How Does Overtime Work In The NHL Playoffs?
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How Does Overtime Work In The NHL Playoffs?
If you are wondering how overtime works during the NHL playoffs, you have come to the right place. We are here to give you a brief rundown of the rules so that you can be as informed as possible when cheering on your favorite team.
What is Overtime in the NHL Playoffs?
Overtime in the National Hockey League (NHL) playoffs is a procedure used to determine the winner of a game that is tied after regulation time has expired.
The method of overtime used in the NHL playoffs is different from the regular season. In the regular season, if a game is tied after regulation time, each team is awarded one point in the standings and the game proceeds to a five-minute sudden-death overtime period. If neither team scores during overtime, the game ends in a tie.
In the playoffs, there is no such thing as a tie. If a game is tied after regulation time, it goes to overtime. The overtime period in the playoffs is 20 minutes long, with each team having four skaters on the ice instead of the five that are used during regulation time. The first team to score during overtime wins the game.
How Does Overtime Work in the NHL Playoffs?
The NHL playoffs are a best-of-seven series, meaning the first team to win four games advances to the next round. If the score is tied at the end of regulation time in any playoff game, the teams will play 20-minute sudden-death overtime periods until one team scores.
Sudden Death Overtime
If the score is still tied at the end of regulation time, the game will go into sudden death overtime. During the regular season, each team is guaranteed at least one point if they make it to overtime, but during the playoffs there are no guaranteed points. This means that the first team to score in overtime will win the game, regardless of how long it takes.
Overtime in the playoffs is sudden death, meaning the first team to score wins regardless of how long it takes
During the regular season, each team is guaranteed at least one point if they make it to overtime, but during the playoffs there are no guaranteed points
The overtime period is 20 minutes long, and is played with 5 players per side
Five-minute Overtime
The five-minute overtime period starts with a faceoff in the attacking zone of the team that did not score in regulation time. All players must remain on the ice until the first whistle after the three-minute mark. If the game is still tied after five minutes, a second intermission occurs and teams change ends for the second overtime period.
What Happens if the Game is Still Tied After Overtime?
If the game is still tied after overtime, the teams will play a sudden death shootout. During the shootout, each team gets to pick 3 players to take a shot on goal from the red line. The team that scores the most goals in the shootout wins the game.
Conclusion
In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, overtime is played until there is a winner, meaning one team scores and the other doesn’t. The winning goal counts as the game-winning goal, even if it’s scored in the second or third overtime period. There are no shootouts in the playoffs. If the score is still tied after overtime, the game goes to a shootout.
