NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Introduce Major Overtime Format Change

The NHL Stanley Cup playoffs are set to return on Saturday, and with it comes a major change in the overtime format that fans have grown accustomed to during the regular season. No more three-on-three play, no more shootouts after five minutes of scoreless play. Instead, playoff overtime will feature sudden death, which could potentially last a very long time.

Last season’s playoffs provided a glimpse of just how intense and thrilling playoff overtime can be. In a game between the Florida Panthers and the Carolina Hurricanes, the teams battled it out for nearly four full overtime periods before Matthew Tkachuk scored the game-winning goal with just 12.7 seconds left in the period. It was a nail-biting finish and one of the longest playoff games in NHL history.

In playoff hockey overtime, if the score is tied after three periods, the teams go to the dressing room for a 15-minute break while the ice is resurfaced. Overtime periods last 20 minutes or until someone scores, with teams playing five-on-five (barring penalties). The process repeats until a goal is scored, with the teams changing sides for each overtime period.

The NHL Situation Room reviews all goals to ensure they are legally scored, as was the case in the Panthers-Hurricanes game when a goal was overturned due to goaltender interference.

As we gear up for the 2024 postseason, fans can expect more thrilling overtime moments. Players like Corey Perry, Carter Verhaeghe, and Joe Pavelski have proven to be clutch performers in playoff overtime, with multiple goals to their names. With the new format in place, the excitement and drama of playoff hockey overtime are sure to keep fans on the edge of their seats throughout the postseason.