If you want to make the National Hockey League playoffs, a productive power play is now essential.

One of the most important shifts the league has realized in recent years concerns the importance of the power play. In years past, especially during periods where league-wide scoring was deflated (think 2010-17, where teams averaged just about 2.6 goals per game), power-play scoring was something of a luxury.

But the NHL’s offensive renaissance, hallmarked by a boom in both even-strength scoring and power-play scoring, has made power-play performance a meaningful differentiator between playoff contenders and pretenders. Last summer we discussed how notable the shift was, and the 2024-25 regular season further entrenched this point.

While even-strength scoring cooled a bit last year, the power play did not – rate-goal scoring there hit a new modern era high, with the average unit scoring 7.8 goals per 60 minutes on the man advantage.

There are undoubtedly several contributing factors to this (four-forward deployment strategies, an influx of offensive skill at both the forward and defensive positions league-wide, deadly superstar groups on several teams around the league), but the trend speaks for........

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