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How does a power play work in ice hockey?

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ice hockey Goalie Marc-André Fleury of the Vegas Golden Knights blocking a shot by Jakub Vrána of the Washington Capitals in game five of the 2018 Stanley Cup finals. The Capitals won the game and the series.

In ice hockey, a power play is a situation where one team has more players on the ice than the opposing team due to a penalty.12

When a player commits a minor infraction, they are sent to the penalty box for two minutes, forcing their team to play shorthanded. During this time, the team with the numerical advantage is on a power play, providing them with a strategic opportunity to score. If the opposing team scores a goal while the penalized player is serving their time, that player is permitted to return to the ice, ending the power play early.2

It is important to note that icing—a rule where a team shoots the puck the length of the ice past the opponent's goal line—is not called against a team while they are shorthanded, allowing them to clear the puck without a stoppage in play.2