Reading NHL standings is easier when you separate points, playoff position, and remaining schedule. This guide explains the standings table, wild-card race, points percentage, tiebreakers, and a repeatable checklist for judging where a team really stands.
Overview
The NHL standings show how teams have performed so far, but the table is not a complete prediction of the playoff race. A team can sit in a playoff position today while facing a difficult schedule, or trail the final wild-card spot with several games in hand. To understand the picture, read the standings alongside games played, remaining opponents, recent results, injuries, and team trends.
In the regular season, a regulation or overtime win is worth two standings points. A loss in overtime or a shootout earns one point, while a regulation loss earns zero. This means a team’s points total reflects both wins and the extra point collected in games decided after regulation.
| Column or label | Plain-language meaning |
|---|---|
| GP | Games played |
| W | Total wins, including games won in overtime or a shootout |
| L | Regulation losses |
| OTL | Overtime or shootout losses |
| PTS | Standings points: two for a win and one for an overtime or shootout loss |
| Points percentage | Points earned divided by the maximum points available from games played |
| RW / ROW | Regulation wins / regulation and overtime wins, used in tiebreak contexts |
| GF / GA | Goals for / goals against |
| DIFF | Goal differential: goals for minus goals against |
The playoff format places the top three teams in each division into the postseason. Two additional teams from each conference qualify as wild cards. A wild-card team is not necessarily the fifth-best team in its division; it is one of the two highest-ranked non-division-qualifying teams in its conference. This is why a team’s conference position and division position both matter.
In the opening round, the division leaders are generally matched with the wild-card teams, while the second- and third-place teams in each division meet. Matchups and home-ice order should always be checked against the current NHL format before the season or postseason begins.
Checklist by scenario
If your team is currently in a playoff spot
- Identify the exact position: division leader, second or third in the division, or wild card.
- Check the points gap to the team immediately below. A narrow margin means one result can change the position.
- Compare games played. A team with fewer games played may have more opportunity to gain points, while a team with games in hand can also face schedule congestion.
- Review the remaining schedule, including direct games against nearby competitors.
- Check whether the team is protecting a division place or merely holding a wild-card position.
If your team is outside the playoff field
- Measure the points deficit to the final wild-card team, not only to the team directly ahead in the division.
- Calculate the number of available points remaining. A team cannot close a gap larger than its theoretical opportunity.
- Note games in hand for both teams. The visible points gap can overstate or understate the real distance.
- Look for head-to-head games that offer a chance to gain points while denying them to a rival.
- Separate realistic qualification from mathematical qualification. A team may still be alive mathematically but require a long winning run and help elsewhere.
When teams are tied in points
Do not assume the tie will be settled by goal differential. NHL standings use a defined sequence of tiebreakers. The order includes regulation wins, regulation and overtime wins, total wins, points earned in games among the tied clubs when applicable, goal differential, and goals for. The precise application can depend on the clubs involved and the games played, so use the league’s official standings display when a tie affects a playoff position.
When games played are unequal
Use points percentage as a comparison tool. Divide points earned by the maximum possible points: games played multiplied by two. For example, a team with 40 points in 30 games has a points percentage of 40 divided by 60, or .667. This does not replace the NHL’s standings order, but it helps compare teams that have played different numbers of games.
What to double-check
Before drawing a conclusion from the NHL playoff race, verify five details:
- Standings scope: Confirm that you are viewing the correct conference, division, or league-wide table.
- Games played: Check whether postponed games or uneven schedules create a games-in-hand difference.
- Position labels: A wild-card place is different from a top-three division place, even when the points total is similar.
- Schedule strength: Remaining opponents, travel, back-to-backs, and direct matchups can change the outlook.
- Team availability: An NHL injury report, lineup change, or goaltending decision may affect short-term results more than the table shows.
Team performance indicators add context without replacing the standings. For example, special-teams form can help explain whether recent results are sustainable. Compare the team’s power-play trends and penalty-kill performance with its schedule and health status. If a roster move may change the outlook, consult a current NHL trade tracker rather than relying on an old table snapshot.
Common mistakes
Confusing points with wins: Two teams can have the same points while reaching that total through different combinations of wins and overtime losses.
Treating a wild card as a fixed division rank: Wild-card places are awarded across the conference, so a team can move between a division position and a wild-card position as results change.
Ignoring games in hand: The team with more points is not automatically farther ahead if it has played several more games.
Using points percentage as the official table: Points percentage is useful for comparison, but regular-season standings are ordinarily ordered by points and applicable tiebreakers.
Assuming goal differential decides every tie: It is later in the tiebreak sequence. Apply the earlier criteria first.
Projecting from a short streak: A strong or poor run can matter, but it should be considered with schedule difficulty, injuries, special teams, and remaining head-to-head games.
When to revisit
Use this checklist after every meaningful standings change: a team’s game, a rival’s game, a trade, a major injury, or a stretch of postponed or rescheduled fixtures. Recheck the table weekly during the regular season, more often during the final weeks, and after the trade deadline when rosters and playoff expectations can shift.
For a practical update, record each nearby team’s points, games played, points percentage, remaining games, and next three direct competitors. Then mark whether your team is defending a division place, chasing a wild card, or trying to close a measurable points gap. Repeat the exercise after major schedule milestones and before making strong claims about a team’s postseason chances. Standings tell you where a team is; this process helps explain what it must do next.
