Power play

A power play is the man-advantage a hockey team gets while the opposition serves a penalty, skating five-on-four (or five-on-three) until the penalty expires or the power-play team scores. It is the sport's great equaliser and its great pressure test: elite units convert around a quarter of their chances, and a lethal power play can carry an otherwise ordinary team deep into a season. Coaches drill specialised units, often loading four forwards and a single defenceman to maximise puck movement. Rule background at The Hockey News.