NHL First Period Correct Score: How Often Is It 0-0 After 20?
Seventeen thousand regular-season first periods show that 0-0 leads the correct-score table, yet the period still produces two or more goals about half the time.
The first period is where I see the most casual guessing in hockey markets. People expect a cagey opening, back the stalemate, and rarely check how often it actually happens. This study supports the first-period notes on my ice hockey tips for today page. It asks three things: which scores are most common after 20 minutes, how many goals the period produces, and what the opening frame says about the final total.
The headline answer is that 0-0 is the single most common first-period score, at 18.5% of 17,921 NHL regular-season games, a fair price of 5.41. That is not the same as the first period being quiet. Over 1.5 first-period goals landed 50.3% of the time, and the scoreline at the first intermission turns out to be a strong signal for the final total.
Period 1Goalless leads, but one-goal starts are close behind
The table lists every common first-period score with home goals first, alongside fair decimal and American odds with no margin. 0-0 sits on top at 18.5%, then 1-0 at 16.4%, 0-1 at 14.9% and 1-1 at 13.6%. Those four results cover most of the realistic outcomes. Everything from 2-0 downwards drops off sharply.
| 1st-period score | Games | Share | Fair decimal | Fair American |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-0 | 3,311 | 18.5% | 5.41 | +441 |
| 1-0 | 2,937 | 16.4% | 6.10 | +510 |
| 0-1 | 2,663 | 14.9% | 6.71 | +571 |
| 1-1 | 2,446 | 13.6% | 7.35 | +635 |
| 2-0 | 1,267 | 7.1% | 14.08 | +1308 |
| 0-2 | 1,104 | 6.2% | 16.13 | +1513 |
| 2-1 | 1,034 | 5.8% | 17.24 | +1624 |
| 1-2 | 960 | 5.4% | 18.52 | +1752 |
| 2-2 | 435 | 2.4% | 41.67 | +4067 |
| 3-0 | 353 | 2.0% | 50.00 | +4900 |
Fair odds = 1 / share, no margin.
What I take from this is that the stalemate is the favourite score without dominating the market. A fair 5.41 on 0-0 against 6.10 on 1-0 is a narrow gap. If a price on 0-0 is shorter than the fair figure, the bookmaker's margin and the matchup are doing all the work. The home edge also shows up early: 1-0 is ahead of 0-1, and 2-0 at 7.1% is ahead of 0-2 at 6.2%.
Period 2One goal is the most common first-period total
Group the scores by total goals and the picture changes. 18.5% of first periods had no goals, but 31.2% had exactly one and 26.9% had two. Three-goal periods made up 14.6% and four or more 8.8%. So 0-0 tops the correct-score table only because one-goal and two-goal periods are split across several different scorelines.
View the data: goals in the first period
| Share of games by first-period total | |
|---|---|
| 0 goals | 18.5% |
| 1 goal | 31.2% |
| 2 goals | 26.9% |
| 3 goals | 14.6% |
| 4+ goals | 8.8% |
For the totals market, Over 0.5 first-period goals landed 81.5% of the time and Over 1.5 50.3%. The 1.5 line is effectively a coin flip at league level. That makes it the line where matchup detail matters most: goaltending form, power-play strength and shot quality in the opening frame.
Period 3Scoreless first periods became rarer from the late 2010s
This chart follows 0-0 after 20 minutes against Over 1.5 first-period goals, season by season. The stalemate rose to a peak of 23.1% in 2015-16, when Over 1.5 fell to 42.4%. From 2018-19 the two lines moved apart. 0-0 dropped to 16.1% and Over 1.5 rose to 54%.
2014-15 is not in the goal-event data. 2012-13 and 2020-21 were shortened seasons.
View the data: first period: 0-0 vs 2+ goals
| 0-0 after 20 minutes | Over 1.5 first-period goals | |
|---|---|---|
| 2010-11 | 18.7% | 48.0% |
| 2011-12 | 19.7% | 45.9% |
| 2012-13 | 21.4% | 46.0% |
| 2013-14 | 21.6% | 46.7% |
| 2015-16 | 23.1% | 42.4% |
| 2016-17 | 20.7% | 45.8% |
| 2017-18 | 19.0% | 50.9% |
| 2018-19 | 16.1% | 54.0% |
| 2019-20 | 16.1% | 53.5% |
| 2020-21 | 17.7% | 48.8% |
| 2021-22 | 16.7% | 54.0% |
| 2022-23 | 15.6% | 54.6% |
| 2023-24 | 16.8% | 54.1% |
| 2024-25 | 17.6% | 52.5% |
| 2025-26 | 17.7% | 53.7% |
The endpoints are 18.7% for 0-0 in 2010-11 and 17.7% in 2025-26, while Over 1.5 went from 48.0% to 53.7%. I give the recent seasons more weight than the full-sample average. Note that 2014-15 is missing from the goal-event data, and 2012-13 and 2020-21 were shortened seasons.
Period 4The intermission score splits low and high totals
This is the chart I use most. It shows the official final total, including the overtime goal or shootout credit, for each first-period state. Of the 3,311 games that were 0-0 after one, 54.5% finished with 4 or fewer goals and only 13.5% reached 7 or more. Games level with goals behaved very differently. Of those 2,907, 52.7% finished on 7 or more and just 11.5% stayed at 4 or fewer.
View the data: what the first period says about the final total
| 4 or fewer | 5-6 goals | 7 or more | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home leads (6,219) | 21.1% | 34.2% | 44.7% |
| Level 0-0 (3,311) | 54.5% | 32.0% | 13.5% |
| Level, with goals (2,907) | 11.5% | 35.8% | 52.7% |
| Away leads (5,484) | 20.7% | 35.0% | 44.3% |
Games 0-0 after 20 minutes averaged 4.24 final goals, against 6.61 for games level with goals. When either side led, the split sat between those two extremes. A home lead produced 7 or more 44.7% of the time and an away lead 44.3%. For live totals, the state at the first intermission carries real information, and I would not reset my view on the total at the start of the second period.
Full-time verdict
The fair price on a goalless first period is 5.41 from an 18.5% base rate. If the quoted price is shorter, you need a specific matchup reason, such as two hot goaltenders, before you take it.
At 50.3% over the full sample, and above 50% in most recent seasons, the league rate alone gives no edge on this line. Base your decision on the matchup, not the average.
A 0-0 first period led to 4 or fewer total goals 54.5% of the time, while a period level with goals led to 7 or more 52.7% of the time. Adjust your live totals view to match.
Questions bettors ask
What is the most common NHL first-period score?
0-0 is the most common, occurring in 18.5% of 17,921 regular-season games. It is followed by 1-0 at 16.4% and 0-1 at 14.9%.
How often does an NHL first period have over 1.5 goals?
Over 1.5 first-period goals landed 50.3% of the time across the sample. That rose from 48.0% in 2010-11 to 53.7% in 2025-26.
Does a 0-0 first period mean a low-scoring game?
Usually, yes. Games 0-0 after 20 minutes averaged 4.24 final goals and finished with 4 or fewer 54.5% of the time. These are league base rates, though, and every first-period market is priced on the specific matchup.
I'm Min-jun Park, and I cover ice hockey score predictions at correct-score.vip โ focusing on special teams, goaltending and the metrics that actually drive results.
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