How to read a hockey game sheet: lines, pairs and goalies

A hockey game sheet is a one-page look at how two teams are expected to line up for a game: who plays with whom, who is in goal, who is missing and who runs the power play. Once you know the parts, it takes about a minute to read.

The short version

• Forward lines (L1 to L4) show which three forwards play together. L1 usually gets the most ice time and L4 the least.
• Defense pairs (D1 to D3) show the three pairs of defensemen. The top pair plays the most and usually faces the other team's best players.
• The goalie section lists each team's goalies with games played (GP), record (W-L-OT), goals against average (GAA) and save percentage (SV%). The starter is the one name most worth checking.
• The out list shows who is injured, ill, suspended or scratched, which explains most lineup changes.
• PP1 is the five players on the first power-play unit, usually a team's best attacking group.

Where the lineups come from

In the NHL, a team dresses up to 20 players for a game: 18 skaters and two goalies. That usually means 12 forwards and six defensemen, though some teams go with 11 forwards and seven defensemen.

The official lineup is handed in shortly before the game. Before that, lineups come from practice and morning skate, where beat writers watch which players skate together, and from projection sites that track line combinations. So a sheet made a day or a few hours ahead is a projection. Good sheets say so, and tell you the source and when it was checked.

Forward lines: L1 to L4

Each forward line is a left wing, a center and a right wing. Roles vary by team, but a common pattern is:

• L1: the top scorers. Most even-strength ice time, and usually on the first power play.
• L2: secondary scoring.
• L3: often a two-way or checking line, sometimes sent out against the other team's top line.
• L4: an energy line with the fewest minutes, often used on the penalty kill and for physical play.

What it tells you. Changes are the interesting part. A player moved up to L1 is getting a chance to produce. A top player dropped to L3 may be in a slump or carrying an injury. Many sheets also list each player's games played (GP), goals (G), assists (A) and points (P).

Defense pairs

Defensemen play in three pairs, usually a left shot and a right shot together, labeled D1 to D3.

• D1: the most minutes, often against the opponent's best line, and frequently on special teams.
• D2: solid, regular minutes.
• D3: fewer minutes, often kept away from the hardest matchups.

What it tells you. when a top-pair defenseman is out, everyone below moves up and plays harder minutes, which can matter more than a missing forward. A defenseman called up from the minors on D3 is a sign of injuries further up.

Goalies: GP, W-L-OT, GAA and SV%

The goalie section lists each team's goalies, with the expected starter marked:

• GP (games played): how many games the goalie has appeared in, including relief appearances. In the NHL regular season, which is 84 games from 2026–27, a goalie with far more games than his partner is the clear number one.
• W-L-OT (wins, losses, overtime losses): the goalie's record. In the NHL, the OT figure includes shootout losses. The win or loss goes to the goalie who was in net when the deciding goal was scored, or who had just been pulled for an additional skater.
• GAA (goals against average): goals allowed per 60 minutes played, worked out as goals against × 60 ÷ minutes played. Lower is better, but it reflects the team's defense as much as the goalie.
• SV% (save percentage): saves divided by shots faced, shown as a decimal such as .912, meaning 91.2 percent of shots saved. Higher is better, and it is a cleaner measure of the goalie than GAA.

What it tells you. The starter affects a game as much as any lineup decision. A backup often starts the second night of a back-to-back. In October, goalie numbers rest on a handful of starts and can swing a lot. Starters are often confirmed only on game day, at the morning skate or in warmups, so check whether the sheet marks the starter as confirmed or projected.

Who's out

The out list covers every player who won't play, with a status. Common ones in the NHL:

• IR: on injured reserve, expected to miss time.
• LTIR: long-term injured reserve, for longer absences.
• Day-to-day: a minor injury, could return soon.
• Suspended: usually with the number of games.
• Illness: out sick, often only briefly.
• Healthy scratch: fit to play, but left out of the lineup by the coach.

What it tells you. The out list explains the lineup. If a top-line center is out, someone moves up and the other lines get thinner. A player listed day-to-day may come back into the lineup late, which is another reason to check the sheet's date.

Power-play units: PP1

A power play happens when one team has a player in the penalty box. In the NHL, a minor penalty lasts two minutes and ends early if the team on the power play scores. A major penalty runs the full five minutes regardless of goals.

Teams usually have two power-play units of five skaters. PP1 is the first unit, often four forwards and one defenseman, though some teams use two defensemen. PP1 usually starts the power play and gets most of the time on it, and PP2 takes the rest.

What it tells you. PP1 shows whom the coach trusts most with the puck. A player moved onto PP1 will get more scoring chances, which is why fantasy players watch it closely.

Recent form and notes

Recent form shows how each team has done in its last few games, which can reveal a streak the season record hides. Notes say which sections are projections, where they came from and when the stats were last updated. Read them before relying on anything above them.

How Get Your Sports Here presents it

On Get Your Sports Here you can make a one-page game sheet for an upcoming game. For hockey it shows projected lineups with forward lines L1 to L4, defense pairs and goalies with GP, W-L-OT, GAA and save percentage, along with who's out, the power-play units, recent form and notes with sources. Each sheet is put together by AI from public sources, which are listed so you can check anything that matters, since lineups change and details can be wrong. After the game, the site has a recap with the line score, scoring plays and top performers.

Frequently asked questions

What does L1 mean in hockey?

L1 is the first forward line: usually a team's top three forwards (left wing, center, right wing), who play the most even-strength minutes.

What does W-L-OT mean for a goalie?

Wins, losses and overtime losses. In the NHL, the overtime-loss figure includes shootout losses.

What is a good save percentage in the NHL?

Compare it with the league average for that season. Hockey-Reference has the league-wide figure at .896 for 2025–26, so a goalie at .910 or higher that season was well above average.

Are projected lines the same as the actual lineup?

Not always. Projections come from practice and reports, and lines can change until the official lineup is handed in shortly before the game.

If you follow a hockey team, you can start a briefing for it and make game sheets for the games you care about. For how the season and playoffs fit together, see the NHL season and playoffs explained.