0 of 10

Christine Cotter/Associated Press

It's not the most glamorous job in hockey, but good penalty-killers can be the difference between success and failure in a tight NHL, where many games are decided by a single goal.

An airtight penalty kill doesn't just help keep a team on the right side of the scoreboard. It can also allow the group to play a more aggressive style—less concerned that if a play does get whistled by the officials, it shouldn't be a game-changing moment.

It's tough to narrow down a list of the NHL's best penalty-killers to just 10 players. Forwards and defensemen play different roles, and some strong individual penalty-killers are trapped on inferior teams, where their solid work yields limited dividends.

With that in mind, this list attempts to recognize the players who make the biggest impacts on successful penalty-killing teams. Different types of contributions are made; the common thread is that these players are helping their teams glide through short-handed situations and, more often than most, finish the night in the win column.

Once you've taken a look, let us know who else you think is deserving of recognition for his penalty-killing skills.