How To Read NHL Standings
Contents
How To Read NHL Standings – A Guide For Beginners
How NHL Standings Are Determined
NHL standings are determined by a points system. Two points are awarded for a win, one point for an overtime or shootout loss, and zero points for a regulation loss. The standings are sorted by points, then by wins, then by goal differential.
Points
NHL standings are determined by points, with two points being awarded for a win and one point being awarded for overtime or shootout loss. The first tiebreaker is regulation and overtime wins (ROW), followed by total goals scored.
So, for example, if two teams have identical records but one team has more regulation and overtime wins, that team would be higher in the standings. If they’re still tied, the next tiebreaker would be total goals scored.
Games Played
The NHL standings are very simple. They are arranged by points. The team with the most points in their conference is at the top of the standings, and the team with the least points is at the bottom. There are two ways to earn points in the NHL:
-By winning in regulation time
-By winning in overtime or a shootout
If two teams have the same number of points, then the tiebreaker is determined by their head-to-head record. If they have not played each other an equal number of times, then it goes to goal differential.
How To Read NHL Standings
The NHL standings are important for any fan to understand. They are a great way to see how your team is doing in relation to the other teams in the league. Here is a quick and easy guide on how to read NHL standings.
Find Your Team’s Record
To find your team’s record, first locate their name in the standings. Their record will be listed to the right of their name, in the columns labeled “W” (wins), “L” (losses), and “OT” (overtime/shootout losses). For example, if you’re looking for the Tampa Bay Lightning’s record, you would find them listed in the standings as follows:
Tampa Bay Lightning
42
24
9
8
53
1999-2000 NHL Standings
In this instance, the Lightning have 42 wins, 24 regulation losses, 9 overtime/shootout losses, and 8 points.
Compare Your Team’s Record To Other Teams
In order to compare your team’s record to other teams, you need to understand how the NHL standings are formatted. Each team is listed in the standings with their name, conference, division, games played, wins, losses, overtime losses, points, and percentage.
The Conference and Division columns tell you which conference and division each team plays in. The Games Played column shows you how many games each team has played so far this season. The Wins and Losses columns show you how many games each team has won and lost. The Overtime Losses column shows you how many games each team has lost in overtime.
The Points column shows you how many points each team has earned. A win is worth 2 points, an overtime loss is worth 1 point, and a regular loss is worth 0 points. The Percentage column shows you what percentage of games each team has won.
To compare your team’s record to other teams, look at the Games Played, Wins, Losses, and Overtime Losses columns. The more games a team has played, the more accurate the comparison will be. If two teams have played the same number of games, then compare their Wins and Losses. If they have the same record, then compare their Overtime Losses.
Determine Your Team’s Place In The Standings
To find your team’s place in the standings, look for their name in the appropriate conference and division (Eastern or Western). Your team’s rank in the conference will be listed to the right of their name, while their rank in the division will be listed below their name. For example, if you want to find the Winnipeg Jets’ place in the standings, you would look under the “Central” division in the Western Conference. The Jets would be listed as follows:
Winnipeg Jets (4)
This means that, as of this moment, the Jets are 4th in the Central division and 8th in the Western Conference.
What NHL Standings Mean
Playoffs
In order to make the playoffs, a team must finish in the top four of their division or top eight of the conference. The exact playoff format may change from year to year, but in general, the four division winners and two wild card teams from each conference make up the sixteen playoff teams.
The playoffs are a single-elimination tournament, meaning that once a team loses, they are out of the running for the Stanley Cup. The tournament is split into four rounds, with each round consisting of best-of-seven series. In order to win a series, a team must win four games before their opponent.
The first two rounds match up division winners against wild card teams. The winners of those series advance to the conference finals, where they compete for a chance to play in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Stanley Cup Finals is a best-of-seven series between the winners of the Eastern and Western Conference finals. The team that wins four games in the Stanley Cup Finals is crowned champion and hoists the Stanley Cup.
Home Ice Advantage
In the National Hockey League (NHL), home ice advantage is the phenomenon that gives the home team an advantage over their opponents. This advantage has been shown to exist in all major North American sports, and has been attributed to a variety of factors, such as the psychological effects of playing in front of a hostile crowd, or the fact that officials tend to call more penalties against visiting teams. Regardless of the reason, home teams have consistently fared better than away teams in all sports.
In the NHL, home teams have won approximately 54% of games since the league’s founding in 1917. While this number has fluctuated over time, it remains relatively constant, giving credence to the existence of a home ice advantage.
There are a number of ways to measure home ice advantage in the NHL. One simple method is to compare winning percentages at home and away. Another is to look at goal differentials; that is, how many more goals a team scores at home than they do on the road. Finally, one could look at attendance figures to see if there is a correlation between attendance and success.
No matter which method is used, it is clear that there is a home ice advantage in the NHL. This advantage can be an important factor when considering bets on NHL games.
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is the championship trophy of the National Hockey League (NHL), the major professional ice hockey league in Canada and the United States. It was donated by Sir Frederick Arthur Stanley in 1892, and is named after his son, Lord Stanley of Preston, the Governor General of Canada. The Cup is inscribed with the names of all the winning players, coaches, management, and club personnel since 1893.
The Stanley Cup is More Than a Trophy
The Stanley Cup is more than a trophy. It’s a 124-year old tradition that represents perseverance, teamwork and greatness. Those who have their names inscribed on the Stanley Cup have achieved something truly special that will be celebrated for generations to come.
How teams are ranked in the NHL standings
The NHL standings are determined by awarding two points for a win, one point for overtime/shootout loss (since 1999-2000), and zero points for a regulation loss.