ELMONT, NY —  Killing penalties is thankless work. It comes with long shifts, little points, and lots of bruises. That’s even more the case for those on the Boston Bruins. 

Through 24 games this season, the Bruins have already found themselves down a man 94 times–the most in the league and 13 more than the next closest team. 

And yet, even with all the extra minutes logged on the PK, Boston still owns the 10th ranked shorthanded unit, all while relying on several players who are new to killing penalties this year. 

“Usually, you turn one, if that. I think we’ve already turned three players,” Bruins head coach Marco Sturm said following practice Tuesday at UBS Arena. “It’s hard to do, so I give [assistant coach Jay Leach] and the players credit for that. We knew it was not easy going into the season without a lot of good killers. I do feel really comfortable with the guys we have, because they’re doing a good job.”

Neither Tanner Jeannot nor Mikey Eyssimont spent much time killing penalties before arriving in Boston this year, but the Bruins have transformed them into a regular fixtures on the PK. Working with shorthanded stalwarts such as Sean Kuraly, Mark Kastelic, and Fraser Minten, the unit has killed off 83 percent of the Bruins’ penalties.

“It’s always been part of the identity that I want to bring as a player, being good defensively and a hard to play against,” said Jeannot. “Every team has a different system, and you have to learn that. But once you get in the rhythm, it’s just building chemistry with the guys that you’re working with. It gets easier and easier as you go.”

As well as the group has performed, there’s no such thing as a team with too many penalty killers. With penalties–and injuries–piling up, the Bruins believe forward Alex Steeves can be their next. 

“He’s a guy I think coaches trust, I would say,” Sturm said. “I know he scored a lot of goals in the past, but [as] I see him here, if he wants to play in this lineup, I think it’s more as a checker. That means he’s doing the dirty work. I think he’s been pretty good. I also trust him on the PK. We don’t have enough of those guys.”

READ MORE: Too Many Penalties Have Bruins Playing A Dangerous Game

Steeves came to the Bruins during the offseason, having been one of the top goalscorers in the AHL last year. But through eight games so far in Boston, he’s found the back of the net only once. 

To stick around in the NHL, Steeves knows he’ll have to find another way to contribute. 

“Ultimately, the type of player I am — I try to play physical, straight, and create some space for guys,” said Steeves. “I think there were some good moments, but there are different roles. It looks like it’ll be a new role, so I’m excited to grab a hold of that.”

As much as it seems, the Bruins aren’t simply plugging in players on the PK and hoping they can shut down the league’s most lethal snipers and playmakers.

It takes more than just having sheer grit and determination to be entrusted in the most pressured filled moments of games. 

“You got to be smart,” Sturm said. “Killing is not just going out and blocking shots. Power plays are so good these days. There’s a lot of rotation going on, and movement going on. You got to actually adapt. You got to read a lot, and that’s why not everyone can do it. 

“It’s not like the old days anymore. Things change in a hurry. You can see it on a power play, so that means on the PK, as well. Not everyone can kill, I can tell you that.”

While it doesn’t come with all the glamour and admiration of a top producer on the power play, the role is perhaps even more vital to a team’s success. 

That’s especially the case for the Bruins.

“It’s been really good. I think the guys have been building chemistry on the kill,” said Jeannot. “Obviously, we’re doing a little bit too much of it. We don’t want to be killing as much as we are. We need to be better with our sticks and staying out of the box a little bit more. But it’s huge to have that–a little bit extra ice time. But like I said, we want to really take care of our penalties and not take as many.”

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