2009 Stanley Cup playoffs
Encyclopedia
The 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League
began on April 15, 2009, after the 2008–09 regular season
. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference (the winner of each of the three divisions plus the 5 teams with highest point totals from the teams remaining), play a best-of-seven series for the conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the conference champions will play a best-of-seven series for the Stanley Cup
. The Columbus Blue Jackets
made their first appearance in the playoffs in their nine year history. Previously they had been the only franchise to have not made the playoffs. Also, home teams set a record by going 13-2 in the openers of all the series combined.
The Finals
ended on June 12, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Penguins
defeating the Detroit Red Wings
four games to three to win the championship. They became just the second team, after the 1971
Montreal Canadiens
, to win the championship after losing the first two games of the series on the road.
were the Western Conference
regular season champions and the Presidents' Trophy
winners with the best record at 117 points. The Boston Bruins
earned a number 1 seed in the Eastern Conference
with 116 points.
*Montreal finished with exactly the same record as the Florida Panthers
(including number of wins), but garnered more points (the Canadiens with six, the Panthers with three) in the four game season series between them, to earn the 8th spot.
Boston swept Montreal, 4 games to 0, scoring at least four goals in each win. With the score tied 2–2 entering the third period of Game 1, Bruins captain Zdeno Chara
scored a power play goal at 11:15 and Phil Kessel
added an empty net score in the closing seconds to clinch the victory. Boston scored three power play goals, including two from Marc Savard
, en route to a 5–1 victory in Game 2. Game 3 resembled Game 1 in that both teams fought to a 2–2 tie midway through the game, but like the first contest the Bruins scored the go-ahead winning goal again. This time it was Michael Ryder
at 17:21 in the second period. Montreal scored in the first minute of Game 4 off the stick of Andrei Kostitsyn
, but Boston went on to dominate the rest of the game, grabbing two goals from Ryder in a 4–1 victory, to win the series.
The Washington Capitals overcame a 3 games to 1 deficit to win the series. The Rangers won Game 1 by a 4–3 score, with Brandon Dubinsky
scoring the game winner at 11:43 in the third period. Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau
benched starting goaltender Jose Theodore
and replaced him with Simeon Varlamov for Game 2, after Theodore allowed four goals on just 21 shots. The goaltending change was not immediately effective as New York netminder Henrik Lundqvist
stopped all 35 Washington shots to give the Rangers a 1–0 victory (with Ryan Callahan
providing the only tally) in the following game. Varlamov responded in Game 3 by stopping all 33 Ranger shots, and Alexander Semin
scored two goals, to give the Capitals a 4–0 victory. However, Lundqvist stopped 38 of 39 shots, including 10 of 11 from the stick of Alexander Ovechkin
, to give the Rangers a 2–1 victory in Game 4. In Game 5, the Capitals limited the Rangers to just 20 shots to win 4–0. Fourth liner Matt Bradley
scored two goals in the game and Lundquist was pulled after allowing four goals on 14 shots. Washington erupted in Game 6 to score five goals, including powerplay markers from Mike Green and Ovechkin, for a 5–3 victory. After Game 6, the league suspended Capitals forward Donald Brashear
for both a pre-game altercation with Rangers forward Colton Orr
and what was ruled to be a late hit on Blair Betts
, in which the Rangers center suffered an orbital eye socket fracture. Sergei Fedorov
scored the game-winning goal 15:01 into the third period in Game 7 to give the Capitals a 2–1 victory and eliminate the Rangers.
New Jersey won Game 1 with goaltender Martin Brodeur
stopping 18 of 19 shots and the Devils' top line playing phenomenally, with Zach Parise
and Patrik Elias
coming up with goals. . In Game 2, Tim Gleason
scored 2:40 into overtime for his first goal of the season to give Carolina a 2–1 victory. The game was a goaltending battle that saw Brodeur and Cam Ward
each stop over 30 shots Game 3 also went into overtime, but this time the Devils prevailed, 3–2, with Travis Zajac
scoring at 4:48 into the extra period. It appeared that Game 4 would also go into overtime, but it ended with an epic conclusion. Carolina led 3-0, but New Jersey rallied to tie the game in the third. Jussi Jokinen
proved to be the hero, as he scored on a deflection with 0.2 seconds of regulation to give the Hurricanes a 4–3 victory. This goal was the latest game winning regulation goal in Stanley Cup Playoff history. The next two games of the series were shutouts: Brodeur stopped 44 shots in a 1–0 victory for the Devils in Game 5 (with David Clarkson
providing the game's sole goal), while Cam Ward
stopped 28 shots and Eric Staal
scored twice in a 4–0 victory for Carolina in Game 6. The Hurricanes were behind for much of Game 7 but scored two goals inside the last 1:20 of the third period, one by Jokinen and the other by Staal, to win the contest, 4–3, and eliminate the Devils.
and 2000
).
Pittsburgh won the series over Philadelphia, four games to two. Sidney Crosby
scored a power play goal early in the first period of Game 1, sparking the Penguins to a 4–1 win against an undisciplined Flyers team that took 12 penalties. In Game 2, Bill Guerin
scored two goals including the game-winner during a five-on-three power play at 18:29 in overtime to give Pittsburgh a 3–2 victory. The Flyers bounced back in Game 3 with a 6–3 victory that featured two goals by Simon Gagne
. Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-André Fleury
stopped 45 shots and helped kill off nine Philadelphia power plays, while Tyler Kennedy
scored the game winner, to give Pittsburgh a 3–1 win in Game 4. Flyers goaltender Martin Biron
stopped all 28 shots, and Philadelphia got scoring from unlikely sources such as Arron Asham
, to give the Flyers a 3–0 victory in Game 5. Then in Game 6, Philadelphia jumped to a 3–0 lead in the second period and appeared to be on their way to force a Game 7. However, a fight between Philadelphia's Daniel Carcillo
and Pittsburgh's Max Talbot reenergized the Penguins, who erupted to score five unanswered goals, including two by Crosby, to win the game and the series.
and the California Seals. The San Jose Sharks entered the playoffs as the Presidents' Trophy
winner, earning the NHL's best regular season record with 117 points. The Anaheim Ducks earned 91 points to clinch the eighth playoff seed in the Western Conference.
The Ducks defeated the Sharks, 4 games to 2, to become just the fourth team (after the 1991 Minnesota North Stars
over the Chicago Blackhawks
, the 2000 Sharks over the St. Louis Blues, and the 2006 Edmonton Oilers
over the Detroit Red Wings
) to eliminate a Presidents' Trophy winner in the first round of the playoffs. Anaheim goaltender Jonas Hiller
earned two shutout victories in Games 1 and 4, stopping a total of 66 shots. Game 1 was deadlocked until a Scott Niedermayer
powerplay goal broke the ice at 5:18 in the third, while Game 4 was dominated by Anaheim and featured two goals from Bobby Ryan
Hiller also stopped 42 out of 44 shots in Game 2, as Drew Miller
picked up the game winner, and 36 out of 37 shots in a Game 6 that saw the Ducks produce powerplay goals from Corey Perry
and Teemu Selanne
. In total, Hiller allowed only 10 goals in the series. For the Sharks, Dan Boyle scored 2 goals in Game 3 to give San Jose a 4–3 win in that contest, while Patrick Marleau
scored the game-winning goal in Game 5 to give the Sharks a 3–2 overtime victory. However, back in Anaheim for Game 6, the Ducks grabbed goals from big name players like Selanne and Perry, dominating the Sharks to win the game 4–1, and winning the series 4 games to 2.
The Red Wings swept the Blue Jackets, 4 games to 0. Detroit scored four goals in each of the first three games of the series, while goaltender Chris Osgood
only allowed two total goals out of 78 Columbus shots in those three games, including a shutout victory in Game 2. Jiri Hudler
broke the ice at 10:48 in the second period for the Game 1 win. Detroit picked up powerplay goals from Brian Rafalski
, Niklas Kronwall
, and Hudler in Game 2. Henrik Zetterberg
scored twice in a Game 3 victory
Game 4 proved to be the most competitive contest of the series. Nicklas Lidstrom
scored a power play goal early in the first period to give the Red Wings the lead before Kristian Huselius
tied the score about three minutes later on a power play goal of his own. Tomas Holmstrom
and Dan Cleary
then scored to give Detroit a 3–1 lead before the end of the opening period. Columbus fought to tie the score again at 5:38 of the second period with goals by Rick Nash
and R. J. Umberger
, but the Red Wings Marian Hossa
answered with two consecutive goals to give his team a two goal lead again. The Blue Jackets then rallied to tie the score, 5–5, by the closing minutes of the second period with scores by Kris Russell
and Fredrik Modin
. The third period remained scoreless until the closing minutes of regulation. With less than two minutes left, the Blue Jackets were called for too many men on the ice, which enabled Johan Franzen
to score the series winning power play goal with 46.6 seconds remaining.
Vancouver swept St. Louis, 4 games to 0, their first sweep of a best-of-seven series in franchise history, to move on to the second round. The Canucks held off the Blues in Game 1, winning 2–1 by gaining goals from Daniel Sedin
and Sami Salo
and killing off a long Blues 5-on-3 power play midway through the first period. Vancouver then shutout St. Louis in Game 2, 3–0, with goaltender Roberto Luongo
stopping all 30 Blues shots and Mats Sundin
providing the game winning goal. The Blues were hoping to gain momentum when the series shifted to St. Louis for Game 3, but Vancouver held on to a 3–2 win off of 3 power play goals, with Mattias Ohlund
, Sedin, and Steve Bernier
providing the man-advantage tallies. In Game 4, Brad Boyes
and David Perron
helped St. Louis to tie the game after falling behind early. However, Alexandre Burrows
scored with 18.9 seconds left in the first overtime period to give the Canucks a 3-2 victory and the four-game sweep.
Chicago won the series over Calgary, four games to two, with the home team winning the first five games of the series. Martin Havlat
scored the game-winning goal 12 seconds into overtime to win Game 1 for the Blackhawks, 3–2. Then in Game 2, Chicago overcame a 2-goal deficit by scoring 3 goals in the second period, including a pair from Jonathan Toews
, to win 3–2. When the series shifted to Calgary for Game 3, David Moss scored two goals to help the Flames earn a 4–2 victory. In Game 4, Calgary scored 6 goals, including 2 each by their top stars Jarome Iginla
and Olli Jokinen
, to win 6–4. The Blackhawks responded in Game 5 by exploding to a 5–1 victory, going up 3-0 after one period with goals from Brent Seabrook
, Patrick Sharp
, and Kris Versteeg
, and limiting the Flames to 20 shots on goal. Chicago defeated Calgary, 4–1, in Game 6 to win the series, with Patrick Kane
providing the early game winner and goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin
stopping 43 out of 44 shots.
, at least three Conference semi-final series extended to seven games.
. Marc Savard
scored two goals to help give the Bruins a 4–1 victory in Game 1, but the Hurricanes won the next three games of the series. First, Carolina goaltender Cam Ward
stopped all 36 shots and Matt Cullen
provided a shorthanded marker in a 3–0 victory in Game 2. Next, Jussi Jokinen
scored at 2:48 into overtime of Game 3 to give the Hurricanes a 3–2 victory. In Game 4, Eric Staal
scored two goals and Ward stopped 18 out of only 19 shots en route to a 4–1 victory. However, Phil Kessel
scored two goals and goaltender Tim Thomas
stopped all 19 shots to give Boston a 4–0 victory in Game 5. Thomas then stopped 31 out of 33 shots and Mark Recchi
provided an early game winner to help the Bruins win 4–2 in Game 6. The Hurricanes led Game 7 after two periods, but Milan Lucic
tied the game at 6:19 in the third. However, Scott Walker scored the game-winning goal at 18:46 into the first overtime period to give the Hurricanes a 3–2 victory and the series.
provided a decisive third period goal in a 3–2 victory. Then in Game 2, both the Penguins' Sidney Crosby
and the Capitals' Alexander Ovechkin
each earned hat tricks, but David Steckel's goal in the second period ultimately made the difference in Washington's 4–3 win. However, Pittsburgh went on to win three straight games. Late in the third period of Game 3, Evgeni Malkin
appeared to have the game winning powerplay marker for the Penguins, but Nicklas Backstrom
tied the game on a Washington powerplay at 18:10. Kris Letang's game-winning goal at 11:23 into overtime gave the Penguins a 3–2 win. Pittsburgh then erupted to score 3 goals in the first period, coming from the sticks of Sergei Gonchar
, Bill Guerin
, and Ruslan Fedotenko
, en route to a 5–3 victory in Game 4. The Penguins also had another overtime victory in Game 5, with Evgeni Malkin
scoring this time on a power play at 3:28 into the extra period for a 4–3 win. The Capitals rebounded in Game 6 with an overtime victory of their own, as David Steckel scored at 6:22 into the extra period to give Washington a 5–4 win.
In Game 7, Varlamov, who had posted a 2.21 GAA and two shutouts in the playoffs, was pulled in the second period as the Penguins took a 4–0 lead only 2:13 into the second period. At the time that Varlamov was replaced by Jose Theodore
, Pittsburgh had outshot Washington 18–5. The Penguins won 6-2 in dominating fashion, picking up a pair of goals from Crosby, to close out the series.
Crosby finished the series with thirteen points—one fewer than Ovechkin's fourteen points, which was the highest single-series point total since the 1995 Stanley Cup playoffs
.
, after eliminating the Anaheim Ducks in seven games. This Conference Semifinal match up featured the last two winners of the Stanley Cup, with Anaheim and Detroit winning the Cup in 2007
and 2008
respectively. This also marked the fifth series the two teams faced each other in since their first encounter in 1997. Both teams had one two series' each with the Wings winning in 1997 and 1999, and the Ducks winning in 2003 and 2007.
In Game 1, Nicklas Lidstrom
scored two goals, including the game-winner with about 49 seconds left in regulation to break a 2–2 tie to give the Red Wings the victory. Anaheim's Todd Marchant
scored at 1:15 into triple overtime of Game 2 to give the Ducks a 4–3 victory, after goaltender Jonas Hiller
stopped 59 Red Wing shots. Game 3 then ended in controversy: Anaheim was nursing a 2–1 lead with 1:04 remaining in the third period, aided by Hiller's eventual 45 saves and goals from Teemu Selanne
and Scott Neidermayer. Detroit's Marian Hossa
appeared to have scored the game-tying goal, but referee Brad Watson blew the play dead after losing sight of the puck and the Ducks held on to win the game. Despite the controversial call, the Red Wings bounced back to even the series in Game 4, with Hossa and Johan Franzen
scoring 2 goals apiece en route to a 6–3 victory. Detroit then went on to win Game 5, 4–1, with Franzen and Jiri Hudler
scoring just 39 seconds apart in the second period to provide the game's first goals. In Game 6, goaltender Jonas Hiller stopped 38 out of 39 shots as Ryan Getzlaf
and Cory Perry each scored to give the Ducks a 2–1 victory. In Game 7, Bobby Ryan
pulled the Ducks into a 3-3 tie at 7:37 of the third period. However, Red Wings forward Dan Cleary
scored the game-winning goal with 3:00 left in regulation after Hiller lost sight of the puck behind him and pushed it over the goal line, to give the Red Wings a 4–3 victory and the series.
. This was just the third time that these two teams faced each other in the playoffs. In 1982, the Canucks eliminated the Blackhawks in five games in the Campbell Conference final, while the Blackhawks won a 1995 conference semifinals series in a four game sweep.The Hawks finished the regular season with 4 more points than the Canucks. However, since the Canucks won their division and the Blackhawks did not, Vancouver had Home ice for the series
Sami Salo
scored at 18:47 in the third period of Game 1 to break a 3–3 tie, giving the Canucks an eventual 5–3 win. The Blackhawks bounced back in Game 2, overcoming a 2–0 deficit in the second period to go on to a 6–3 victory, with Patrick Sharp
and Dave Bolland scoring two goals each. Vancouver regained the series lead in Game 3, with goaltender Roberto Luongo
stopping 23 out of 24 shots and Steve Bernier
providing a powerplay goal to earn a 3–1 victory. However, Chicago went on to win the next three games to close the series. First, Martin Havlat
tied Game 4 at 17:16 in the third period and Andrew Ladd
scoring at 2:52 into overtime to give the Blackhawks a 2–1 victory. Dustin Byfuglien
then scored two goals en route to a 4–2 Chicago win in Game 5. Finally, the Blackhawks won a high-scoring Game 6, 7–5, with Patrick Kane
earning a hat trick, as the Blackhawks reached the Conference Finals for the first time since 1995.
and Evgeni Malkin
, before Philippe Boucher
added a third period power play goal. Marc-Andre Fleury
made a sprawling save on an Eric Staal
one-timer in the closing seconds to allow the Penguins to hang on for a 3–2 victory. Game 2 featured offensive assaults by both teams. Patrick Eaves
tied the game for Carolina early in the third period, but Malkin responded by scoring two highlight reel markers to complete a hat trick en route to a 7–4 win. In Game 3, Malkin had 2 goals and an assist in a 6–2 victory. Carolina outplayed Pittsburgh for much of Game 4 and got off to a hot start when Staal scored on a wrap around move. However, the Penguins scored 4 unanswered goals, including a Max Talbot tally that ricocheted stranglely off of goaltender Cam Ward
to let the Penguins take the lead late in the opening frame, as they picked up a 4–1 win.
scored two goals en route to a 5–2 Detroit victory in Game 1. In Game 2, Jonathan Toews
scored two Chicago goals, including one that tied the game at 12:20 in the third period. However, Mikael Samuelsson
scored at 5:14 into overtime to give the Red Wings a 3–2 win. Chicago bounced back in Game 3 with a 4–3 win of Patrick Sharp
's overtime goal at 1:52 into the extra period. The Blackhawks took an early 3-0 lead in the game but saw Detroit bounce back with three goals from defencemen in the second period. During the game, Blackhawks goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin
was injured and replaced for the third period and overtime by Cristobal Huet
. The game also featured a controversial hit from Nicklas Kronwall that injured star Chicago winger Martin Havlat
. Detroit dominated Game 4, winning 6–1, with Marian Hossa
and Henrik Zetterberg
each tallying a pair of goals. Game 5 was an exhibition in goaltending with Chris Osgood
and Cristobal Huet
each making a variety of spectacular saves. However, Darren Helm
proved to be the eventual hero, scoring at 3:58 into overtime to give the Red Wings a 2–1 win and the series.
broadcast games three and four. In Canada, all games of the Final were broadcast in English on the CBC
's Hockey Night in Canada
and in French on the cable network RDS
.
The CBC featured a new broadcast team calling the series: Jim Hughson
and Craig Simpson
.
GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/– = Plus/minus
; PIM = Penalty minutes
and the top five goaltenders based on save percentage
with at least 420 minutes played. The table is sorted by GAA, and the criteria for inclusion is bolded.
GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; SA = Shots against; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; SV% = Save percentage; SO = Shutouts; TOI = Time on ice (minutes:seconds)
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
began on April 15, 2009, after the 2008–09 regular season
2008–09 NHL season
The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...
. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference (the winner of each of the three divisions plus the 5 teams with highest point totals from the teams remaining), play a best-of-seven series for the conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the conference champions will play a best-of-seven series for the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
. The Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
made their first appearance in the playoffs in their nine year history. Previously they had been the only franchise to have not made the playoffs. Also, home teams set a record by going 13-2 in the openers of all the series combined.
The Finals
2009 Stanley Cup Finals
The Red Wings took Game 1, 3–1, as three different Detroit players scored goals off of unusual bounces. The first period featured back and forth action, with each team having a variety of chances...
ended on June 12, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
defeating the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
four games to three to win the championship. They became just the second team, after the 1971
1971 Stanley Cup Finals
-References:...
Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
, to win the championship after losing the first two games of the series on the road.
Playoff seeds
After the regular season, the standard of 16 teams qualified for the playoffs. The San Jose SharksSan Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
were the Western Conference
Western Conference (NHL)
The Western Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Eastern Conference....
regular season champions and the Presidents' Trophy
Presidents' Trophy
The Presidents' Trophy is an award presented by the National Hockey League to the team that finishes with the most points in the league during the regular season. If two teams tie for the most points, then the trophy goes to the team with the most wins. The winning team is also awarded C$350,000...
winners with the best record at 117 points. The Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
earned a number 1 seed in the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (NHL)
The Eastern Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Western Conference....
with 116 points.
Eastern Conference
- Boston BruinsBoston BruinsThe Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
– Northeast DivisionNortheast Division (NHL)The NHL's Northeast Division was formed in 1993 as part of the Eastern Conference in a league realignment, the predecessor of which was the Adams Division...
champions and Eastern Conference regular season champions, 116 points - Washington CapitalsWashington CapitalsThe Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
– Southeast DivisionSoutheast Division (NHL)The NHL's Southeast Division was formed in 1998 as part of the Eastern Conference due to expansion.The Southeast Division is the only one of the six divisions that does not have a precursor from the Wales/Campbell conference era ....
champions, 108 points - New Jersey DevilsNew Jersey DevilsThe New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
– Atlantic DivisionAtlantic Division (NHL)The NHL's Atlantic Division was formed in 1993 as part of the Eastern Conference in a league realignment, the predecessor of which was the Patrick Division. It is the only division in the NHL where all of its current members have won the Stanley Cup at least twice, though only three teams have won...
champions, 106 points - Pittsburgh PenguinsPittsburgh PenguinsThe Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
– 99 points - Philadelphia FlyersPhiladelphia FlyersThe Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
– 99 points - Carolina HurricanesCarolina HurricanesThe Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
– 97 points - New York RangersNew York RangersThe New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
– 95 points - Montreal CanadiensMontreal CanadiensThe Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
– 93 points*
*Montreal finished with exactly the same record as the Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
(including number of wins), but garnered more points (the Canadiens with six, the Panthers with three) in the four game season series between them, to earn the 8th spot.
Western Conference
- San Jose SharksSan Jose SharksThe San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
– Pacific DivisionPacific Division (NHL)The National Hockey League's Pacific Division is one of three divisions that make up the Western Conference. It was formed in 1993 as part of a league realignment...
champions, Western Conference regular season champions and President's Trophy winners, 117 points - Detroit Red WingsDetroit Red WingsThe Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
– Central DivisionCentral Division (NHL)The NHL's Central Division was formed in 1993 as part of the Western Conference in a league realignment, the predecessor of which was the Norris Division.The Central Division consists of the Western Conference's easternmost teams.-Current lineup:...
champions, 112 points - Vancouver CanucksVancouver CanucksThe Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
– Northwest DivisionNorthwest Division (NHL)The NHL's Northwest Division was formed in 1998 as part of the Western Conference due to expansion. Like the Pacific Division, the Northwest Division is also a descendant of the former Smythe Division, as three of its Canadian teams played in that division from 1981–1993...
champions, 100 points - Chicago BlackhawksChicago BlackhawksThe Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
– 104 points - Calgary FlamesCalgary FlamesThe Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
– 98 points - St. Louis Blues – 92 points
- Columbus Blue JacketsColumbus Blue JacketsThe Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
– 92 points - Anaheim DucksAnaheim DucksThe Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
– 91 points
Playoff bracket
In each round, the highest remaining seed in each conference is matched against the lowest remaining seed. The higher-seeded team is awarded home ice advantage, which gives them a possible maximum of four games on their home ice, with the lower-seeded team getting a possible maximum of three. In the Stanley Cup Finals, home ice is determined based on regular season points. Thus, the Detroit Red Wings had home ice advantage in the Stanley Cup Finals. Each best-of-seven series followed a 2–2–1–1–1 format. This means that the higher-seeded team had home ice for games 1 and 2 and if necessary, 5 and 7, while the lower-seeded team had home ice for games 3, 4, and if necessary, game 6.(1) Boston Bruins vs. (8) Montreal Canadiens
For an NHL-record 32nd time, the Bruins and Canadiens were facing each other. The Boston Bruins entered the playoffs after finishing the regular season with the best record in the Eastern Conference with 116 points. The Montreal Canadiens qualified for the postseason as the eighth seed with 93 points, winning the tiebreaker over the Florida Panthers based on the season series (6 points to 3).Boston swept Montreal, 4 games to 0, scoring at least four goals in each win. With the score tied 2–2 entering the third period of Game 1, Bruins captain Zdeno Chara
Zdeno Chára
Zdeno Chára is a Slovak professional ice hockey defenseman. He is the captain of the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League and won the Norris Trophy while playing for them in 2008–09. At 6 ft 9 , he is the tallest player ever to play in the NHL...
scored a power play goal at 11:15 and Phil Kessel
Phil Kessel
Philip Joseph Kessel, Jr. is an American professional ice hockey forward, and an alternate captain for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League . Kessel is a product of USA Hockey's National Development Team and became that program's all-time leader for goals and points in his final...
added an empty net score in the closing seconds to clinch the victory. Boston scored three power play goals, including two from Marc Savard
Marc Savard
Marc Savard is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre currently under contract to the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League , but who has not played since late in the season because of post-concussion syndrome...
, en route to a 5–1 victory in Game 2. Game 3 resembled Game 1 in that both teams fought to a 2–2 tie midway through the game, but like the first contest the Bruins scored the go-ahead winning goal again. This time it was Michael Ryder
Michael Ryder
Michael Wayne Glen Ryder is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who plays for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League. He was born in St John's, Newfoundland.-Pre-NHL:...
at 17:21 in the second period. Montreal scored in the first minute of Game 4 off the stick of Andrei Kostitsyn
Andrei Kostitsyn
Andrej Aliehavič Kaścicyn , better known as Andrei Kostitsyn, is a Belarusian professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League . The media have nicknamed him AK-46, a play on his initials and player number in reference to the Soviet AK-47...
, but Boston went on to dominate the rest of the game, grabbing two goals from Ryder in a 4–1 victory, to win the series.
(2) Washington Capitals vs. (7) New York Rangers
The Washington Capitals entered the playoffs as the second seed in the Eastern Conference after winning the Southeast Division with 108 points. The New York Rangers earned the seventh seed with 95 points.The Washington Capitals overcame a 3 games to 1 deficit to win the series. The Rangers won Game 1 by a 4–3 score, with Brandon Dubinsky
Brandon Dubinsky
Brandon Dubinsky is an American professional ice hockey player currently playing for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
scoring the game winner at 11:43 in the third period. Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau
Bruce Boudreau
Bruce Allan Boudreau is a Canadian professional ice hockey head coach and current head coach of the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League . As a player, Boudreau played professionally for 20 seasons, logging 141 games in the NHL and 30 games in the World Hockey Association...
benched starting goaltender Jose Theodore
José Théodore
José Théodore is a French Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League...
and replaced him with Simeon Varlamov for Game 2, after Theodore allowed four goals on just 21 shots. The goaltending change was not immediately effective as New York netminder Henrik Lundqvist
Henrik Lundqvist
Henrik Lundqvist is a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . He was nominated for the Vezina Trophy in his first three seasons in the NHL, finishing third all three times, and is the only goaltender in NHL history to record 30 wins in...
stopped all 35 Washington shots to give the Rangers a 1–0 victory (with Ryan Callahan
Ryan Callahan
Ryan Callahan is an American ice hockey forward and captain of the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:Callahan played one year of high school hockey for Hilton High School...
providing the only tally) in the following game. Varlamov responded in Game 3 by stopping all 33 Ranger shots, and Alexander Semin
Alexander Semin
Alexander Valerievich Semin , also known by fans as The Great 28, The Other Alex, or most commonly known as Sasha, is a Russian professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Washington Capitals in the National Hockey League ....
scored two goals, to give the Capitals a 4–0 victory. However, Lundqvist stopped 38 of 39 shots, including 10 of 11 from the stick of Alexander Ovechkin
Alexander Ovechkin
Alexander Mikhaylovich Ovechkin is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger and captain of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League...
, to give the Rangers a 2–1 victory in Game 4. In Game 5, the Capitals limited the Rangers to just 20 shots to win 4–0. Fourth liner Matt Bradley
Matt Bradley
Matthew William Bradley is a Canadian professional hockey right winger who plays for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
scored two goals in the game and Lundquist was pulled after allowing four goals on 14 shots. Washington erupted in Game 6 to score five goals, including powerplay markers from Mike Green and Ovechkin, for a 5–3 victory. After Game 6, the league suspended Capitals forward Donald Brashear
Donald Brashear
Donald Brashear is an American-Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who is currently a member of the Rivière-du-Loup CIMT in the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey . He previously played for five organizations in the National Hockey League . His main role is that of an enforcer. He was...
for both a pre-game altercation with Rangers forward Colton Orr
Colton Orr
Colton Douglas Orr is a Canadian professional ice hockey player, currently playing in the National Hockey League for the Toronto Maple Leafs.- Playing career :...
and what was ruled to be a late hit on Blair Betts
Blair Betts
Blair Betts is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who currently plays for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, in which the Rangers center suffered an orbital eye socket fracture. Sergei Fedorov
Sergei Fedorov
Sergei Viktorovich Fedorov is a Russian professional ice hockey forward and occasional defenceman...
scored the game-winning goal 15:01 into the third period in Game 7 to give the Capitals a 2–1 victory and eliminate the Rangers.
(3) New Jersey Devils vs. (6) Carolina Hurricanes
The New Jersey Devils entered the playoffs as the third seed in the Eastern Conference after winning the Atlantic Division with 106 points. The Carolina Hurricanes earned the sixth seed with 97 points.New Jersey won Game 1 with goaltender Martin Brodeur
Martin Brodeur
Martin Pierre Brodeur is a French-Canadian ice hockey goaltender who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the New Jersey Devils. In his 19-year tenure with the Devils, he has won three Stanley Cup championships and has been in the playoffs every year but two...
stopping 18 of 19 shots and the Devils' top line playing phenomenally, with Zach Parise
Zach Parise
Zachary Justin Parise is an American professional ice hockey left winger of French-Canadian origin and captain of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League . Parise's father, J. P...
and Patrik Elias
Patrik Elias
Patrik Eliáš is a Czech professional hockey left winger and alternate captain for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League . A long-time Devil and currently the team's longest-tenured skater, Eliáš is the franchise's all-time leading scorer, while also holding franchise records for most...
coming up with goals. . In Game 2, Tim Gleason
Tim Gleason
Timothy Gleason is an American professional ice hockey defenseman and an alternate captain of the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
scored 2:40 into overtime for his first goal of the season to give Carolina a 2–1 victory. The game was a goaltending battle that saw Brodeur and Cam Ward
Cam Ward
Cameron Kenneth Ward is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League . Born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, he was raised in Sherwood Park, Alberta...
each stop over 30 shots Game 3 also went into overtime, but this time the Devils prevailed, 3–2, with Travis Zajac
Travis Zajac
Travis Zajac is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League . He was selected 20th overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the New Jersey Devils....
scoring at 4:48 into the extra period. It appeared that Game 4 would also go into overtime, but it ended with an epic conclusion. Carolina led 3-0, but New Jersey rallied to tie the game in the third. Jussi Jokinen
Jussi Jokinen
Jussi Jokinen is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League...
proved to be the hero, as he scored on a deflection with 0.2 seconds of regulation to give the Hurricanes a 4–3 victory. This goal was the latest game winning regulation goal in Stanley Cup Playoff history. The next two games of the series were shutouts: Brodeur stopped 44 shots in a 1–0 victory for the Devils in Game 5 (with David Clarkson
David Clarkson (ice hockey)
David Clarkson is a Canadian ice hockey forward who currently plays for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League. Clarkson won a Memorial Cup in 2003 with the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League.- Playing career :...
providing the game's sole goal), while Cam Ward
Cam Ward
Cameron Kenneth Ward is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League . Born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, he was raised in Sherwood Park, Alberta...
stopped 28 shots and Eric Staal
Eric Staal
Eric Craig Staal is a Canadian ice hockey player and the captain of the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League...
scored twice in a 4–0 victory for Carolina in Game 6. The Hurricanes were behind for much of Game 7 but scored two goals inside the last 1:20 of the third period, one by Jokinen and the other by Staal, to win the contest, 4–3, and eliminate the Devils.
(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (5) Philadelphia Flyers
The Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers qualified for the playoffs as the fourth and fifth seeds in the Eastern Conference, respectively. Both finished the regular season with 99 points, but the Penguins won the tiebreaker based on total wins (45 to 44). The Penguins and Flyers had previously met in the previous season's Eastern Conference Finals, with the Penguins winning 4-1. It was the Penguins first win against the Flyers, having lost against them in three previous series (1989, 19971997 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 1997 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League , began in April, 1997, following the 1996–97 NHL season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-seven series for conference quarter-finals, semi-finals and championships, and then...
and 2000
2000 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2000 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League , began in April, and concluded in June. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the conference champions ...
).
Pittsburgh won the series over Philadelphia, four games to two. Sidney Crosby
Sidney Crosby
Sidney Patrick Crosby ONS is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League . Crosby was drafted first overall by the Penguins out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League...
scored a power play goal early in the first period of Game 1, sparking the Penguins to a 4–1 win against an undisciplined Flyers team that took 12 penalties. In Game 2, Bill Guerin
Bill Guerin
William Robert Guerin is an American former professional ice hockey player and current player development coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Guerin played eighteen seasons in the National Hockey League winning two Stanley Cup championships with the New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins teams...
scored two goals including the game-winner during a five-on-three power play at 18:29 in overtime to give Pittsburgh a 3–2 victory. The Flyers bounced back in Game 3 with a 6–3 victory that featured two goals by Simon Gagne
Simon Gagné
Simon Gagné is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League . Prior to Los Angeles, he spent the first 10 seasons of his NHL career with the Philadelphia Flyers and another with the Tampa Bay Lightning.Drafted out of the Quebec Major Junior...
. Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-André Fleury
Marc-Andre Fleury
Marc-André Fleury is a French Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League...
stopped 45 shots and helped kill off nine Philadelphia power plays, while Tyler Kennedy
Tyler Kennedy
Tyler Kennedy is a Canadian professional ice hockey player, currently with the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
scored the game winner, to give Pittsburgh a 3–1 win in Game 4. Flyers goaltender Martin Biron
Martin Biron
Martin Gaston Biron is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . He has also played professionally for the Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers, and New York Islanders...
stopped all 28 shots, and Philadelphia got scoring from unlikely sources such as Arron Asham
Arron Asham
Arron Asham is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, to give the Flyers a 3–0 victory in Game 5. Then in Game 6, Philadelphia jumped to a 3–0 lead in the second period and appeared to be on their way to force a Game 7. However, a fight between Philadelphia's Daniel Carcillo
Daniel Carcillo
Daniel Carcillo is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
and Pittsburgh's Max Talbot reenergized the Penguins, who erupted to score five unanswered goals, including two by Crosby, to win the game and the series.
(1) San Jose Sharks vs. (8) Anaheim Ducks
The series between the Sharks and Ducks was just the second time in NHL history two California teams were facing each other in the playoffs. The first series was in 1969 between the Los Angeles KingsLos Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
and the California Seals. The San Jose Sharks entered the playoffs as the Presidents' Trophy
Presidents' Trophy
The Presidents' Trophy is an award presented by the National Hockey League to the team that finishes with the most points in the league during the regular season. If two teams tie for the most points, then the trophy goes to the team with the most wins. The winning team is also awarded C$350,000...
winner, earning the NHL's best regular season record with 117 points. The Anaheim Ducks earned 91 points to clinch the eighth playoff seed in the Western Conference.
The Ducks defeated the Sharks, 4 games to 2, to become just the fourth team (after the 1991 Minnesota North Stars
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
over the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
, the 2000 Sharks over the St. Louis Blues, and the 2006 Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
over the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
) to eliminate a Presidents' Trophy winner in the first round of the playoffs. Anaheim goaltender Jonas Hiller
Jonas Hiller
Jonas Hiller is a Swiss professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
earned two shutout victories in Games 1 and 4, stopping a total of 66 shots. Game 1 was deadlocked until a Scott Niedermayer
Scott Niedermayer
Scott Niedermayer is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for two teams: the New Jersey Devils and the Anaheim Ducks. Niedermayer was known for his skating stride, and ability for leading or joining the offensive rush...
powerplay goal broke the ice at 5:18 in the third, while Game 4 was dominated by Anaheim and featured two goals from Bobby Ryan
Bobby Ryan
Bobby Ryan is a winger currently playing for the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan grew up in Collingswood, New Jersey.-Playing career:...
Hiller also stopped 42 out of 44 shots in Game 2, as Drew Miller
Drew Miller
Andrew Miller is an American professional ice hockey winger currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League ....
picked up the game winner, and 36 out of 37 shots in a Game 6 that saw the Ducks produce powerplay goals from Corey Perry
Corey Perry
Corey Perry is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger currently playing for the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League . Drafted out of the Ontario Hockey League , he captured a Memorial Cup with the London Knights and a gold medal with Team Canada at the World Junior Championships during...
and Teemu Selanne
Teemu Selänne
Teemu Ilmari Selänne nicknamed "The Finnish Flash" is a Finnish professional ice hockey winger, an alternate captain of the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League . An offensive player known for his skill and speed, Selanne has led the NHL in goal-scoring three times and has been named to...
. In total, Hiller allowed only 10 goals in the series. For the Sharks, Dan Boyle scored 2 goals in Game 3 to give San Jose a 4–3 win in that contest, while Patrick Marleau
Patrick Marleau
Patrick Denis Marleau is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League. He serves as the alternate captain for the Sharks during home games...
scored the game-winning goal in Game 5 to give the Sharks a 3–2 overtime victory. However, back in Anaheim for Game 6, the Ducks grabbed goals from big name players like Selanne and Perry, dominating the Sharks to win the game 4–1, and winning the series 4 games to 2.
(2) Detroit Red Wings vs. (7) Columbus Blue Jackets
The Detroit Red Wings, the defending Stanley Cup Champions, entered the playoffs as the second overall seed in the Western Conference, having clinched the Central Division title with 112 points. The Columbus Blue Jackets qualified for the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, clinching the seventh seed with 92 points but losing the tiebreaker over the St. Louis Blues with 3 points head-to-head versus 10.The Red Wings swept the Blue Jackets, 4 games to 0. Detroit scored four goals in each of the first three games of the series, while goaltender Chris Osgood
Chris Osgood
Christopher John Osgood is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He's currently ranked tenth in wins in NHL regular season history with 401 career wins. He spent the first part of his 17-year NHL career with the Detroit Red Wings, then the New York Islanders and the St. Louis...
only allowed two total goals out of 78 Columbus shots in those three games, including a shutout victory in Game 2. Jiri Hudler
Jiri Hudler
Jiří Hudler is a Czech professional ice hockey player with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League. After beginning his career in the Czech Extraliga with Vsetín, Hudler was drafted by the Red Wings in 2002 and won the Stanley Cup with the club in 2008...
broke the ice at 10:48 in the second period for the Game 1 win. Detroit picked up powerplay goals from Brian Rafalski
Brian Rafalski
Brian Christopher Rafalski is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman who played 15 professional ice hockey seasons for five teams: 11 in the National Hockey League for two teams , three in SM-liiga for two teams prior to entering the NHL, and one in Elitserien for...
, Niklas Kronwall
Niklas Kronwall
Niklas Kronwall is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman, an alternate captain for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League...
, and Hudler in Game 2. Henrik Zetterberg
Henrik Zetterberg
Henrik “Zäta" Zetterberg is a Swedish professional ice hockey center and alternate captain currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League...
scored twice in a Game 3 victory
Game 4 proved to be the most competitive contest of the series. Nicklas Lidstrom
Nicklas Lidström
Nicklas Erik Lidström is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenseman who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the Detroit Red Wings, and is their captain...
scored a power play goal early in the first period to give the Red Wings the lead before Kristian Huselius
Kristian Huselius
Kristian Huselius is a Swedish professional ice hockey player who currently plays for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League.-Early career:...
tied the score about three minutes later on a power play goal of his own. Tomas Holmstrom
Tomas Holmström
Tomas Holmström is a Swedish professional ice hockey left winger currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League , where he has won four Stanley Cup championships...
and Dan Cleary
Daniel Cleary
Daniel Cleary is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League. On June 4, 2008, Cleary became the first player from Newfoundland and Labrador to get his name on the Stanley Cup when the Red Wings won hockey's top prize...
then scored to give Detroit a 3–1 lead before the end of the opening period. Columbus fought to tie the score again at 5:38 of the second period with goals by Rick Nash
Rick Nash
Rick Nash is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger and captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League ....
and R. J. Umberger
R. J. Umberger
Richard Allen "R. J." Umberger, Jr. is an American professional ice hockey center and an alternate captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, but the Red Wings Marian Hossa
Marian Hossa
Marián Hossa is a Slovak professional ice hockey player who currently plays for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League . Hossa was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft; after playing for the Senators, he played for the Atlanta Thrashers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and...
answered with two consecutive goals to give his team a two goal lead again. The Blue Jackets then rallied to tie the score, 5–5, by the closing minutes of the second period with scores by Kris Russell
Kris Russell
Kris Russell is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League...
and Fredrik Modin
Fredrik Modin
Fredrik "Freddy" Modin is a Swedish former professional ice hockey left winger, who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League and most notably won the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2003–04 season....
. The third period remained scoreless until the closing minutes of regulation. With less than two minutes left, the Blue Jackets were called for too many men on the ice, which enabled Johan Franzen
Johan Franzen
Johan Franzén is a Swedish professional ice hockey winger currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :Franzén started playing ice hockey in Boro/Vetlanda HC, Landsbro near Vetlanda in Sweden...
to score the series winning power play goal with 46.6 seconds remaining.
(3) Vancouver Canucks vs. (6) St. Louis Blues
The Vancouver Canucks entered the playoffs as the third overall seed in the Western Conference, having clinched the Northwest Division title with 100 points. The St. Louis Blues qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2004, clinching the sixth seed with 92 points and winning the tiebreaker over the Columbus Blue Jackets with 10 points head-to-head versus 3.Vancouver swept St. Louis, 4 games to 0, their first sweep of a best-of-seven series in franchise history, to move on to the second round. The Canucks held off the Blues in Game 1, winning 2–1 by gaining goals from Daniel Sedin
Daniel Sedin
Daniel Sedin is a Swedish professional ice hockey winger with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League , and serves as an alternate captain for the Canucks during home games. His identical twin brother Henrik also plays for the Canucks, and is the team captain...
and Sami Salo
Sami Salo
Sami Salo is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . He began his professional career with TPS of the SM-liiga before being selected by the Ottawa Senators with their last pick in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft. He joined the Senators in...
and killing off a long Blues 5-on-3 power play midway through the first period. Vancouver then shutout St. Louis in Game 2, 3–0, with goaltender Roberto Luongo
Roberto Luongo
Roberto Luongo is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . Born in Montreal, Quebec, he is of Italian and Irish ancestry. He employs the butterfly style of goaltending...
stopping all 30 Blues shots and Mats Sundin
Mats Sundin
Mats Johan Sundin is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey player. Originally drafted first overall in 1989, Sundin played his first four seasons in the NHL with the Quebec Nordiques. He was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1994, where he played the majority of his career, serving 11...
providing the game winning goal. The Blues were hoping to gain momentum when the series shifted to St. Louis for Game 3, but Vancouver held on to a 3–2 win off of 3 power play goals, with Mattias Ohlund
Mattias Öhlund
Mattias Öhlund is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman and an alternate captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League . Prior to joining the Lightning, he played eleven seasons with the Vancouver Canucks...
, Sedin, and Steve Bernier
Steve Bernier
Steve Bernier is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger with the Albany Devils of the American Hockey League...
providing the man-advantage tallies. In Game 4, Brad Boyes
Brad Boyes
Bradley Keith Boyes is a professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League ....
and David Perron
David Perron
David Perron is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He currently plays for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:He was selected in the first round, 26th pick by the St...
helped St. Louis to tie the game after falling behind early. However, Alexandre Burrows
Alexandre Burrows
Alexandre Ménard-Burrows is a French-Canadian professional ice hockey winger with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . He is known for playing in the style of an agitator and for his ascension to the NHL from being an undrafted player in the ECHL...
scored with 18.9 seconds left in the first overtime period to give the Canucks a 3-2 victory and the four-game sweep.
(4) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (5) Calgary Flames
The Chicago Blackhawks finished the regular season in second place in the Central division with 104 points and thus entered the playoffs as the fourth overall seed in the Western Conference. The Calgary Flames earned 98 points during the regular season to finish fifth overall in the Western Conference.Chicago won the series over Calgary, four games to two, with the home team winning the first five games of the series. Martin Havlat
Martin Havlat
Martin Havlát is a Czech professional ice hockey player currently playing for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
scored the game-winning goal 12 seconds into overtime to win Game 1 for the Blackhawks, 3–2. Then in Game 2, Chicago overcame a 2-goal deficit by scoring 3 goals in the second period, including a pair from Jonathan Toews
Jonathan Toews
Jonathan Bryan Toews is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who plays for and is captain of the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League . He is currently the youngest captain in the NHL, having been appointed in 2008....
, to win 3–2. When the series shifted to Calgary for Game 3, David Moss scored two goals to help the Flames earn a 4–2 victory. In Game 4, Calgary scored 6 goals, including 2 each by their top stars Jarome Iginla
Jarome Iginla
Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis Iginla is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League . A six-time NHL All-Star, he is the Flames' all-time leader in goals, points, and games played, and is second in assists to Al MacInnis...
and Olli Jokinen
Olli Jokinen
Olli Jokinen is a Finnish professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League . He was initially drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in 1997, third overall after Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau. He was the captain of the Florida Panthers from 2003...
, to win 6–4. The Blackhawks responded in Game 5 by exploding to a 5–1 victory, going up 3-0 after one period with goals from Brent Seabrook
Brent Seabrook
Brent Seabrook is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman playing for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League . He was selected 14th overall by the Blackhawks in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft out of the Western Hockey League . He played four seasons of junior with the Lethbridge...
, Patrick Sharp
Patrick Sharp
Patrick Sharp is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and alternate captain currently playing for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:Sharp was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba...
, and Kris Versteeg
Kris Versteeg
Kris Versteeg is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger currently playing for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League...
, and limiting the Flames to 20 shots on goal. Chicago defeated Calgary, 4–1, in Game 6 to win the series, with Patrick Kane
Patrick Kane
Patrick Timothy Kane, Jr. is an American professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League . The Blackhawks selected him with the first overall pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.-Minor and junior:Kane attended the St...
providing the early game winner and goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin
Nikolai Khabibulin
Nikolai Ivanovich Khabibulin is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League...
stopping 43 out of 44 shots.
Conference Semi-finals
For the first time since the 2001 playoffs2001 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2001 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League , were played from April until June. The Colorado Avalanche defeated the New Jersey Devils to win its second Stanley Cup....
, at least three Conference semi-final series extended to seven games.
(1) Boston Bruins vs. (6) Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes eliminated the Boston Bruins in seven games to advance to their first Eastern Conference Final since their Cup championship season in 20062006 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs for the National Hockey League championship began on April 21, 2006, following the 2005–06 regular season. The sixteen teams that qualified, seeded one through eight from each conference, played best-of-seven series with re-seeding after the conference quarterfinals...
. Marc Savard
Marc Savard
Marc Savard is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre currently under contract to the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League , but who has not played since late in the season because of post-concussion syndrome...
scored two goals to help give the Bruins a 4–1 victory in Game 1, but the Hurricanes won the next three games of the series. First, Carolina goaltender Cam Ward
Cam Ward
Cameron Kenneth Ward is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League . Born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, he was raised in Sherwood Park, Alberta...
stopped all 36 shots and Matt Cullen
Matt Cullen
Matthew David Cullen is a professional ice hockey center, who currently is an alternate captain of the Minnesota Wild of the NHL.-Playing career:...
provided a shorthanded marker in a 3–0 victory in Game 2. Next, Jussi Jokinen
Jussi Jokinen
Jussi Jokinen is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League...
scored at 2:48 into overtime of Game 3 to give the Hurricanes a 3–2 victory. In Game 4, Eric Staal
Eric Staal
Eric Craig Staal is a Canadian ice hockey player and the captain of the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League...
scored two goals and Ward stopped 18 out of only 19 shots en route to a 4–1 victory. However, Phil Kessel
Phil Kessel
Philip Joseph Kessel, Jr. is an American professional ice hockey forward, and an alternate captain for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League . Kessel is a product of USA Hockey's National Development Team and became that program's all-time leader for goals and points in his final...
scored two goals and goaltender Tim Thomas
Tim Thomas (ice hockey)
Timothy James Thomas, Jr. is an American professional ice hockey goaltender with the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League . Raised in Davison, MI, Thomas played college hockey for the University of Vermont for four years, from 1993–1997, during which he was drafted 217th overall by the...
stopped all 19 shots to give Boston a 4–0 victory in Game 5. Thomas then stopped 31 out of 33 shots and Mark Recchi
Mark Recchi
Mark Louis Recchi is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 22 years in the National Hockey League , most notably for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens...
provided an early game winner to help the Bruins win 4–2 in Game 6. The Hurricanes led Game 7 after two periods, but Milan Lucic
Milan Lucic
Milan Lucic is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger of Serbian origin currently playing for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League . He played major junior with the Vancouver Giants in the Western Hockey League for three seasons and captured a Memorial Cup, while being named...
tied the game at 6:19 in the third. However, Scott Walker scored the game-winning goal at 18:46 into the first overtime period to give the Hurricanes a 3–2 victory and the series.
(2) Washington Capitals vs. (4) Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins advanced to their second consecutive Eastern Conference Final after defeating the Washington Capitals, 6–2, in Game 7 of their Conference Semi-final series. The Capitals appeared to have control of the series after winning the first two games. In Game 1, Washington goaltender Simeon Varlamov came up with a career-high 34 saves and Tomas FleischmannTomas Fleischmann
Tomáš Fleischmann is a Czech professional ice hockey winger currently playing for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :...
provided a decisive third period goal in a 3–2 victory. Then in Game 2, both the Penguins' Sidney Crosby
Sidney Crosby
Sidney Patrick Crosby ONS is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League . Crosby was drafted first overall by the Penguins out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League...
and the Capitals' Alexander Ovechkin
Alexander Ovechkin
Alexander Mikhaylovich Ovechkin is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger and captain of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League...
each earned hat tricks, but David Steckel's goal in the second period ultimately made the difference in Washington's 4–3 win. However, Pittsburgh went on to win three straight games. Late in the third period of Game 3, Evgeni Malkin
Evgeni Malkin
Evgeni "Geno" Vladimirovich Malkin is a Russian professional ice hockey center and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League ....
appeared to have the game winning powerplay marker for the Penguins, but Nicklas Backstrom
Nicklas Bäckström
Lars Nicklas Bäckström is a Swedish professional ice hockey centre and an alternate captain for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League .-Early life:...
tied the game on a Washington powerplay at 18:10. Kris Letang's game-winning goal at 11:23 into overtime gave the Penguins a 3–2 win. Pittsburgh then erupted to score 3 goals in the first period, coming from the sticks of Sergei Gonchar
Sergei Gonchar
Sergei Viktorovich Gonchar is a Russian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League...
, Bill Guerin
Bill Guerin
William Robert Guerin is an American former professional ice hockey player and current player development coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Guerin played eighteen seasons in the National Hockey League winning two Stanley Cup championships with the New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins teams...
, and Ruslan Fedotenko
Ruslan Fedotenko
Ruslan Viktorovych Fedotenko is a Ukrainian American professional ice hockey winger who is currently playing for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . A two-time Stanley Cup champion, in his NHL career he has played for the Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, New York...
, en route to a 5–3 victory in Game 4. The Penguins also had another overtime victory in Game 5, with Evgeni Malkin
Evgeni Malkin
Evgeni "Geno" Vladimirovich Malkin is a Russian professional ice hockey center and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League ....
scoring this time on a power play at 3:28 into the extra period for a 4–3 win. The Capitals rebounded in Game 6 with an overtime victory of their own, as David Steckel scored at 6:22 into the extra period to give Washington a 5–4 win.
In Game 7, Varlamov, who had posted a 2.21 GAA and two shutouts in the playoffs, was pulled in the second period as the Penguins took a 4–0 lead only 2:13 into the second period. At the time that Varlamov was replaced by Jose Theodore
José Théodore
José Théodore is a French Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League...
, Pittsburgh had outshot Washington 18–5. The Penguins won 6-2 in dominating fashion, picking up a pair of goals from Crosby, to close out the series.
Crosby finished the series with thirteen points—one fewer than Ovechkin's fourteen points, which was the highest single-series point total since the 1995 Stanley Cup playoffs
1995 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 1995 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League was played between May 6 and June 24, 1995. In the Final, the New Jersey Devils swept the favored Detroit Red Wings in four games to win their first championship. The Quebec Nordiques played their last ever playoff series...
.
(2) Detroit Red Wings vs. (8) Anaheim Ducks
The Detroit Red Wings advanced to their third consecutive Western Conference Final, and eighth since 19951995 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 1995 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League was played between May 6 and June 24, 1995. In the Final, the New Jersey Devils swept the favored Detroit Red Wings in four games to win their first championship. The Quebec Nordiques played their last ever playoff series...
, after eliminating the Anaheim Ducks in seven games. This Conference Semifinal match up featured the last two winners of the Stanley Cup, with Anaheim and Detroit winning the Cup in 2007
2007 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2007 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven playoff series that determined the National Hockey League champion for the 2006–07 season. As a culmination of the 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Western Conference champion Anaheim Ducks defeated the Eastern Conference champion Ottawa Senators in...
and 2008
2008 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2008 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven playoff series that determined the National Hockey League champion for the 2007–08 season. As a culmination of the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Western Conference champion Detroit Red Wings defeated the Eastern Conference champion Pittsburgh...
respectively. This also marked the fifth series the two teams faced each other in since their first encounter in 1997. Both teams had one two series' each with the Wings winning in 1997 and 1999, and the Ducks winning in 2003 and 2007.
In Game 1, Nicklas Lidstrom
Nicklas Lidström
Nicklas Erik Lidström is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenseman who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the Detroit Red Wings, and is their captain...
scored two goals, including the game-winner with about 49 seconds left in regulation to break a 2–2 tie to give the Red Wings the victory. Anaheim's Todd Marchant
Todd Marchant
Todd Marchant is a retired American professional ice hockey player who played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League . He played nine seasons with the Edmonton Oilers and almost six seasons with the Anaheim Ducks, along with just over a season with the Columbus Blue Jackets and a game with the...
scored at 1:15 into triple overtime of Game 2 to give the Ducks a 4–3 victory, after goaltender Jonas Hiller
Jonas Hiller
Jonas Hiller is a Swiss professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
stopped 59 Red Wing shots. Game 3 then ended in controversy: Anaheim was nursing a 2–1 lead with 1:04 remaining in the third period, aided by Hiller's eventual 45 saves and goals from Teemu Selanne
Teemu Selänne
Teemu Ilmari Selänne nicknamed "The Finnish Flash" is a Finnish professional ice hockey winger, an alternate captain of the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League . An offensive player known for his skill and speed, Selanne has led the NHL in goal-scoring three times and has been named to...
and Scott Neidermayer. Detroit's Marian Hossa
Marian Hossa
Marián Hossa is a Slovak professional ice hockey player who currently plays for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League . Hossa was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft; after playing for the Senators, he played for the Atlanta Thrashers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and...
appeared to have scored the game-tying goal, but referee Brad Watson blew the play dead after losing sight of the puck and the Ducks held on to win the game. Despite the controversial call, the Red Wings bounced back to even the series in Game 4, with Hossa and Johan Franzen
Johan Franzen
Johan Franzén is a Swedish professional ice hockey winger currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :Franzén started playing ice hockey in Boro/Vetlanda HC, Landsbro near Vetlanda in Sweden...
scoring 2 goals apiece en route to a 6–3 victory. Detroit then went on to win Game 5, 4–1, with Franzen and Jiri Hudler
Jiri Hudler
Jiří Hudler is a Czech professional ice hockey player with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League. After beginning his career in the Czech Extraliga with Vsetín, Hudler was drafted by the Red Wings in 2002 and won the Stanley Cup with the club in 2008...
scoring just 39 seconds apart in the second period to provide the game's first goals. In Game 6, goaltender Jonas Hiller stopped 38 out of 39 shots as Ryan Getzlaf
Ryan Getzlaf
Ryan Getzlaf is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He is a centre and the captain of the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League . He grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada and he played junior hockey with the Calgary Hitmen...
and Cory Perry each scored to give the Ducks a 2–1 victory. In Game 7, Bobby Ryan
Bobby Ryan
Bobby Ryan is a winger currently playing for the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan grew up in Collingswood, New Jersey.-Playing career:...
pulled the Ducks into a 3-3 tie at 7:37 of the third period. However, Red Wings forward Dan Cleary
Daniel Cleary
Daniel Cleary is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League. On June 4, 2008, Cleary became the first player from Newfoundland and Labrador to get his name on the Stanley Cup when the Red Wings won hockey's top prize...
scored the game-winning goal with 3:00 left in regulation after Hiller lost sight of the puck behind him and pushed it over the goal line, to give the Red Wings a 4–3 victory and the series.
(3) Vancouver Canucks vs. (4) Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks eliminated the Vancouver Canucks, 4 games to 2, to advance to the Western Conference Final for the first time since 19951995 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 1995 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League was played between May 6 and June 24, 1995. In the Final, the New Jersey Devils swept the favored Detroit Red Wings in four games to win their first championship. The Quebec Nordiques played their last ever playoff series...
. This was just the third time that these two teams faced each other in the playoffs. In 1982, the Canucks eliminated the Blackhawks in five games in the Campbell Conference final, while the Blackhawks won a 1995 conference semifinals series in a four game sweep.The Hawks finished the regular season with 4 more points than the Canucks. However, since the Canucks won their division and the Blackhawks did not, Vancouver had Home ice for the series
Sami Salo
Sami Salo
Sami Salo is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . He began his professional career with TPS of the SM-liiga before being selected by the Ottawa Senators with their last pick in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft. He joined the Senators in...
scored at 18:47 in the third period of Game 1 to break a 3–3 tie, giving the Canucks an eventual 5–3 win. The Blackhawks bounced back in Game 2, overcoming a 2–0 deficit in the second period to go on to a 6–3 victory, with Patrick Sharp
Patrick Sharp
Patrick Sharp is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and alternate captain currently playing for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:Sharp was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba...
and Dave Bolland scoring two goals each. Vancouver regained the series lead in Game 3, with goaltender Roberto Luongo
Roberto Luongo
Roberto Luongo is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . Born in Montreal, Quebec, he is of Italian and Irish ancestry. He employs the butterfly style of goaltending...
stopping 23 out of 24 shots and Steve Bernier
Steve Bernier
Steve Bernier is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger with the Albany Devils of the American Hockey League...
providing a powerplay goal to earn a 3–1 victory. However, Chicago went on to win the next three games to close the series. First, Martin Havlat
Martin Havlat
Martin Havlát is a Czech professional ice hockey player currently playing for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
tied Game 4 at 17:16 in the third period and Andrew Ladd
Andrew Ladd
Andrew Ladd is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger and captain of the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League . He was originally drafted in 2004 by the Carolina Hurricanes and won the Stanley Cup with them in 2006...
scoring at 2:52 into overtime to give the Blackhawks a 2–1 victory. Dustin Byfuglien
Dustin Byfuglien
Dustin Ray Byfuglien is an American professional ice hockey player and an alternate captain of the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League. His known nickname is "Big Buff," made up by his teammates...
then scored two goals en route to a 4–2 Chicago win in Game 5. Finally, the Blackhawks won a high-scoring Game 6, 7–5, with Patrick Kane
Patrick Kane
Patrick Timothy Kane, Jr. is an American professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League . The Blackhawks selected him with the first overall pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.-Minor and junior:Kane attended the St...
earning a hat trick, as the Blackhawks reached the Conference Finals for the first time since 1995.
Eastern Conference Final: (4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (6) Carolina Hurricanes
The Pittsburgh Penguins swept the Carolina Hurricanes, 4 games to 0, to advance to their second consecutive Stanley Cup Final series. Pittsburgh jumped to a 2–0 lead in the first period of Game 1, with goals by Miroslav SatanMiroslav Satan
Miroslav Šatan is a Slovak professional ice hockey right winger for HC Slovan Bratislava of the Slovak Extraliga.-Pre-NHL:In 1991–92, he played for the local HC Topolcany and did remarkably well, as he scored 30 goals and had 22 assists in just 31 games. He then graduated to the senior division...
and Evgeni Malkin
Evgeni Malkin
Evgeni "Geno" Vladimirovich Malkin is a Russian professional ice hockey center and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League ....
, before Philippe Boucher
Philippe Boucher
Philippe Boucher is a retired French Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League. He is currently the General Manager of the Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL.-Amateur:...
added a third period power play goal. Marc-Andre Fleury
Marc-Andre Fleury
Marc-André Fleury is a French Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League...
made a sprawling save on an Eric Staal
Eric Staal
Eric Craig Staal is a Canadian ice hockey player and the captain of the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League...
one-timer in the closing seconds to allow the Penguins to hang on for a 3–2 victory. Game 2 featured offensive assaults by both teams. Patrick Eaves
Patrick Eaves
Patrick Campbell Eaves is a professional ice hockey forward, currently a member of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League. Born in Calgary and raised in the United States, Patrick holds Canadian and American citizenship and has represented the United States in international ice hockey...
tied the game for Carolina early in the third period, but Malkin responded by scoring two highlight reel markers to complete a hat trick en route to a 7–4 win. In Game 3, Malkin had 2 goals and an assist in a 6–2 victory. Carolina outplayed Pittsburgh for much of Game 4 and got off to a hot start when Staal scored on a wrap around move. However, the Penguins scored 4 unanswered goals, including a Max Talbot tally that ricocheted stranglely off of goaltender Cam Ward
Cam Ward
Cameron Kenneth Ward is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League . Born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, he was raised in Sherwood Park, Alberta...
to let the Penguins take the lead late in the opening frame, as they picked up a 4–1 win.
Western Conference Final: (2) Detroit Red Wings vs. (4) Chicago Blackhawks
The Detroit Red Wings eliminated the Chicago Blackhawks, 4 games to 1, to advance to their second consecutive Stanley Cup Final series. Three of the five games in the series were decided in overtime. Dan ClearyDaniel Cleary
Daniel Cleary is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League. On June 4, 2008, Cleary became the first player from Newfoundland and Labrador to get his name on the Stanley Cup when the Red Wings won hockey's top prize...
scored two goals en route to a 5–2 Detroit victory in Game 1. In Game 2, Jonathan Toews
Jonathan Toews
Jonathan Bryan Toews is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who plays for and is captain of the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League . He is currently the youngest captain in the NHL, having been appointed in 2008....
scored two Chicago goals, including one that tied the game at 12:20 in the third period. However, Mikael Samuelsson
Mikael Samuelsson
Mikael Samuelsson is a Swedish professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League ....
scored at 5:14 into overtime to give the Red Wings a 3–2 win. Chicago bounced back in Game 3 with a 4–3 win of Patrick Sharp
Patrick Sharp
Patrick Sharp is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and alternate captain currently playing for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:Sharp was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba...
's overtime goal at 1:52 into the extra period. The Blackhawks took an early 3-0 lead in the game but saw Detroit bounce back with three goals from defencemen in the second period. During the game, Blackhawks goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin
Nikolai Khabibulin
Nikolai Ivanovich Khabibulin is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League...
was injured and replaced for the third period and overtime by Cristobal Huet
Cristobal Huet
Cristobal Huet is a French professional ice hockey goaltender playing for Fribourg-Gottéron of the Swiss National League A, on loan from the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League. He developed his goaltending skills in Grenoble with Les Brûleurs de Loups. He has also played with the...
. The game also featured a controversial hit from Nicklas Kronwall that injured star Chicago winger Martin Havlat
Martin Havlat
Martin Havlát is a Czech professional ice hockey player currently playing for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
. Detroit dominated Game 4, winning 6–1, with Marian Hossa
Marian Hossa
Marián Hossa is a Slovak professional ice hockey player who currently plays for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League . Hossa was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft; after playing for the Senators, he played for the Atlanta Thrashers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and...
and Henrik Zetterberg
Henrik Zetterberg
Henrik “Zäta" Zetterberg is a Swedish professional ice hockey center and alternate captain currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League...
each tallying a pair of goals. Game 5 was an exhibition in goaltending with Chris Osgood
Chris Osgood
Christopher John Osgood is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He's currently ranked tenth in wins in NHL regular season history with 401 career wins. He spent the first part of his 17-year NHL career with the Detroit Red Wings, then the New York Islanders and the St. Louis...
and Cristobal Huet
Cristobal Huet
Cristobal Huet is a French professional ice hockey goaltender playing for Fribourg-Gottéron of the Swiss National League A, on loan from the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League. He developed his goaltending skills in Grenoble with Les Brûleurs de Loups. He has also played with the...
each making a variety of spectacular saves. However, Darren Helm
Darren Helm
Darren Helm is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League.- Junior career :...
proved to be the eventual hero, scoring at 3:58 into overtime to give the Red Wings a 2–1 win and the series.
Stanley Cup Finals
In the US, NBC broadcast the first two and final three games of the Final, while VersusNHL on Versus
The NHL on Versus was the former branding used for National Hockey League games broadcast on Versus. Versus became the NHL's cable partner in the United States beginning in the 2005-06 season from previous partner ESPN, providing coverage of regular season games, playoff games, and select games...
broadcast games three and four. In Canada, all games of the Final were broadcast in English on the CBC
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
's Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada is the branding used for CBC Sports' presentations of the National Hockey League...
and in French on the cable network RDS
Réseau des sports
Réseau des sports , is a Canadian French language Category C specialty channel showing sports and sport-related shows. It is available in 2.5 million homes, and is owned by CTV Specialty Television Inc....
.
The CBC featured a new broadcast team calling the series: Jim Hughson
Jim Hughson
Jim Hughson is a Canadian sportscaster, best known for his play-by-play of professional ice hockey and baseball.-Biography:...
and Craig Simpson
Craig Simpson
Craig Andrew Simpson is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey winger who played 10 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Edmonton Oilers and the Buffalo Sabres...
.
Skaters
These are the top ten skaters based on points. If the list exceeds ten skaters because of a tie in points, all of the tied skaters are shown.| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | +/– | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 24 | 14 | 22 | 36 | +3 | 51 | |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 24 | 15 | 16 | 31 | +9 | 14 | |
| Detroit Red Wings | 23 | 11 | 13 | 24 | +13 | 13 | |
| Detroit Red Wings | 23 | 12 | 11 | 23 | +8 | 12 | |
| Washington Capitals | 14 | 11 | 10 | 21 | +10 | 8 | |
| Anaheim Ducks | 13 | 4 | 14 | 18 | +3 | 25 | |
| Detroit Red Wings | 21 | 4 | 12 | 16 | +11 | 6 | |
| Detroit Red Wings | 23 | 3 | 13 | 16 | +8 | 8 | |
| Carolina Hurricanes | 18 | 10 | 5 | 15 | -3 | 4 | |
| Detroit Red Wings | 23 | 9 | 6 | 15 | +17 | 12 | |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 24 | 7 | 8 | 15 | +8 | 15 | |
| Detroit Red Wings | 23 | 6 | 9 | 15 | +5 | 10 | |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 16 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 0 | 8 | |
| Washington Capitals | 14 | 3 | 12 | 15 | +3 | 8 |
GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/– = Plus/minus
Plus/minus
Plus–minus is an ice hockey statistic that measures a player's goal differential. With the exclusion of penalty shot goals, when an even-strength or shorthanded goal is scored, the plus–minus statistic is increased by one for those players on the ice for the team scoring the goal; the plus–minus...
; PIM = Penalty minutes
Goaltending
This is a combined table of the top five goaltenders based on goals against averageGoals against average
Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender....
and the top five goaltenders based on save percentage
Save percentage
Save percentage is an ice hockey and lacrosse statistic that represents the percentage of shots on goal a goaltender stops...
with at least 420 minutes played. The table is sorted by GAA, and the criteria for inclusion is bolded.
| Player | Team | GP | W | L | SA | GA | GAA | SV% | SO | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Bruins | 11 | 7 | 4 | 323 | 21 | 1.85 | .935 | 1 | 679:44 | |
| Detroit Red Wings | 23 | 15 | 8 | 637 | 47 | 2.01 | .926 | 2 | 1,405:51 | |
| Anaheim Ducks | 13 | 7 | 6 | 524 | 30 | 2.23 | .943 | 2 | 806:43 | |
| New Jersey Devils | 7 | 3 | 4 | 239 | 17 | 2.39 | .929 | 1 | 426:41 | |
| Vancouver Canucks | 10 | 6 | 4 | 304 | 26 | 2.52 | .914 | 1 | 617:57 | |
| Washington Capitals | 13 | 7 | 6 | 389 | 32 | 2.53 | .918 | 2 | 758:52 |
GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; SA = Shots against; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; SV% = Save percentage; SO = Shutouts; TOI = Time on ice (minutes:seconds)