LivePlayScore brings you ice hockey live scores from the NHL, the KHL, the top European leagues, the PWHL and international tournaments, updated goal by goal. The score, period, game clock, shots on goal and power plays appear on this page as the game unfolds. It's free, and you don't need an account.

Hockey is fast and unpredictable. A two-goal lead can disappear in 90 seconds, and a game that looks settled can flip when a team pulls its goalie with two minutes left. With up to 16 NHL games on a single night, plus games in Europe earlier in the day, nobody can watch them all. This page is built for that: open it, find your game, and you know exactly where it stands.

Each live game shows both teams, the score, the period and the time left on the clock. You'll also see shots on goal for each team and whether anyone is on the power play, which is often the best clue to which way the game is heading.

Tap any game for more detail:

• Scoring summary: every goal with the period, time, scorer and assists, and whether it came at even strength, on the power play, short-handed or into an empty net.
• Penalties: who went to the box, for what, and for how long.
• Period-by-period score: goals for each team in each period, plus overtime and the shootout when they happen.
• Goaltending: saves and save percentage for each goalie, where available.

If you only need the final score, the scoreboard gives you that. If you want to know how your team blew a 3-1 lead in the third period, the scoring summary and penalty list usually explain it.

If you're new to hockey, the scoreboard is easy to read once you know the basics.

A game is three periods of 20 minutes, with five skaters and a goalie on each side. Every goal counts as one. Assists go to up to two players who touched the puck before the goal.

Power plays are one of the biggest parts of the game. When a player is penalized, they sit in the penalty box, usually for two minutes, and their team plays short-handed. A power-play goal ends a minor penalty early. Major penalties last five minutes and don't end when a goal is scored.

Empty-net goals happen late in close games. A team that's behind often pulls its goalie for an extra skater in the final minutes, which gives it a better chance to tie but leaves the net open at the other end.

In the NHL regular season, a game tied after 60 minutes goes to five minutes of three-on-three overtime. If nobody scores, it goes to a shootout. A win is worth 2 points in the standings, and a loss in overtime or a shootout is still worth 1 point. In the playoffs, there are no shootouts: teams play full 20-minute overtime periods until someone scores.

NHL. All 32 teams across the Eastern and Western Conferences, from opening night through the 82-game regular season to the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the Stanley Cup Final. If you follow one team closely, our team pages keep every game in one place, including the Toronto Maple Leafs live scores and Boston Bruins live scores pages.

European hockey. The KHL, Sweden's SHL, Finland's Liiga, Switzerland's National League, Germany's DEL and the Champions Hockey League. These leagues play at times that suit European fans, and many future NHL stars start out here.

Development and women's hockey. The AHL, where NHL teams develop young players, and the PWHL, the top professional women's league.

International hockey. The IIHF World Championship, the World Junior Championship over the holidays, and Olympic ice hockey when the Winter Games come around.

Our scores come from a professional real-time hockey data feed, the kind used by broadcasters and sports apps. The page updates by itself during games, so you don't need to keep refreshing.

A few situations can make a score look odd for a moment. Here's how we handle them:

• Video review and coach's challenges. Goals can be reviewed for things like offside, goalie interference or a high stick. If a goal is overturned, it comes off the board, and the score updates to match the final decision.
• Scoring changes. Sometimes a goal is credited to a different player after review, for example when it deflects off a teammate. The score doesn't change, but the scorer and assists are updated to match the official record.
• Shootouts. In the NHL, the shootout winner gets one extra goal in the final score. We show each shootout attempt separately, so you can see how it was decided.

If you ever see a score that doesn't match what's on TV, let us know through our contact page. Reader reports have helped us catch mistakes, and we'd rather fix them fast.

If you're checking in partway through, a few details tell you most of the story:

Shots on goal. A team out-shooting its opponent 30 to 15 is controlling play, even if it's behind. A hot goalie can hold that off for a while, but not always for 60 minutes.

Power plays. A team with a man advantage has a much better chance to score. Check the penalty box before you check the clock.

The third period. A one-goal lead with ten minutes left is far from safe. A two-goal lead with two minutes left usually is, though empty-net situations can change things quickly.

Goalie pulled. If a team has pulled its goalie, it's pushing for the tying goal. Expect either a late equaliser or an empty-net goal the other way.