Understanding the NHL Playoff Format & Structure

The NHL Playoffs is formed by the four divisions, with two in each conference. The top three teams in each division comprise six of the eight playoff teams, while the two teams with the following best point totals get the wild card berths.

Each division has its own mini-playoff, with the first-place team playing one of the wild cards and the second and third-place teams playing in the first round. After one team emerges from each mini-playoff, there will be an Eastern and Western Conference Final and then the ultimate Stanley Cup Final.

How many rounds are in the NHL Playoffs?

The NHL Playoffs have four rounds. The first round is the previously mentioned matchups, while the second round features the winners of those first-round matchups.

The third round is the conference finals, which could be one team from each division (Atlantic, Metropolitan, Pacific, and Central). However, there are times when the wildcard team comes from a different division, which causes one division to miss the conference finals. The fourth round is the Eastern Conference finalist vs. the Western Conference finalist.

Each series is best-of-7, meaning a team's goal is to win four games. The higher seed receives Games 1, 2, 5, and 7 at home, while the lower seed gets Games 3, 4, and 6.

What are the overtime playoff rules?

Thankfully, the NHL doesn't have their playoff games end with a five minute three-on-three and a shootout. It would be very frustrating for fans to watch their team for 82 games and then lose in a shootout.

Instead, the NHL uses a 20-minute, sudden-death overtime format. The game doesn't end until one team scores, which has caused games to be very long in the past. Each period has a traditional 15-minute intermission.