Are NHL playoffs sudden death? Exploring overtime and penalty shootout rules in hockey

NHL playoffs have commenced, and every NHL team strategizes to proceed to the next round. While some of these teams have never won the Stanley Cup, some want to end their drought. The Vegas Golden Knights will try to defend their championship win last season.

With intense matchups and nail-biting moments, one question often arises: are NHL playoffs sudden death? Let's look at the overtime and penalty shootout rules in playoffs to understand how it works.

Difference in overtime rules during the NHL playoffs

While the regular season rules remain consistent during regulation play, overtime in the NHL playoffs undergoes a significant alteration. In the regular season, overtime comprises a five-minute sudden-death period with 3v3 play. If neither team scores during this period, the game advances to a shootout.

However, in the playoffs, overtime consists of a 20-minute sudden-death period with 5v5 play. If neither team scores during the initial overtime period, subsequent overtime periods follow until a team scores, leading to a definitive end to the game.

Overview of the NHL playoffs

The NHL playoffs, also known as the Stanley Cup playoffs, are an annual best-of-seven elimination tournament that determines the champion of the NHL season. Sixteen teams, comprising the top three teams from each division and four wild card teams, compete in this thrilling tournament held every spring. The ultimate goal? To lift the prestigious Stanley Cup, a symbol of hockey excellence.

A detailed look at the structure of the playoffs

The road to the Stanley Cup begins shortly after the NHL regular season concludes. The top three teams from each division, and the wild card teams based on overall point totals, enter the playoffs.

Seeding is determined by regular season performance, with tiebreaker criteria in place if needed. Each playoff series follows a best-of-seven format, with home-ice advantage granted to the higher-seeded team. The playoffs progress through four rounds: the first round, the second round, the conference finals and the Stanley Cup final.

• Sixteen teams qualify for the playoffs: the top three teams from each division
• Two wild card teams from each conference.

Teams that qualified for NHL 2024 playoffs

Eastern Conference

1. New York Rangers

2. Carolina Hurricanes

3. Florida Panthers

4. Boston Bruins

5. Toronto Maple Leafs

6. Tampa Bay Lightning (wild card)

7. New York Islanders

8. Washington Capitals (wild card)

Western Conference

1. Dallas Stars

2. Winnipeg Jets

3. Vancouver Canucks

4. Colorado Avalanche

5. Edmonton Oilers

6. Nashville Predators (wild card)

7. Los Angeles Kings (wild card)

8. Vegas Golden Knights

Where to watch the NHL playoffs?

In the U.S., playoffs air on ESPN, ABC, TNT and TBS. ESPN and TNT share coverage, with ABC airing Saturday games.

Canada airs games on Sportsnet and CBC.