The generally accepted definition of a .500 record is simple: equal wins and losses. If we were to go, instead by the NHL’s definition and look only at first two columns in the NHL standings while ignoring the OT column (as I did in my editor-scrutinized tweet) then just six of league’s 31 teams (Vancouver, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Chicago, St. Louis and Los Angeles) would have been below .500 heading into Monday’s slate of games. In this format, a team is rewarded with a win in the win column when it defeats an opponent in overtime or a shootout, but a loss in OT or a shootout goes in a separate column; not the loss column.

-Craig Morgan of The Athletic (paid) where you can read more on this subject.