The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs are in full swing, with the opening round of play nearing its end. Thus far, it’s been a tightly contested first round, with all eight series having at least one game reach overtime . Those tuning into the games may have noticed a pretty significant difference between overtime hockey in the NHL playoffs compared to the regular season. That’s because the rules are quite different once teams reach the postseason. Let’s review what rules change in overtime in the playoffs compared to that of the regular season. NHL Playoff overtime rules In the NHL postseason, teams will play 5-on-5 in the overtime period. Overtime is a full 20-minute period, and the game won’t end until a team scores. If no team scores in the first overtime period, the game will have an intermission to clean the ice and a second overtime period will be played. The teams will continue to play 20-minute overtimes until a winner is decided.…