Hockey Newbie question. What does "special teams" mean in hockey?

[It's Jacquot eh!]

I'm reading my Sporting News preview today on my lunch break, and they rate every team 1-5 stars on

1. Offense
2. Defense
3. Goaltending
4. Coaching/Mgmt
5. Special Teams

I get the first four, but what is considered special teams in hockey? Are they talking about the players they use for OT shoot outs?

Please ease my troubled mind and lend me guidance???

 

[Pocket Protecktor]

They play goalie without a mask...

 

[bryanmccarey]

Jackquot special teams are penalty killers, short bench riders they are called also, power play units, sometimes the fourth line because they beat and wear down the other top lines, they can include special players like Brett Hull used to have in his contract no hitting clause which means he didn't have to hit the other players just shoot the puck because he was so skilled at scoring. Only punks would have this in their contracts
The best players know its a team game Mario Lemieux was the best hockey player in the world they say Gretsky but no Mario never had it in his contract because hes not a punk. You go out and play every facet of the game not just what you want. Its like saying in road hockey if I can't have it my way I'm taking my ball and going home.

 

[Lulu]

the only thing i could do is give you sandwich.. with jalapenos

happy lunch..

Juguar Jones.. ill chop your head off..

 

[Leafsfan29-Go Canada Go]

Powerplay and Penalty Kill situations.

Look at a team's effectiveness on the power play and on the penalty kill.

A PP% over 20% is typically pretty good, while a PK under 80%...said team can destroy themselves with taking penalties.

 

[Jaguar Jones is uncouth]

it means the power play lines (meaning when you have at least one extra dude on the ice then the other team does do to a player on the other side getting a penality)

and/Or

Its means the penalty kill... (meaning whne you are down a man for the same reason)

also

yes the players in OT are specialteams as well b/c they play 4 on 4 rather then 5 on 5