Florida Panthers GM Bill Zito brought in Kevin Stenlund during the offseason to help shore up the team’s lackluster penalty kill.
That part of the game is one of Florida’s most improved, and it has been on display in this opening-round playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Last season, Florida’s PK finished an anemic 76.0 percent, ranked 23rd in the NHL.
It was unacceptable.
Stenlund was a skilled specialist who flew under the radar.
Never was his value more apparent than in Thursday’s 5-3 win over the Lightning in Game 3.
That put Florida a win away from a series sweep.
It was a game in which the lesser lights were the stars.
The Panthers shut down the best power play in the NHL.
The Lightning had four attempts; Florida none.
Two of the penalties belonged to Gus Forsling and one to Eetu Luostarinen, two of the top penalty-killers on the team.
“The big story would be penalty killing,” Paul Maurice said afterward. “It’s such a dominant, highly-skilled power play. That would be maybe the most important thing we did well tonight.” Maurice added that Stenlund was a great pickup not only because of his PK ability but also because of his general versatility.
He said it was a “major shift” for him to move up to center Luostarinen and Rodrigues.
“He comes to the rink tonight fully understanding that this is what I’m facing here tonight,” Maurice said. “He was mentally prepared for it and excited about it. He was really good.”
Stenlund has played in North America for seven seasons.
Prior to this season, the 27-year-old knocked around the Columbus and Winnipeg organizations without ever becoming a true NHL regular.
Last season was split between the Jets and their AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose. When he was brought up in early December, he was in the NHL to stay and played regularly on Winnipeg’s fourth line through the regular season and playoffs.
Two of his six regular-season goals were shorthanded.
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