Hockey: soccer with sticks on steroids

I've never watched an entire hockey game in my life but I'm enjoying USA-Canada. Canada leads 2-1 at the end of two periods. How many periods are there, three? We'll find out ha ha. Anyway, very active, like soccer, nonstop action only with a shorter playing field, meaning in hockey there's more exchanges of opportunity. Exciting -- but I think the context makes this happen. I don't anticipate becoming an NHL fan.