NHL key numbers
42.0% of NHL games since 2015 ended with a 1-goal margin and 22.7% with 3, counted from 14,500 games.
Most common margins
A key number is a final margin that comes up far more often than the ones beside it, because of how scoring works. The margin is the winner’s score minus the loser’s. Final scores include overtime and the shootout goal, so no game ends tied and every overtime game counts as a one-goal margin.
| Margin | Games | Share of games |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6,092 | 42.0% |
| 3 | 3,288 | 22.7% |
| 2 | 2,913 | 20.1% |
| 4 | 1,428 | 9.8% |
| 5 | 504 | 3.5% |
| 6 | 186 | 1.3% |
| 7 | 69 | 0.5% |
| 8 | 12 | 0.1% |
| 9 | 7 | 0.1% |
| 10 | 1 | 0.0% |
Margin 1
- Games
- 6,092
- Share of games
- 42.0%
Margin 3
- Games
- 3,288
- Share of games
- 22.7%
Margin 2
- Games
- 2,913
- Share of games
- 20.1%
Margin 4
- Games
- 1,428
- Share of games
- 9.8%
Margin 5
- Games
- 504
- Share of games
- 3.5%
Margin 6
- Games
- 186
- Share of games
- 1.3%
Margin 7
- Games
- 69
- Share of games
- 0.5%
Margin 8
- Games
- 12
- Share of games
- 0.1%
Margin 9
- Games
- 7
- Share of games
- 0.1%
Margin 10
- Games
- 1
- Share of games
- 0.0%
Most common totals
The total is both teams’ scores added together. Totals spread over more values than margins do, so a single number stands out less.
| Total | Games | Share of games |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 3,301 | 22.8% |
| 7 | 2,845 | 19.6% |
| 3 | 1,774 | 12.2% |
| 6 | 1,590 | 11.0% |
| 9 | 1,321 | 9.1% |
| 4 | 1,241 | 8.6% |
| 8 | 1,006 | 6.9% |
| 11 | 389 | 2.7% |
| 10 | 355 | 2.5% |
| 2 | 257 | 1.8% |
Total 5
- Games
- 3,301
- Share of games
- 22.8%
Total 7
- Games
- 2,845
- Share of games
- 19.6%
Total 3
- Games
- 1,774
- Share of games
- 12.2%
Total 6
- Games
- 1,590
- Share of games
- 11.0%
Total 9
- Games
- 1,321
- Share of games
- 9.1%
Total 4
- Games
- 1,241
- Share of games
- 8.6%
Total 8
- Games
- 1,006
- Share of games
- 6.9%
Total 11
- Games
- 389
- Share of games
- 2.7%
Total 10
- Games
- 355
- Share of games
- 2.5%
Total 2
- Games
- 257
- Share of games
- 1.8%
How this was counted
- 14,500 NHL games, seasons 2015 to 2025: regular season and playoffs, seasons named by the year they start.
- Source: the sportsbookreview archive (2015-16 to 2021-22) and ESPN final scores (2022-23 on). Counted on .
- These are plain counts of final scores. Nothing is modeled, and nothing here predicts a game.
To cite this page: Parity Odds, “NHL key numbers,” parityodds.com/research/nhl-key-numbers, counted 2026-10-08.
These counts are why half a point matters more near some numbers than others. How Parity Odds prices a bet.