Is There A Shootout In Playoff Hockey?
No, there is not a shootout in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The winner of the game is decided by sudden-death overtime period only.
However, the rules may differ in other hockey championships. In the IIHF World Championship, except for the Gold Medal Game, there will be a Penalty-Shot Shootout if the game is not decided after the sudden-death overtime period.
Why is there no shootouts in playoff hockey?
There are no shootouts in the hockey playoffs because the NHL playoff intends to end the game with the worthy victor.
Both the audience and the teams won't be satisfied by the outcomes of the shootouts in intense playoff matches.
NHL Playoffs break the tie by 20-minute 5-on-5 games, which are played until the winner is decided.
Such matches may sometimes lead to longer games, which makes the game more intense and fun to watch. Unlike Shootouts, this type of tie-breaker ensures that the winning team truly deserves the advancement.
In NHL Playoff, the ties are broken by following the procedure;
- Tied teams will play an overtime period after a short intermission
- Overtime is played with five skaters on each team.
- The period will be 20 minutes long.
- The first team to score will be the winner.
- Additional overtime periods are played until the champion is decided.