Hockey referees call penalties throughout a game. When a minor penalty is called, a player is sent off the ice for two minutes. While the player sits in an area of the rink called the penalty box, his team plays short-handed. That gives the opposition a power play in which they skate with a man advantage and have an excellent chance to score a goal.
Penalty Call
Two referees and two linesmen adjudicate every National Hockey League game. When a penalty is observed by one of the referees, he will raise his arm. However, if the opposing team has possession of the puck, the referee will not blow his whistle until the team that committed the penalty gains possession of the puck. At that point, the offending player will be sent off the ice for two minutes. Typical minor penalties include tripping, hooking, high sticking, roughing and boarding.
Man Advantage
The team with the manpower advantage is said to be on the power play. It will attempt to set up in the opponent's defensive zone and create a scoring opportunity. If one of the players on the power play unit has an unimpeded shot on net, he will attempt to fire the puck towards the goal. If the shot goes in the net, the team has been successful on the power play and the opponent gets the offending player back and no longer has to play short-handed.
Defensive Team
While a team is short-handed, it is mainly trying to prevent the opponent from scoring. It normally sets up in a rectangular set up called a "box," with two players close to the goal and two players near the top of the zone to prevent shots from coming from the point. If the defensive team gets possession of the puck, it can clear the puck all the way down the ice or attempt to create a scoring opportunity of its own.
Two-Man Advantage
If two penalties are called on a team, it can play as many as two men short. This is viewed as a great advantage for the team with the power play. If a goal is scored with two men in the penalty box, one of those players returns to the ice. If a second goal is scored, then the penalty ends and the second player returns to the ice.
Major Penalty
A player can be called for a five-minute major penalty. This is usually called when a player does something egregious on the ice, like cutting an opponent with a high stick. When a player is called for a five-minute major, the player must sit in the penalty box for the full five minutes and the team plays short-handed no matter how many goals get scored.
Fighting Penalties
When two players fight in a hockey game, each player usually receives a 5-minute fighting penalty. Neither player is allowed on the ice for five minutes. However, it does not impact the team's manpower. Both teams play with their full complement of five skaters and a goalie during the duration of the 5-minute fighting penalty.
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