Guide to Understanding the Stanley Cup Playoffs

By Christina Winnegar

With the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs that are now underway(April 19th), here’s a guide to understanding the game through the eyes of a hockey fan so you can become the next puck expert. 

What is the Stanley Cup Playoffs?

The Stanley Cup playoffs is the annual elimination tournament to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup and the league champion of the National Hockey League (NHL).

How does it work?

The playoff format per the NHL begins with the 16 qualifying teams. These 16 teams are pulled from the four divisions divided by the two conferences in the NHL(Eastern and Western). The four divisions are the Metropolitan/Atlantic(Eastern) and the Central/Pacific(Western). 

The format is a set bracket that is division based with wild card slots. The top three teams in each division will make up the first 12 teams in the playoffs. The remaining four slots will be filled by the next two highest-ranked finishers in each conference, based on regular season records. 

Seeding is determined by regular season point totals. For example if teams are tied for slots, criteria such as most regulation wins, most overtime wins, most wins overall, most points in games overall and between the tied teams, and the differential between points scored and points allowed between the teams. 

Commonly practiced amongst professional sports leagues, the NHL has home-ice advantage through the first two rounds which goes to the team that placed higher in regular season standings. The games are played in a 2-2-1-1-1 format. Meaning, the team with the higher seed will host games one, two, five, and seven, and the lower seed will host games three, four, and six. 

Each of the four playoff rounds is a best-of-7. Meaning the first team to win four games advances to the next round and the other team is eliminated.

The First Round: 

Per the NHL the division winner with the best regular season record for each conference will be matched against the wild-card team with the lesser record. The wild card team with the better record will play the other division winner. The teams finishing second and third in each division meet within the bracket. 

The Second Round:

According to the NHL, first-round winners within each bracket play one another to determine the four teams participating in the Conference Finals.

Conference Finals & Stanley Cup Final:

For the Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Final, the NHL gives the team with the better regular-season record home ice advantage. This is awarded regardless of the teams’ final standing in their respective divisions. 

Now that you know the basics of the Stanley Cup Playoffs format, let’s learn about the basics of the game the playoffs stem from. 

Intro to Ice Hockey:

There are six players from each team on the ice at one time (A goalie, left/right wingers, a center, and two defenseman). 

Due to the intensity of the game players are usually only on the ice for an average of about a minute before a line change occurs. You can also see the subbing of players during stoppages. 

There’s sixty minutes of ice time in a game. Hockey is split into three periods (20 minutes on the clock each period). In between each period there are breaks called intermissions. During these breaks the team leaves the ice.

At the end of each period after coming back from intermission, the teams switch sides (attacking a side for two periods, defending the other for one). 

During the regular season, if a game is tied at the end of regulation there’s overtime. NHL overtime is played in a 3 on 3 format and whichever team scores the first goal, secures an overtime win. However if neither team scores during overtime, a shootout happens. A shootout is where each team selects three shooters to participate in a three-round shootout. These players alternate shot attempts, skating down the ice facing the opposing goalie in a 1v1. Team with the most successful shots out of the three attempts, wins. 

The regular season rules during regulation remain the same during playoffs. However the formatting of overtime is different. In the regular season, overtime consists of the five-minute 3v3 “sudden death” period. If neither team scores as explained above the game goes into a shootout. Now for playoff hockey, overtime is a 20-minute, 5v5 “sudden death” period. If neither team scores during the first overtime period, the periods will continue until a team scores and the game ends. There are no shootouts during NHL playoffs.

Hockey Rink Diagram:

The rink is divided into three sections by the two blue lines. The defensive zone is where your goal is (highlighted in red). The offensive zone is where the opponent’s goal is (highlighted in blue). The neutral zone is the zone in between the two blue lines (highlighted in yellow).

The red line aligning with the goal is called the goal line. Players can play behind the goals in this line but not in the goal crease. 

Positions in Hockey: 

As previously mentioned, players are usually on the ice for only about a minute at a time before a “line change.” There are four lines in hockey, totaling to 20 players on an active roster, minus the goalies. 

Positions consist of centers, wingers, defensemen, and goalies. In the six players on the ice there is one center, a left and a right wing, two defensemen, and a goaltender in the net.

Responsibilities of a “Winger”:

Each position has responsibilities to help carry out the game successfully for their team. The “wingers” also known as the forwards who fall on the left and right sides of the center responsibilities include: 

• Move the puck out of the defensive zone

• Help the center score goals

• Take passes from the other forwards 

• Score goals

• Prevent the opponent’s defenders from getting the puck

• Block shots and passes from the opponent

• Intercept passes and start breakaways for scoring opportunities 

Responsibilities of a “Center”: 

The “center” also known as the forward that falls center of the wingers responsibilities include:

• Score goals

• Complete passes

• Win faceoffs

• Support wingers 

• Collect rebounds in opponent’s goal area

• Keep the puck and opponents away from their goal

• Lead breakouts

• Switch quickly from attack to defense after puck loss 

Responsibilities of a “Defenseman”:

The defensemen fall behind the forwards with their own set of responsibilities that differ from the others. Their responsibilities include:

• Defend against opponent’s attacks 

• Stop passes

• Gain possession of the puck

• Control opponent's movements on the ice

• Clear rebounds from own crease

• Pass puck to attackers 

• Support forwards in their attack on the opposing net 

• Bring the puck out of their own zone

In ice hockey two main terms that are extremely important to understand are forechecking and backchecking. Forechecking refers to a team’s offensive players applying pressure to the opposing team’s defensemen in their own zone. However backchecking involves offensive players skating back to defend their own zone when the opposing team is breaking out. 

Forechecking:

• Offensive pressure

• Turnovers creating opportunities 

• Dump & Chases

Backchecking:

• Defensive transition

• Preventing odd-man situations

• Limiting scoring chances

Rules/Faceoffs:

When watching a hockey game the call you will see most commonly is icing. Icing is when the defense sends the puck over the center red line and past the opposing team’s goal line with no other player touching the puck. If a now-defensive player first touches the puck before the other team, then icing is called. The result of icing being called is a face-off in the now defensive end of the team who sent the puck, causing the infraction. There is a shorthand exception to icing. If a team is down a player due to a penalty then they’re able to clear the puck from their defensive zone without the infraction being called. 

One of the most important rules in hockey is offside. Offside is when entering the attacking (offensive) zone, a player or their teammate crosses the blue line before the puck. If this happens, the play is dead and the result is a faceoff in the neutral zone. 

There are five face-off circles on the ice (two on either side of the blue lines, four total, and one in the center of the ice, marked by the red line.) 

For a faceoff, all players on the ice take up set positions around one of the face-off circles. Only two players are allowed inside of the circle during the faceoff. The location of the face-off circle is determined by the cause of the last stoppage in play. 

Penalties: 

A minor penalty is the lowest severity of and lasts for two minutes. During a minor penalty the offending player is sent to sit in the box for two minutes. In certain cases if an offense is serious enough to warrant more than a two-minute penalty but not considered to be a major, officials may call a double-minor. This type of minor lasts for four minutes. Examples of this include: cross-checking, high-sticking, holding, & unsportsmanlike conduct.

A major penalty in hockey requires the offending player to sit in the penalty box for five minutes with no replacement. Officials may call a major penalty for the same offenses that are otherwise considered minors if they were severe enough and/or perpetrated with the intent to harm another player. Examples of this include: fighting, butt-ending, spearing, and boarding.

Minors

Majors

Cross-Checking: When a player has both hands on the stick and uses it to deliver a check when no part of the stick is on the ice. High-Sticking: When a player carries the stick above the normal height of the opponent’s shoulders and makes contact. Holding: Holding or grabbing a player, restricting their ability to play. Tripping: The use of a stick or leg to trip an opponent. Slashing: Swinging a stick in a forceful motion and hitting another player. Elbowing: Use of the elbow to foul an opponent. Charging: When a player takes several strides to speed up when checking an opponent. Goalie Interference: When an opposing player makes avoidable contact with the goaltender, either inside or outside of the crease. This is primarily a judgment call.

Butt-Ending: When a player uses the shaft of the stick, above the upper hand to check an opposing player. Boarding: Any illegal action that causes a player to be thrown into the boards. Misconduct: Any actions deemed worthy of an extended penalty (abusive language, challenging an official’s ruling, or intentionally disrupting the game). Spearing: When a player stabs their opponent with their stick. Fisticuffs: Fighting without gloves. Holding/Grasping Facemask

Powerplay:

A powerplay in hockey is when one team has the advantage of the number of players on the ice. The team that has the advantage, has an extra attacker out on the ice due to the infraction of the opposing team. That means instead of having six active players on the ice at one time, one side could only have four or five. 

How does a team get a powerplay? 

A team is put on the powerplay when a player from a team commits an infraction or penalty. After this, they’re sent to the penalty box and then the opposing team has an extra player on the ice for a limited amount of time (either two minutes or a five minute period). 

How a powerplay ends:

A powerplay ends before the time runs out if the team with the extra attacker scores a goal. This is only with powerplays from a minor penalty. If a team is put on the powerplay because a player from the opposing team commits a major penalty then the powerplay will continue regardless of how many goals the opposing team scores until the time runs out. 

Types of Goals:

Even-strength: An even-strength goal occurs when both teams have the same number of players on the ice. This type of goal typically happens during regular play when no team has an advantage. 

Power-play: A power-play goal occurs when one team has the upper hand due to a penalty committed by the opposing team that results in an extra attacker for one side.

Short-handed: A short-handed goal occurs when one player is in the penalty box. It creates a “short-handed scenario” with only four skaters on the ice until the penalty time is up. It’s when the opposing team scores a goal, down a player.

Empty-net: An empty net goal is shooting into an unguarded net. An empty net happens when a team pulls their goaltender to put an extra attacker out on the ice. This is used if the team desperately needs to score a goal at the end of the game and wants to put another player on the ice.

Own: An own goal is when a player accidentally shoots, deflects, or tips the puck into their own net. Giving a point to the opposing team.

Penalty-shot: A penalty-shot goal is called by an official when a player is unfairly prevented from having a clear chance at scoring during action. A penalty shot allows a shooter to attempt a 1v1 matchup with the opposing team’s goaltender without player interference. 

Important Hockey Stats: 

POS	Position Defines one of the six spots on the ice occupied by the player.
GP	Games Played A player is credited with a game played if he steps on the ice for any length of time or serves a penalty
G	Goals Awarded to players who last touched the puck on a goal by their team
A	Assists The number of goals the player has assisted. Meaning the player passed the puck to another who made a goal.
PTS	Points The number of points awarded to the player (goals + assists)
+/-	+/- Rating The +/- rating is calculated by giving the player a point for each even-strengthened or short-handed goal the team scores while he is on the ice. Then subtracting a point for each that the team scores.
PPG	Powerplay Goals The number of goals a player made while their team was on the powerplay
SOG/SAV%	Shots on Goal/Save Percentage The number of shots on goal/The goaltenders save % which is determined by dividing the number of saves by the number of total shots against them.
SPCT%	Shooting % Divide the number of goals scored divided by the number of shots taken.

How to Calculate Stats: 

GAA (Goals Against Average)

Formula: goals against (game length/sum (goalie shifts))

The goals against average uses the period lengths that are set out in the season/division setting for the game length.

SV% (Save Percentage)

Formula: shots against/goals against 

This is calculated by dividing the number of saves by the number of shots on goal. The save percentage is calculated in decimal form. 

Hockey Vocab:

• Breakaway: In an attempt to score the puck carrier gets in front of all the opponents except the goaltender.

• Breakout: When a team comes out of its defensive zone and starts up the ice toward the opponent’s goal.

• Drop Pass: The puck carrier leaves the puck behind for a trailing teammate to pick up.

• Forecheck: Keeping opponents at their end of the rink while attempting to regain possession of the puck.

• Backcheck: Transitioning from offense to defense, getting back fast to stop an attack on your defensive zone by the other team.

• Freezing the Puck: Holding the puck against the boards using sticks or skates.

• Hat Trick(Hatty): Three goals scored by one player in one game.

• Gordie Howe Hat Trick: The trifecta of collecting a goal, an assist, and a fight in a single game.

• Slap Shot: Bringing the stick back and quickly forward, slapping the puck ahead.

• Stickhandling: Carrying the puck along the ice with the stick.

• Wrist Shot: Flicking motion of the wrist to propel the puck off the blade.

• One Timer: A shot that occurs when a player meets their teammate's pass with an immediate slapshot without any attempt to control the puck or their stick, to have a chance at scoring.

• Apple: An assist

• Bar Down: when the puck hits the bottom of the crossbar and falls across the line for a goal.

• Celly: A celebration after a goal

• Chirping: Trash-talking

• Clapper: a slapshot

• Coast to coast: taking the puck all of the way down the ice (from defending side to attacking)

• Silky: used to describe a player or player’s stick handling to be smooth

• Sin-bin: the penalty box