Cliché Check

Score first and you win

The team scoring first wins about seven games in ten – and the later the first goal comes, the more decisive it is.

Data through 2025/26

Holds up

SHL Data through 2025/26 · SHL

First goal in P1

68.6%

First goal in P2

69.7%

First goal in P3

75.5%

What the data says

SHL 2020/21–2025/26: the first goal led to a win 69.0% of the time (71.1% in 2025/26).
First goal in period 1: 68.6%; period 2: 69.7%; period 3: 75.5%. In HockeyAllsvenskan a first goal in the third won 87.8%.

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