How do points work in nhl

With an game regular season schedule, there is a maximum of points for any team. If NHL teams surpass points, it almost always qualifies them as a top-three finisher in their divisions. The top team each year is usually above points. Last season, Tampa Bay finished with an incredible points. This is where is gets even more complicated. You can lose in the NHL and still gain points.

If you lose in regulation-three minute periods-then the loss garners zero points. But if the game is tied after 60 minutes, each team is in position to earn at least one point in the standings. The game could be won in the five-minute overtime or extend to shootout in which each team gets three penalty shots or "breakaways" with just the shooter bearing down on the goaltender.

Best of three wins the shootout; if the shootout goals are equal after three attempts each, then the team continues each round until one player scores but the opponent does not. Losing in overtime or by shootout still provides one point for loser and two points for winner.

If you hear hockey analyst, coach or player refer to "three-point games," this is what they mean. When a game goes to overtime or shootout, the two teams collect three points between them. Here's the catch and where the standings provide more intrigue. If a team wins in overtime, it is more valuable than winning in the shootout. The points reward is the same-two points-but winning in overtime is considered a "better" win and is tallied in a column labeled "ROW," an acronym for "Regulation and Overtime Wins.

W — Wins. This is how many games the team has won in the season. Each win is worth two points. If a team loses in overtime or a shootout they will still get one point in the standings. PTS — Points. This is the cumulative amount of points that the team has earned from their games.

This is the cumulative total of games that have been won by a team in regulation and overtime. The stat gives more weight to teams who win games through regulation time and overtime, and less weight to a win through a shootout. The ROW is used as a tiebreaker between teams who have an equal number of points in the standings. GF — Goals For. This is the total number of goals that the team has scored in the season. GA — Goals Against. This is the total number of goals that the teams has allowed in over the season.

This is the total number of goals scored by the team subtracted by the total number of goals scored against. HOME — Home record. AWAY — Away record. The record of the team when they are playing away from their home rink.

Again, there are only 16 of the 31 teams that make the playoffs. It's hard to imagine most fans of the game truly care if a player preceded the puck into the zone by a fraction of a second.

Also, treat the blue line as a vertical plane think the end zone goal line in football and a player wont have to actually have his skate on the ice surface in order to be ruled onside while entering the offensive zone. As the rule currently stands, skaters need to keep at least one skate on the ice surface behind or on the blue line when the puck is entering the zone.

To the NHL's credit, they've recognized the headache caused by the current offside dilemma and are looking into implementing the vertical plane aspect beginning with next season.

The Problem: Like several other sports, the NHL currently has a draft lottery, which rewards but doesn't guarantee tanking for draft position. There's not necessarily a major issue with the current format, other than the fact that every year a few teams just become unbearable to watch toward the end of the regular season as they try to maximize their draft position.

The Solution: Let's get weird here for a second. What if there was a mini end-of-season tournament that featured, say, the league's four or eight worst teams playing for extra draft lottery balls? Obviously, you would want to limit the number of games played and days it takes to play out, so a single-elimination format might work best -- maybe a best-of-three "final" if you want to minimize randomness. The winner of the tournament increases their odds of landing a top-three pick in the draft.

Not only does it generate some interest and extra revenue for these stinky teams at the end of a bad season but it also provides a little incentive for the tanking teams to remain competitive and watchable. Plus, it's more entertainment for fans. A battle of the worst is sometimes just as riveting as a battle of the best. The idea probably needs a little fleshing out, but I'm here for as much chaos as possible -- even at the bottom of the standings.

By Pete Blackburn. Apr 3, at am ET 9 min read. What changes can we make to make things a little better? I've got some ideas. Watch Now:. Oilers are rising but still trail two teams Austin Nivison 1 min read. Blackhawks' sexual abuse scandal explained Wajih AlBaroudi 7 min read. The playoff schedule is set according to conference standings. Division standings matter for one reason only: The division leaders are seeded in order in the conference standings. Otherwise, the standings are determined by total points.

If two or more teams are tied in total points, the tie is broken using the following criteria, in order, until one winner is decided. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile.

Measure ad performance. Select basic ads.