4 in-zone for a couple of seconds.

Don’t allow the power play to have time to set up again in your zone while you are even.