NationMaster - Encyclopedia: 2006 Stanley Cup Finals

The 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs for the National Hockey League began on April 21, 2006. The finals are scheduled to conclude by June 19 at the latest. The sixteen teams that have qualified, eight from each conference, will play best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinal, semifinal and championships, and then the conference champions will play a best-of-7 series for the Stanley Cup. Image File history File links Current_sport. ... See also: 2006 in sports 5 June 2006 (Monday) Cricket: Sri Lanka in England Third Test at Trent Bridge, Nottingham: Sri Lanka wins by 134 runs to tie three-Test series 1â€“1. ... Image File history File links NHL-SC_6863. ... Image File history File links NHL-SC_6863. ... A logotype (from the Greek Î»Î¿Î³ÏŒÏ„Ï…Ï€Î¿), commonly known as a logo, is the graphic element, symbol, and icon of a trademark or brand, which is set in a special typeface or arranged in a particular way. ... The modernized NHL shield logo debuted in 2005, replacing the orange and black shield, which had been used since the leagues inception. ... April 21 is the 111th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (112th in leap years). ... // Scheduled events March March 14: 68th annual NCAA Mens Division I Basketball Championship begins March 15â€“March 26: XVIII Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia March 20-March 26: World Figure Skating Championship in Calgary, Canada March 25-March 26: World Short Track Speed Skating Team Championship in Montreal, Canada... June 19 is the 170th day of the year (171st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 195 days remaining. ... There are several different playoff formats used by various levels of competition in sport. ... Stanley Cup on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame The Stanley Cup, originally called the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup, is awarded each year by the National Hockey League to the champion of its playoff tournament. ...

While the 2005-06 NHL season introduced a shootout to break ties after 5 minutes of 4-on-4 overtime, the Stanley Cup Playoffs retains its traditional method of unlimited periods of 20-minute, 5-on-5 overtime to break ties. The modernized NHL shield logo was introduced for the 2005-06 season. ... Overtime is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport in order to bring the game to a decision and avoid declaring the contest a tie or draw. ... Overtime in ice hockey is a method of determining the winner and loser of ice hockey matches should a game be tied after regulation. ...

Playoff bracket

Source: Sportsline NHL Hockey Playoff Bracket The Carolina Hurricanes, a professional ice hockey club, is a National Hockey League (NHL) team based in Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina, and is the citys only major league team. ... The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team, the oldest established National Hockey League (NHL) franchise, and one of the most successful clubs in all of North American sports history. ... The Carolina Hurricanes, a professional ice hockey club, is a National Hockey League (NHL) team based in Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina, and is the citys only major league team. ... The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in the Continental Airlines Arena of the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey. ... The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in the Continental Airlines Arena of the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey. ... The New York Rangers (NYR) are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. ... The Carolina Hurricanes, a professional ice hockey club, is a National Hockey League (NHL) team based in Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina, and is the citys only major league team. ... The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. ... This article discusses the current National Hockey League team. ... The Tampa Bay Lightning is a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. ... This article discusses the current National Hockey League team. ... The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. ... The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. ... The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... The Carolina Hurricanes, a professional ice hockey club, is a National Hockey League (NHL) team based in Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina, and is the citys only major league team. ... The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. ... The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta. ... The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, commonly referred to as the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California. ... The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, commonly referred to as the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California. ... The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado. ... The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. ... The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado. ... The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, commonly referred to as the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California. ... The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. ... The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. ... The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. ... The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. ... The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. ... The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan, USA. They play in the National Hockey League (NHL). ... The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. ...

Note that Conference Quarterfinal pairings are not bracketed into Semifinal matchups; teams are re-seeded within each conference after the first round, such that the highest remaining seed in each conference plays the lowest remaining seed.

Playoff seeds

After the 2005-06 NHL season, a total of 16 teams qualified for the playoffs. The Detroit Red Wings were the Presidents' Trophy winners with the best record at 124 points (58 wins, 16 regulation losses, 8 overtime losses), while the Ottawa Senators won on the last day of the regular season to earn the Eastern Conference regular season crown. The modernized NHL shield logo was introduced for the 2005-06 season. ... The Presidents Trophy is an award presented by the National Hockey League to the team which finished with the best record in the entire league during the regular season. ...

Eastern Conference

This article discusses the current National Hockey League team. ... The NHLs Northeast Division was formed in 1993 as part of the Eastern Conference in a league realignment. ... The Eastern Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. ... The Carolina Hurricanes, a professional ice hockey club, is a National Hockey League (NHL) team based in Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina, and is the citys only major league team. ... The NHLs Southeast Division was formed in 1998 as part of the Eastern Conference due to expansion. ... The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in the Continental Airlines Arena of the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey. ... The NHLs Atlantic Division was formed in 1993 as part of the Eastern Conference in a league realignment. ... The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. ... The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... The New York Rangers (NYR) are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. ... The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team, the oldest established National Hockey League (NHL) franchise, and one of the most successful clubs in all of North American sports history. ... The Tampa Bay Lightning is a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. ...

Western Conference

The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan, USA. They play in the National Hockey League (NHL). ... The NHLs Central Division was formed in 1993 as part of the Western Conference in a league realignment. ... The Western Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. ... The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. ... The NHLs Pacific Division was formed in 1993 as part of the Western Conference in a league realignment. ... The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta. ... The NHLs Northwest Division was formed in 1998 as part of the Western Conference due to expansion. ... The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. ... The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. ... The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, commonly referred to as the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California. ... The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado. ... The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. ...

Leading scorers

As of games completed June 5, 2006, Unofficial Results June 5 is the 156th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (157th in leap years), with 209 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = Plus/Minus; PIM = Penalty Minutes; SOG = Shots on Goal

* - player's team eliminated from playoffs Eric Joseph Brent Staal (born on 29 October 1984 in Thunder Bay, Ontario) is a Canadian ice hockey player who plays for the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL Playing career Eric Staal Staal was selected 2nd overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes. ... The Carolina Hurricanes, a professional ice hockey club, is a National Hockey League (NHL) team based in Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina, and is the citys only major league team. ... Cory Stillman is a professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League (NHL). ... The Carolina Hurricanes, a professional ice hockey club, is a National Hockey League (NHL) team based in Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina, and is the citys only major league team. ... Daniel Briere (born October 6, 1977 in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada) is a French Canadian professional hockey centre. ... The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. ... Christopher Robert Pronger (born October 10, 1974 in Dryden, Ontario, Canada) is a professional ice hockey player for the Edmonton Oilers. ... The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. ... Christopher Chris Drury (born August 20, 1976 in Trumbull, Connecticut) is a professional ice hockey player who currently plays for the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL. // Playing career Chris Drury was drafted by the Quebec Nordiques 72nd overall in the 3rd round of the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. ... The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. ... Rod BrindAmour at the 1998 Winter Olympics. ... The Carolina Hurricanes, a professional ice hockey club, is a National Hockey League (NHL) team based in Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina, and is the citys only major league team. ... Shawn Horcoff (born 17 September 1978) is a professional ice hockey center who was born in Trail, British Columbia. ... The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. ... Patrik EliÃ¡Å¡ (born April 13, 1976 in TÅ™ebÃÄ) is a Czech professional hockey left winger. ... The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in the Continental Airlines Arena of the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey. ... Justin Williams (born 4 October 1981 in Cobourg, Ontario) is a Canadian ice hockey right winger who currently plays for the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL. Williams was drafted 28th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. ... The Carolina Hurricanes, a professional ice hockey club, is a National Hockey League (NHL) team based in Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina, and is the citys only major league team. ... Derek Roy (born 4 May 1983 in Ottawa, Ontario) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who currently plays for the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL. // Playing Career Roy started his notable hockey career very well, leading the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL with 87 points during the 1999-00... The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. ...

Leading goaltenders

Minimum 60 minutes. As of games completed June 5, 2006, Unofficial Results June 5 is the 156th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (157th in leap years), with 209 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Note: GP = Games Played; TOI = Time On Ice (minutes); W = Wins; L = Losses; GA = Goals Against; SO = Shutouts; Sv% = Save Percentage; GAA = Goals Against Average

* - player's team eliminated from playoffs Ilya Bryzgalov Ilya Bryzgalov(Russian:Ð˜Ð»ÑŒÑ ÐÐ¸ÐºÐ¾Ð»Ð°ÐµÐ²Ð¸Ñ‡ Ð‘Ñ€Ñ‹Ð·Ð³Ð°Ð»Ð¾Ð²) (b. ... The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, commonly referred to as the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California. ... Cameron Ward (born February 29, 1984 in Sherwood Park, Alberta) is a Canadian hockey goaltender who currently plays in the National Hockey League for the Carolina Hurricanes. ... The Carolina Hurricanes, a professional ice hockey club, is a National Hockey League (NHL) team based in Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina, and is the citys only major league team. ... Miikka Kipper Kiprusoff Miikka Kipper Kiprusoff (born October 26, 1976 in Turku, Finland) is a professional ice hockey goaltender. ... The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta. ... Martin Brodeur (born May 6, 1972, in Montreal (St-JÃ©rome), Quebec) is a professional ice hockey goaltender. ... The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in the Continental Airlines Arena of the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey. ... Albert Dwayne Roli Roloson (born October 12, 1969 in Simcoe, Ontario, Canada) is an NHL goaltender for the Edmonton Oilers. ... The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. ...

Conference Quarterfinals

Eastern Conference

(1) Ottawa Senators defeat (8) Tampa Bay Lightning, 4 games to 1

The defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning faced off against the Ottawa Senators, who held off Carolina to earn the Eastern Conference regular-season title on the final day of the regular season. The teams had never met before in the playoffs, but in four regular-season meetings, Ottawa had dominated, winning all four games in regulation.

In Game 1, Tampa got on the board first, but in the third period, two quick power-play goals by Martin Havlat and Jason Spezza respectively gave Ottawa the lead. Mike Fisher added a short-handed goal three minutes later, and the Senators went on to win 4-1. Game 2 saw the Senators hold a 3-2 lead in the third period, but Dan Boyle tied the score and 55 seconds later, Martin St. Louis scored his second goal of the game, and it held up to give the Lightning a 4-3 win, evening the series. Martin HavlÃ¡t, #9 (born April 19, 1981) is an ice hockey player with the Ottawa Senators of the NHL. He is nicknamed Mach 9 for his speed and player number. ... Jason Anthony Rocco Spezza (born June 13, 1983 in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada) is an Italian Canadian ice hockey player, currently playing centre for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League. ... Mike Fisher (born June 5, 1980) is an ice hockey centre playing with the Ottawa Senators of the NHL. He was born and raised in Peterborough, Ontario and played junior hockey there, and then with the Sudbury Wolves in the OHL. He was drafted 44 overall in the second round... Daniel Boyle (born July 12, 1976 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) is a professional hockey defenseman who currently plays for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League. ... Marty with his two awards Martin St. ...

Two days later, the series resumed in Tampa Bay for Game 3, but the visiting Senators came out firing, with three goals in the first period. Havlat had two goals, giving him a total of four for the series thus far, as did Antoine Vermette, as the Senators routed the Lightning, 8-4, in a game marked by the teams combining for 129 penalty minutes. Tampa Bay's Pavel Kubina earned a "Gordie Howe hat trick", with a goal, an assist, and two misconduct penalties earned in a late fight. Game 4 saw the Lightning take a 2-1 lead after the first period, but a trio of second-period goals gave the Senators a lead they would not relinquish. Dany Heatley finished with a goal and two assists in the 5-2 win which put Ottawa on the verge of advancing. Antoine Vermette (b. ... Pavel Kubina (born April 15, 1977, in Celadna, Czechoslovakia) is a defenseman for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the NHL. He has earned a reputation as one of the better defensemen in the league, especially after helping the Lightning to win the Stanley Cup in 2004. ... In ice hockey a Gordie Howe hat trick is a variation on the hat trick, wherein a player accomplishes the following in a single game: scores a goal, gets an assist, and wins a fight. ... Dany Heatley (born January 21, 1981, in Freiburg, Germany) is a Canadian professional hockey player. ...

They would do just that two days later in Game 5, back in Ottawa. Martin Havlat continued his solid play, completing a series in which he scored in each game, providing a power-play goal in the second period which gave Ottawa a 3-1 advantage. The Lightning would close the gap to 3-2, but that was as close as they would come. Havlat finished the series with 6 goals and 4 assists, while Heatley and Spezza each had 2 goals and 8 assists.

Daniel Alfredsson. ... Mike Fisher (born June 5, 1980) is an ice hockey centre playing with the Ottawa Senators of the NHL. He was born and raised in Peterborough, Ontario and played junior hockey there, and then with the Sudbury Wolves in the OHL. He was drafted 44 overall in the second round... Martin HavlÃ¡t, #9 (born April 19, 1981) is an ice hockey player with the Ottawa Senators of the NHL. He is nicknamed Mach 9 for his speed and player number. ... Jason Anthony Rocco Spezza (born June 13, 1983 in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada) is an Italian Canadian ice hockey player, currently playing centre for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League. ... Vincent Lecavalier (born April 21, 1980 in Ile Bizard, Quebec, Canada) is a Canadian professional hockey player who currently plays for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League. ... Peter Schaefer (born July 12, 1977 in Yellow Grass, Saskatchewan) is a Canadian ice hockey left wing. ... Bryan Smolinski, nicknamed Smoke, is an American ice hockey player. ... Marty with his two awards Martin St. ... Daniel Boyle (born July 12, 1976 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) is a professional hockey defenseman who currently plays for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League. ... Brad Richards (Born May 2, 1980 in Murray Harbour, Prince Edward Island, Canada) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre. ... Antoine Vermette (b. ... Zdeno ChÃ¡ra Zdeno ChÃ¡ra, #3 (born March 18, 1977) is an elite ice hockey defenceman playing for the Ottawa Senators. ... Patrick Eaves (born on May 1, 1984 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada) is an NHL player for the Ottawa Senators. ... Dany Heatley (born January 21, 1981, in Freiburg, Germany) is a Canadian professional hockey player. ... Wade Redden Wade Redden (born June 12, 1977, in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan) is a professional ice hockey defenceman for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League. ... Paul Ranger (born September 12, 1984 in North York, Toronto, Ontario) is a professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the NHL. Ranger was drafted in the 6th round, 183rd overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. ... Pavel Kubina (born April 15, 1977, in Celadna, Czechoslovakia) is a defenseman for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the NHL. He has earned a reputation as one of the better defensemen in the league, especially after helping the Lightning to win the Stanley Cup in 2004. ... Chris Neil (born June 18, 1979 in Markdale, Ontario) is a Canadian ice hockey right winger. ... Chris Phillips, #4 (born March 9, 1978 in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada) is a Canadian professional hockey player who plays for the National Hockey Leagues Ottawa Senators. ... Andrej MeszÃ¡roÅ¡, #14 (born October 13, 1985 in PovaÅ¾skÃ¡ Bystrica, Czechoslovakia) is a Slovak ice hockey defenceman currently with the Ottawa Senators of the NHL. Andrej MeszÃ¡roÅ¡ was drafted by the Senators in 2004, as the first pick for the Senators (23rd overall). ... Evgeny Artyukhin (born April 4, 1983 in Moscow, Russia) is a professional ice hockey right winger who currently plays for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the NHL. Evgeny Artyukhin was drafted in the 3rd round, 94th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. ...

(2) Carolina Hurricanes defeat (7) Montreal Canadiens, 4 games to 2

After losing the first two games of this series, the heavily-favored Carolina Hurricanes put an end to the Montreal Canadiens' Cinderella hopes by winning the following four games, all by one goal and two coming in overtime. Two key turning points in the series were the emergence of Carolina goalie Cam Ward, who was brought in to replace a shaky Martin Gerber, as well as a series-ending eye injury to Canadiens captain Saku Koivu. Cameron Ward (born February 29, 1984 in Sherwood Park, Alberta) is a Canadian hockey goaltender who currently plays in the National Hockey League for the Carolina Hurricanes. ... Martin Gerber (b. ... Saku Koivu (Born November 23, 1974 in Turku) is a Finnish professional ice hockey player who plays for the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League. ...

Matt Cullen (born November 2, 1976 in Virginia, Minnesota, United States) is a professional ice hockey center who currently plays for the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL. Cullen was drafted 35th overall by the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft. ... Alexei Kovalev (ÐÐ»ÐµÐºÑÐµÐ¹ ÐšÐ¾Ð²Ð°Ð»ÐµÐ², Aleksej Kovalev; born February 24, 1973 in Togliatti, U.S.S.R.) is a Russian professional ice hockey rightwinger. ... Radek Bonk, #14 (born January 9, 1976, in Krnov, Czechoslovakia) is a professional Ice Hockey Center in the NHL. He was drafted third overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. ... Francis Bouillon (Born: October 17, 1975 in New York City, New York, USA) is a professional hockey defenceman. ... Christopher Higgins is an ice hockey player in the NHL. An All-American at Yale University, he was selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. ... Sheldon Souray (b. ... Rod BrindAmour at the 1998 Winter Olympics. ... Cory Stillman is a professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League (NHL). ... Ray Whitney is a politician in the United Kingdom. ... Michael Ryder (Born March 31, 1980, Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador) is a hockey player who plays for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League . ... Jan Bulis (helpÂ· info) (born March 18, 1978 in Pardubice, Czechoslovakia) is a Czech professional hockey winger. ... Richard Zednik (Born January 6, 1976 in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia) is a Slovak professional hockey player who plays right wing for the National Hockey Leagues Montreal Canadiens. ... Eric Joseph Brent Staal (born on 29 October 1984 in Thunder Bay, Ontario) is a Canadian ice hockey player who plays for the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL Playing career Eric Staal Staal was selected 2nd overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes. ... Aaron Ward (born 17 January 1973 in Windsor, Ontario, Canada) is an ice hockey defenseman who currently plays for the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL. Ward was drafted 5th overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft. ... Justin Williams (born 4 October 1981 in Cobourg, Ontario) is a Canadian ice hockey right winger who currently plays for the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL. Williams was drafted 28th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. ... Alexander Perezhogin is an ice hockey player with the Montreal Canadiens, he is perhaps best known for a brutal attack on another player when in the AHL. Perezhogin was born in Ust-Kamenogorsk, in what is today Kazakstan, on August 10, 1983. ... Mark Recchi at the 1998 Winter Olympics. ...

(3) New Jersey Devils defeat (6) New York Rangers, 4 games to 0

The Atlantic Division title came down to the final day of the regular season. The Devils came from behind to defeat the Montreal Canadiens for their 11th straight win, while the Rangers lost to the Ottawa Senators for their fifth straight loss. These results capped off a record-breaking comeback, as the Devils, who had trailed the division-leading Flyers by 19 points in January, clinched the division title and the third seed in the playoffs. The Rangers, on the other hand, slipped to the sixth seed, but still qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 1997.

The Devils and Rangers were meeting in the playoffs for the fourth time in their respective histories, with the Rangers having won all three past meetings, including the classic 1994 Eastern Conference Finals, when Mark Messier guaranteed a win and backed it up with a hat trick in Game 6, and Stephane Matteau scored the game-winner in double-overtime of Game 7. More recently, the teams split their eight games in the 2005-06 season, with each team going 3-1 on their home ice, and winning one game in overtime. In 1996-97, Messier (right) would reunite with Wayne Gretzky (left) for one final unsuccessful run for the Cup. ... Stephane Matteau (b. ...

The Devils jumped out to a quick lead, winning Game 1, 6-1, behind five power-play goals, and Patrik Elias's two goals and four assists, while Rangers star Jaromir Jagr left the game with an arm injury late in the third period. This injury kept Jagr out of Game 2, which the Devils won 4-1, led by John Madden's hat trick, including two short-handed goals. In Game 3, Jamie Langenbrunner scored 68 seconds into the game, and Martin Brodeur earned his 21st career playoff shutout, with 25 saves, as the Devils won 3-0. Jagr's injury woes continued in Game 4, as he was knocked out with a hit in the first minute of the game. Despite this, the Rangers took their only lead of the series on Jed Ortmeyer's goal late in the first period, but New Jersey responded with two goals in each of the second and third periods, including two by Elias, giving him five for the series, as they won, 4-2, eliminating their rivals, and advancing to the Conference Semifinals. Patrik EliÃ¡Å¡ (born April 13, 1976 in TÅ™ebÃÄ) is a Czech professional hockey left winger. ... JaromÃr JÃ¡gr , better known in English as Jaromir Jagr, (born February 15, 1972 in Kladno, Czechoslovakia) is regarded as one of the top ice hockey players in the NHL today, and is one of the best European players that has ever worn an NHL uniform. ... John Madden (born May 4, 1973 in Barrie, Ontario) is a star NHL player who plays for the New Jersey Devils. ... Jamie Langenbrunner {b. ... Martin Brodeur (born May 6, 1972, in Montreal (St-JÃ©rome), Quebec) is a professional ice hockey goaltender. ... Jed Ortmeyer (3 September 1978 in Omaha, Nebraska) is an American ice hockey player; in 2005 he is a forward for the New York Rangers. ...

Patrik EliÃ¡Å¡ (born April 13, 1976 in TÅ™ebÃÄ) is a Czech professional hockey left winger. ... Scotty Gomez Scott Gomez (born December 23, 1979, in Anchorage, Alaska) is a professional ice hockey player. ... Ken Klee Ken Klee {born 24 April 1971 in Indianapolis, Indiana} is an American professional ice hockey defenseman who currently plays for the New Jersey Devils of the NHL. // Playing Career Klee was drafted 177th overall by the Washington Capitals in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft. ... Jamie Langenbrunner {b. ... Brian Rafalski (born September 28, 1973, in Dearborn, Michigan) is an American professional ice hockey player who plays defenseman for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League. ... Petr Prucha (Czech: Petr PrÅ¯cha, b. ... John Madden (born May 4, 1973 in Barrie, Ontario) is a star NHL player who plays for the New Jersey Devils. ... Brian Gionta (born January 18, 1979 in Rochester, New York, United States) is an American ice hockey rightwinger. ... Blair Betts (born February 16, 1980 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) is a Canadian professional hockey centre. ... Zach Parise born 28 July 1984 in Minneapolis, Minnesota is an ice hockey player with the New Jersey Devils. ... Martin Brodeur (born May 6, 1972, in Montreal (St-JÃ©rome), Quebec) is a professional ice hockey goaltender. ... Jed Ortmeyer (3 September 1978 in Omaha, Nebraska) is an American ice hockey player; in 2005 he is a forward for the New York Rangers. ... Steve Rucchin (b. ...

(4) Buffalo Sabres defeat (5) Philadelphia Flyers, 4 games to 2

In a repeat of the result of their 2001 playoff series, right down to the blowout victory in the deciding game, the Buffalo Sabres eliminated the Philadelphia Flyers in six games.

Game 1 went to Buffalo, 3-2, as co-captain Daniel Brière ended a marathon game with a double-overtime goal on his team-record 14th shot of the playoff game. Game 1 was also notable for a monstrous hit laid upon Philadelphia's R.J. Umberger by Buffalo's Brian Campbell during the first overtime period. Philadelphia goaltender Robert Esche was outstanding, turning aside 55 Buffalo shots before finally allowing the game-winner. Daniel Briere (b. ... R.J. Umberger born May 3, 1982 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is an American hockey player who plays for the Philadelphia Flyers. ... Brian Wesley Campbell (born on May 23, 1979, Strathroy, Ontario) is an ice hockey defenseman who plays for the Buffalo Sabres. ... Robert Esche, born January 22, 1978 in Whitesboro, New York is an American ice hockey goaltender who currently plays for the Philadelphia Flyers. ...

The Flyers, looking for revenge from Game 1, took 17 penalties in Game 2, including 3 misconducts, and a 5-minute major for checking from behind. Unfortunately for the Flyers, those penalties resulted in eleven Buffalo power plays. The Sabres scored three power play goals, rolling to an 8-2 victory. J.P. Dumont and rookie Jason Pominville each recorded hat tricks for Buffalo, and the series appeared to be well in-hand for the Sabres. Jean-Pierre Dumont (born April 1, 1978 in Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who plays for the Buffalo Sabres in the National Hockey League (NHL). ... Jason Pominville (born November 30, 1982 in Repentigny, Quebec, Canada) is a professional ice hockey right wing who currently plays for the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL. Pominville was drafted 55th overall by the Sabres in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. ... A hat-trick in sports is associated with succeeding at anything three times in three consecutive attempts. ...

The series then shifted to Philadelphia, however, and the Flyers were able to even it up with wins in Games 3 and 4. Peter Forsberg came alive offensively in Game 3, recording two second-period goals to break a 1-1 tie. The Flyers went on to win the game, 4-2. In Game 4, the Sabres jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but it was quickly lost. Forsberg once again scored two goals, including an empty-netter with 49 seconds remaining. The empty-netter proved to be the game-winner, as Buffalo's Mike Grier scored with 19 seconds left in the game to make the final score 5-4 in favor of the Flyers. (born July 20, 1973 in Ã–rnskÃ¶ldsvik, VÃ¤sternorrlands lÃ¤n, Sweden) is a professional ice hockey player from Sweden. ... Mike Grier (born January 5, 1975 in Detroit, Michigan, USA) is a National Hockey League forward. ...

Home-ice advantage continued to be key as the Sabres returned to the HSBC Arena for Game 5 and scored a 3-0 victory. Sabre goaltender Ryan Miller made 24 saves to earn his first career playoff shutout. In Game 6, home-ice advantage was finally broken as the Sabres jumped to a 3-0 lead by the end of the first period in the Wachovia Center and never looked back. Six different Sabres scored as they finished off the Flyers with a resounding 7-1 victory. HSBC Arena HSBC Arena is a sports and entertainment venue located in downtown Buffalo, New York, USA. It is home to the Buffalo Sabres hockey team and the Buffalo Bandits lacrosse team. ... Ryan Miller (born July 17, 1980 in East Lansing, Michigan) is an American hockey player who is a goaltender for the Buffalo Sabres. ... The Wachovia Center (formerly known as the CoreStates Center and the First Union Center) is an indoor arena located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. ...

Daniel Briere (b. ... Tim Connolly is a hockey player in the NHL. In 1999 he was drafted by the New York Islanders, he was the fifth player selected in the draft. ... Jay McKee has been a steady defensive blue-liner throught his tenure in Buffalo. ... Simon Gagné (February 29, 1980, Ste Foy, Quebec) is a player with the Philadelphia Flyers, National Hockey League club. ... Michael Mike Knuble is a right winger for the Philadelphia Flyers. ... Jean-Pierre Dumont (born April 1, 1978 in Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who plays for the Buffalo Sabres in the National Hockey League (NHL). ... Jason Pominville (born November 30, 1982 in Repentigny, Quebec, Canada) is a professional ice hockey right wing who currently plays for the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL. Pominville was drafted 55th overall by the Sabres in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. ... Christopher Chris Drury (born August 20, 1976 in Trumbull, Connecticut) is a professional ice hockey player who currently plays for the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL. // Playing career Chris Drury was drafted by the Quebec Nordiques 72nd overall in the 3rd round of the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. ... Ales Kotalik (born 23 December 1978 in Jindrichuv Hradec, Czech Republic) is a professional ice hockey right winger who is currently playing in his 4th season for the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL. Kotalik was drafted 164th overall by the Sabres in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. ... Petr Nedved (Born: December 9, 1971 in Liberec, Czech Republic) is a professional ice hockey leftwinger who plays for the National Hockey Leagues Phoenix Coyotes after having signed by them in 2004. ... (born July 20, 1973 in Ã–rnskÃ¶ldsvik, VÃ¤sternorrlands lÃ¤n, Sweden) is a professional ice hockey player from Sweden. ... Brian Savage is a Sudbury-born NHL hockey player, he became most popular playing for the Montreal Canadiens, though he was later traded to the Phoenix Coyotes and then to the St Louis Blues. ... Mike Grier (born January 5, 1975 in Detroit, Michigan, USA) is a National Hockey League forward. ... Thomas Vanek (born on 19 January 1984 in Vienna, Austria) is an Austrian ice hockey player. ... Ã‰ric Desjardins (born June 14, 1969, in Rouyn, Quebec) is a defenseman for the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL. // Playing career Drafted 38th overall in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens, he began his NHL career in the 1988-89 season with two goals and twelve assists... R.J. Umberger born May 3, 1982 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is an American hockey player who plays for the Philadelphia Flyers. ... Maxim Sergeyevich Afinogenov (Ru: ÐœÐ°ÐºÑÐ¸Ð¼ Ð¡ÐµÑ€Ð³ÐµÐµÐ²Ð¸Ñ‡ ÐÑ„Ð¸Ð½Ð¾Ð³ÐµÐ½Ð¾Ð², Maksim SergejeviÄ Afinogenov, ; born September 4, 1979 in Moscow, USSR; now Russia) is a professional ice hockey player. ... Ryan Miller (born July 17, 1980 in East Lansing, Michigan) is an American hockey player who is a goaltender for the Buffalo Sabres. ... Derek Roy (born 4 May 1983 in Ottawa, Ontario) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who currently plays for the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL. // Playing Career Roy started his notable hockey career very well, leading the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL with 87 points during the 1999-00... Branko Radivojevic is a Slovakian (Serb by Origin) NHL player currently (2004) having a breakout season with about 11 goals Categories: Ice hockey player stubs | Philadelphia Flyers players | Phoenix Coyotes players | Serbian sportspeople ...

Western Conference

(8) Edmonton Oilers defeat (1) Detroit Red Wings, 4 games to 2

After losing Game 1 in double overtime, the Oilers won Game 2, 4-2. The series moved to Canada even at one game apiece. Jarret Stoll provided the game-winner after 28 minutes of overtime in Game 3, giving the Oilers a 2-1 series lead. The Red Wings countered in Game 4, winning 4-2 to tie the series. Jarret Stoll (b. ...

Back in Detroit, the Oilers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second period of Game 5. Brendan Shanahan closed the gap to 3-1, and Henrik Zetterberg added his fifth goal of the series to pull Detroit within one, but Edmonton held on to take a 3-2 series lead. Returning to Edmonton, the Oilers found themselves trailing 2-0 after two periods. Fernando Pisani tied the game with two goals, his fourth and fifth of the series, before Detroit reclaimed the lead. With 3:53 to play, Ales Hemsky tied the game on a controversial power-play goal which was reviewed for several minutes due to question as to whether it was kicked in. The goal was allowed to stand, and Hemsky then provided the game-winning goal with 1:06 left in the third period. Brendan Shanahan at the 1998 Winter Olympics. ... Henrik Zetterberg (Born October 9, 1980 in Njurunda, Sweden) is a Swedish-born professional hockey player. ... Fernando Pisani (b. ... AleÅ¡ HemskÃ½ (born 13 August 1983, Pardubice, Czechoslovakia) is a professional ice hockey right wing in the National Hockey League. ...

Kirk Maltby {b. ... Robert Lang (born December 19, 1970, in Teplice, Czechoslovakia) is a professional Ice Hockey Center in the NHL, playing for the Detroit Red Wings. ... Christopher Robert Pronger (born October 10, 1974 in Dryden, Ontario, Canada) is a professional ice hockey player for the Edmonton Oilers. ... Image:Http://www. ... Jason Williams {b. ... Henrik Zetterberg (Born October 9, 1980 in Njurunda, Sweden) is a Swedish-born professional hockey player. ... Fernando Pisani (b. ... Jarret Stoll (b. ... Brad Winchester (b. ... Mathieu Schneider (June 12, 1969) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman. ... Ryan Smyth at the 2002 Winter Olympics. ... Jaroslav Å paÄek (born February 11, 1974 in Rokycany, Czechoslovakia) is a professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL. Actually, this is not the case. ... Raffi Torres (b. ... Tomas Holmström (born January 23, 1973 in Piteå, Sweden) is a Swedish ice hockey left winger. ... Nicklas Lidström (born April 28, 1970, in Västerås, Sweden) is a professional Ice Hockey defenceman in the NHL, playing for the Detroit Red Wings. ... Brendan Shanahan at the 1998 Winter Olympics. ... Shawn Horcoff (born 17 September 1978) is a professional ice hockey center who was born in Trail, British Columbia. ... Born in Sweden, he is a professional ice hockey player currently playing for the NHLs Detroit Red Wings. ... AleÅ¡ HemskÃ½ (born 13 August 1983, Pardubice, Czechoslovakia) is a professional ice hockey right wing in the National Hockey League. ...

(7) Colorado Avalanche defeat (2) Dallas Stars, 4 games to 1

The first upset of the 2006 playoffs came in this series, as the seventh-seeded Avalanche defeated the second-seeded Stars in five games. The Stars had won three of the teams' four regular-season meetings, although two of those wins were in overtime.

In Game 1, the Stars came out quickly, going up 2-0 on goals by Brenden Morrow and Bill Guerin, but five different Colorado players scored, allowing the Avalanche to claim a 5-2 win and control of the series. Colorado continued its momentum with three first-period goals to open Game 2, but Dallas responded with four goals in the second period, including two fluky goals by Jere Lehtinen and a go-ahead goal in the closing seconds by Mike Modano. Brett Clark tied the game with a short-handed goal with 2:04 to play in regulation. Four minutes into overtime Jason Arnott got a shot past Colorado goalie Jose Theodore but it hit the post. The Avalanche quickly counter-attacked, and Joe Sakic scored his NHL-record seventh career overtime goal to end the game. Brenden Morrow (born 16 January 1979 in Carlyle, Saskatchewan) is a Canadian ice hockey left winger who currently plays for the Dallas Stars of the NHL. // Playing Career Brenden Morrow started his career with the Portland Winter Hawks of the WHL. He played four seasons with them, and was drafted... William Robert Guerin (born November 9, 1970, in Worcester, Massachusetts) is a professional ice hockey right wing in the NHL, playing for the Dallas Stars. ... Jere Lehtinen (born June 24, 1973 in Espoo, Finland) is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward. ... Mike Modano featured on a sports card Michael Thomas Modano, Jr. ... Brett Clark (born December 23, 1976 in Wapella, Saskatchewan) is a professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the Colorado Avalanche of the NHL. Clark was drafted in the 6th round, 154th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft. ... Jason William Arnott (born October 11, 1974 in Collingwood, Ontario, Canada) is a professional ice hockey center in the NHL, playing for the Dallas Stars. ... José Théodore (born September 13, 1976 in Laval, Quebec, Canada) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is currently starting goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens. ... Joseph Steven Å akiÄ‡ (born July 7, 1969 in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada) is a professional ice hockey player who is the captain of the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League. ...

Returning to Denver with a 2-0 series lead, the Avalanche wasted no time as Sakic scored the first goal of Game 3. Stu Barnes tied the game short-handed, but Colorado led 2-1 after one period. Dallas took a 3-2 lead in the second period, but Andrew Brunette scored with 57 seconds remaining in the third period to tie the game, and Alex Tanguay tallied his second goal of the game at 1:09 of the first overtime to give the Avalanche a 4-3 win and a 3-0 series lead. Dallas staved off elimination in Game 4 as Niklas Hagman scored two goals in a 4-1 win. Stu Barnes (b. ... Andrew Brunette (b. ... Alex Tanguay (born November 21, 1979, in Ste-Justine, Quebec) is a professional ice hockey player in the NHL. Career overview Tanguay plays left wing. ... Niklas Hagman born December 5, 1979 in Espoo, Finland is a Finnish professional hockey player. ...

However, the Avalanche denied the Stars a chance at a continued comeback by winning Game 5 to clinch the series. Joe Sakic scored with just two seconds to play in the second period to give his team a 2-1 lead. The Stars tied it in the third period, but Sergei Zubov's attempted game-winner late in the period glanced off the post. After nearly 14 minutes of overtime, Andrew Brunette put a rebound past Marty Turco to finish the game and the series. Sergei Zubov (naturalized American citizen): born July 22, 1970, in Moscow, USSR is a defenseman for the Dallas Stars of the NHL. He is considered one of the better offensive defensemen in the NHL today. ... Marty Turco (born August 13, 1975 in Sault Ste. ...

William Robert Guerin (born November 9, 1970, in Worcester, Massachusetts) is a professional ice hockey right wing in the NHL, playing for the Dallas Stars. ... Brenden Morrow (born 16 January 1979 in Carlyle, Saskatchewan) is a Canadian ice hockey left winger who currently plays for the Dallas Stars of the NHL. // Playing Career Brenden Morrow started his career with the Portland Winter Hawks of the WHL. He played four seasons with them, and was drafted... Rob Blake in the Team Canada uniform. ... Brett Clark (born December 23, 1976 in Wapella, Saskatchewan) is a professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the Colorado Avalanche of the NHL. Clark was drafted in the 6th round, 154th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft. ... Milan Hejduk (February 14, 1976 in Ústí nad Labem, Czechoslovakia) is a professional ice hockey player who currently plays for the Colorado Avalanche. ... John-Michael Liles is one of the defensemen for the NHL team the Colorado Avalanche, along with Rob Blake, Patrice Brisebois, Kurt Sauer, Karlis Skrastins, Brett Clark, Bob Boughner, and Ossi Vaananen, as of the 2005-2006 season. ... Wojtek Wolski (born February 24, 1986 in Zabrze, Poland) is an ice hockey center, currently of the Colorado Avalanche of the NHL. He was drafted #21 overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft as the first round pick of the Avalanche. ... Jere Lehtinen (born June 24, 1973 in Espoo, Finland) is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward. ... Jussi Jokinen (born April 1, 1983 in Kalajoki, Finland) is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League. ... Mike Modano featured on a sports card Michael Thomas Modano, Jr. ... Andrew Brunette (b. ... Joseph Steven Å akiÄ‡ (born July 7, 1969 in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada) is a professional ice hockey player who is the captain of the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League. ... Stu Barnes (b. ... Jon Klemm (January 8, 1970) in Cranbrook, British Columbia is a professional ice hockey player who currently plays defense for the National Hockey Leagues Dallas Stars. ... Sergei Zubov (naturalized American citizen): born July 22, 1970, in Moscow, USSR is a defenseman for the Dallas Stars of the NHL. He is considered one of the better offensive defensemen in the NHL today. ... Alex Tanguay (born November 21, 1979, in Ste-Justine, Quebec) is a professional ice hockey player in the NHL. Career overview Tanguay plays left wing. ... Niklas Hagman born December 5, 1979 in Espoo, Finland is a Finnish professional hockey player. ... Brad Richardson (February 4, 1985 in Belleville, Ontario is a professional ice hockey player who currently plays center and left wing for the National Hockey Leagues Colorado Avalanche. ... Jim Dowd as a New Jersey Devil Jim Dowd is a player in the National Hockey League (NHL). ...

(6) Mighty Ducks of Anaheim defeat (3) Calgary Flames, 4 games to 3

The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim ended the Calgary Flames' season by slamming the door shut on them by winning a decisive Game 7, 3-0, behind the stellar play of goalie Ilya Bryzgalov. To many sports analysts, the turning point in the series was an altercation in Game 6 between Anaheim's François Beauchemin and Calgary's Jarome Iginla, where Beauchemin knocked Iginla down in one punch. The Flames, the defending Western Conference champion, were eliminated in the first round despite winning the Northwest Division. Ilya Bryzgalov Ilya Bryzgalov(Russian:Ð˜Ð»ÑŒÑ ÐÐ¸ÐºÐ¾Ð»Ð°ÐµÐ²Ð¸Ñ‡ Ð‘Ñ€Ñ‹Ð·Ð³Ð°Ð»Ð¾Ð²) (b. ... FranÃ§ois Beauchemin (born June 4, 1980, in Sorel, Quebec, Canada) is a professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim of the National Hockey League. ... Iginla, December 21, 2005 Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis Iginla (born July 1, 1977 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) is a professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League (NHL). ... The NHLs Northwest Division was formed in 1998 as part of the Western Conference due to expansion. ...

Anthony Lewis Amonte, usually known as Tony Amonte (born August 2, 1970 in Hingham, Massachusetts) is a professional ice hockey player with the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League. ... Darren McCarty is a Canadian-born ice hockey player for the NHLs Calgary Flames. ... Jeff Friesen (b. ... Kristian Huselius (born November 10, 1978 in Osterhaninge, Sweden) is a professional ice hockey player. ... Dion Phaneuf (born April 10, 1985 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) is a professional Canadian ice hockey player and currently plays for the Calgary Flames as a defenceman. ... Chris Kunitz (born September 26, 1979 in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada) is a professional ice hockey left wing who currently plays for the Anaheim Mighty Ducks of the NHL. He is currently in his second season in the NHL, and so far (as of January 3, 2006), he has played 27... Lupul playing for the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks Joffrey Lupul (born September 23, 1983 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) is a professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the Anaheim Mighty Ducks of the National Hockey League. ... Scott Niedermayer (born August 31, 1973, in Edmonton, Alberta) is a professional ice hockey hockey player with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the NHL. Standing 6 ft 1 in, 200 pounds (91 kg), Niedermayer is considered to be one of the top defencemen in the league. ... Samuel PÃ¥hlsson (born December 17, 1977, in Ã–rnskÃ¶ldsvik, Sweden) is a professional ice hockey player who currently plays for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the National Hockey League. ... Daymond Langkow (born September 27, 1976 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) is a professional ice hockey player. ... Robyn Regehr playing for the Calgary Flames on December 21, 2005 Robyn Regehr, (born April 18, 1980, in Recife, Brazil) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. ... Ryan Getzlaf born May 10, 1985 in Regina, Saskatchewan is a Canadian professional hockey player who plays for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. ... Sean ODonnell (born October 13, 1971 in Ottawa, Ontario) is a professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the Phoenix Coyotes of the NHL. ODonnell was drafted in the 6th round, 123rd overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft. ... Teemu Ilmari SelÃ¤nne (born July 3, 1970 in Helsinki, Finland), is a professional Finnish ice hockey right winger. ... Andy McDonald (born August 25, 1977 in Strathroy, Ontario, Canada) is a professional ice hockey centre currently playing for the Anaheim Mighty Ducks of the National Hockey League. ... Rob Niedermayer (b. ... Stephane Yelle (b. ... Ilya Bryzgalov Ilya Bryzgalov(Russian:Ð˜Ð»ÑŒÑ ÐÐ¸ÐºÐ¾Ð»Ð°ÐµÐ²Ð¸Ñ‡ Ð‘Ñ€Ñ‹Ð·Ð³Ð°Ð»Ð¾Ð²) (b. ... Ruslan Salei (born November 2, 1974 in Minsk, Belarus) is a professional hockey defenseman. ...

(5) San Jose Sharks defeat (4) Nashville Predators, 4 games to 1

The 4-5 matchup in the West pitted the Nashville Predators against the San Jose Sharks, the first playoff meeting between the two teams. Nashville had dominated much of the season on their way to the fourth seed in the conference, while San Jose rallied back from an early-season slump all the way to the 5th seed, thanks to a December trade for superstar Joe Thornton from the Boston Bruins. The teams split their regular season series, with both of San Jose's wins coming in overtime. Joseph Eric Thornton (born July 2, 1979, in London, Ontario) is a professional ice hockey centre in the National Hockey League (NHL), currently playing for the San Jose Sharks. ... The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts. ...

Both teams also came into the series with fresh faces defending their goals. After Sharks starter Evgeni Nabokov stumbled through most of the regular season, backup Vesa Toskala earned the spot as playoff starter with his impressive play during San Jose's strech run to clinch a playoff spot. On the other hand, Nashville's star goaltender Tomas Vokoun would be diagnosed with a blood disorder in early April that would keep him sidelined for the rest of the season, forcing backup Chris Mason to become Nashville's top netminder for the playoffs. Evgeni Nabokov (Ru: Ð•Ð²Ð³ÐµÐ½Ð¸Ð¹ ÐÐ°Ð±Ð¾ÐºÐ¾Ð², Jevgenij Nabokov) (born July 25, 1975 in Ã–skemen, U.S.S.R., now Kazakhstan), is a professional ice hockey player. ... Vesa Toskala (born May 20, 1977 in Tampere, Finland), is an ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the San Jose Sharks of the NHL. Toskala was selected by San Jose in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft (4th round, 90th overall). ... TomÃ¡Å¡ Vokoun (born July 2, 1976 in Karlovy Vary, Czechoslovakia) is a professional ice hockey player. ... Chris Mason (born April 20, 1976 in Red Deer, Alberta) is a professional ice hockey goaltender who currently plays for the Nashville Predators of the NHL. Mason was drafted in the 5th round, 122th overall by the New Jersey Devils in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. ...

The Predators would be first to strike, winning the first game 4-3 at home with four power-play goals, three of them coming in the first period. Ironically, it would be San Jose's power play that would be the undoing of Nashville. Game 2 had San Jose returning the favor from Game 1, with three first-period power play goals from Patrick Marleau, Jonathan Cheechoo and Mark Smith and Toskala shutting out the Predators in a solid 3-0 victory. Patrick Marleau (born September 15, 1979, in Aneroid, Saskatchewan) is a professional ice hockey centre who currently plays for the San Jose Sharks of the NHL. Although he struggled early, Marleau learned to combine his excellent offensive talents with defensive prowess from former Sharks head coach Darryl Sutter. ... Jonathan Cheechoo Jonathan Earl Cheechoo known as the Cheechoo Train, (born July 15, 1980 in Moose Factory, Ontario) is a professional ice hockey right winger who currently plays for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League. ... Mark Smith (born October 24, 1977, Edmonton, Alberta) is an ice hockey centre for the NHLs San Jose Sharks. ...

The series changed over to San Jose for Games 3 and 4, but the Predators' tendency for penalties continued to be taken advantage of by the Sharks. In Game 3, a short-handed goal by Kimmo Timonen gave the Predators an early lead, but San Jose bounced back with four unanswered goals, two of them by Marleau and one on the power play by Steve Bernier, en route to a 4-1 San Jose victory. Game 4 saw Marleau score a hat trick, with two of his goals coming on the power play (and another by Smith scored right after another Nashville penalty expired) leading to a 5-4 San Jose victory as the series changed back to Nashville for Game 5. Unfortunately for Nashville, a Paul Kariya goal would not be enough to combat power play goals by Marleau and Bernier in a decisive 2-1 victory for San Jose in Game 5, giving the Sharks the series. Kimmo Timonen Kimmo Timonen (born March 18, 1975, in Kuopio, Finland) is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenseman in the NHL, playing for the Nashville Predators. ... Steve Bernier (born March 31st, 1985 in Quebec City, Quebec) is a professional NHL ice hockey forward who plays for the San Jose Sharks. ... Paul Kariya Paul Tetsuhiko Kariya (born October 16, 1974 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada), is a professional ice hockey player. ...

Martin Erat in a Nashville Predators 3rd jersey Martin Erat (Born August 28, 1981, in Trebic, Czech Republic), is a professional ice hockey player. ... Adam Hall (Born August 14, 1980 in Kalamazoo, MI) is a professional ice hockey player. ... Mike Sillinger is a vetern ice hockey player in the NHL. Born in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, this center has played for fourteen seasons. ... Shea Weber (born August 14, 1985 in Sicamous, British Columbia) is an American Hockey League defenceman for the Milwaukee Admirals, the farm team of the Nashville Predators. ... Nils Ekman (born March 11, 1976 in Stockholm, Sweden) is an ice hockey top-six left winger for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League. ... Mark Smith (born October 24, 1977, Edmonton, Alberta) is an ice hockey centre for the NHLs San Jose Sharks. ... Scott Thornton (born January 9, 1971 in London, Ontario, Canada) is a professional ice hockey winger. ... Vesa Toskala (born May 20, 1977 in Tampere, Finland), is an ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the San Jose Sharks of the NHL. Toskala was selected by San Jose in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft (4th round, 90th overall). ... Jonathan Cheechoo Jonathan Earl Cheechoo known as the Cheechoo Train, (born July 15, 1980 in Moose Factory, Ontario) is a professional ice hockey right winger who currently plays for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League. ... Patrick Marleau (born September 15, 1979, in Aneroid, Saskatchewan) is a professional ice hockey centre who currently plays for the San Jose Sharks of the NHL. Although he struggled early, Marleau learned to combine his excellent offensive talents with defensive prowess from former Sharks head coach Darryl Sutter. ... Kimmo Timonen Kimmo Timonen (born March 18, 1975, in Kuopio, Finland) is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenseman in the NHL, playing for the Nashville Predators. ... Steve Bernier (born March 31st, 1985 in Quebec City, Quebec) is a professional NHL ice hockey forward who plays for the San Jose Sharks. ... Scott Hartnell (b. ... Paul Kariya Paul Tetsuhiko Kariya (born October 16, 1974 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada), is a professional ice hockey player. ... Patrick Rissmiller (October 26, 1978) from Belmont, Massachusetts is a professional ice hockey player who currently plays center and left wing for the National Hockey Leagues San Jose Sharks. ...

Conference Semifinals

Eastern Conference

(4) Buffalo Sabres defeat (1) Ottawa Senators, 4 games to 1

In a battle of the top two teams from the Northeast Division in 2006, the Ottawa Senators and the Buffalo Sabres squared off in this series. The Senators won five of the eight meetings between the teams in the regular season, including several lopsided results early in the season.

Game 1 of the series was a wild, back-and-forth affair, with the Sabres having to tie the game five separate times -- including a goal by Tim Connolly with just 10.7 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 6 -- before winning just 18 seconds into overtime on a goal by Chris Drury.

The remainder of the series would be tightly played defensively, though, and would feature excellent goaltending by both Buffalo's Ryan Miller and Ottawa's Ray Emery. A 2-1 victory by the Sabres in Game 2 was highlighted by 43 Miller saves -- including one on a breakaway by Jason Spezza -- and allowed them to take a 2-0 series lead home.

Game 3 went to overtime, and was won once again by the Sabres on a shot by J.P. Dumont. Sabre fans entered the HSBC Arena for Game 4 prepared for a sweep, but were disappointed as the Senators were able to stave off elimination with a 2-1 victory.

Ottawa returned home for Game 5 with hopes of pulling even closer and making the series even more interesting. The game went to overtime but ended quickly as Jason Pominville put home a shorthanded goal just 2:26 in to end the Senators' season. There have been six short-handed overtime goals in Stanley Cup Playoff history up to this point, but this was the first one to ever end a series. This put the Sabres into the Eastern Conference Finals for the third time in the past eight seasons.

Teppo Numminen is a hockey defenceman born in Tampere, Finland on July 3, 1968. ... Jochen Hecht (b. ... Brian Pothier (born April 15, 1977 in New Bedford, Massachusetts) is a professional ice hockey player currently playing in the NHL for the Ottawa Senators. ... Henrik Tallinder (born January 10, 1979 in Stockholm, Sweden) is a professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL. Tallinder was drafted 48th overall by the Sabres in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. ...

(2) Carolina Hurricanes defeat (3) New Jersey Devils, 4 games to 1

The Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils, both division champions, met in the Conference Semifinals. The teams had met twice before in the playoffs: In 2001, the top-seeded Devils dispatched the Hurricanes in six games in the first round; Carolina returned the favor the following year as the third seed (the Hurricanes had an inferior record, but held home advantage as a division champion). In the 2005-06 season, the Hurricanes won both games in 2005, while the Devils won both games in 2006, the last towards the beginning of their 15-game winning streak.

Game 1 of the series, in Carolina, featured sloppy play by the Devils. Ray Whitney scored a power-play goal in the first period and added another in the second period. Frustration set in for New Jersey as the Hurricanes scored two quick power-play goals late in the second, and then two more power-play goals midway through the third period, leading to Martin Brodeur being pulled from his position as Devils' goalie in favor of Scott Clemmensen. Never in question, the game went to Carolina 6-0. Ray Whitney is a politician in the United Kingdom. ... Martin Brodeur (born May 6, 1972, in Montreal (St-JÃ©rome), Quebec) is a professional ice hockey goaltender. ... Scott Clemmensen born July 23, 1977 in Des Moines, Iowa is a professional ice hockey goalie who plays for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League. ...

Game 2, also in Carolina, was a much cleaner and low-scoring affair than the first game. New Jersey was three seconds away from winning Game 2 by a 2-1 score and sending the series back to New Jersey tied 1-1 before Eric Staal scored the game-tying goal just before time expired to send the game into overtime. Niclas Wallin tallied the game-winner 3:09 into overtime. The devastating defeat hurt New Jersey's morale, and then back in New Jersey for Game 3, the Devils lost another 3-2 game, with Carolina's Rod Brind'Amour scoring the game-winner with 1:01 to play in the second period. The third period featured stellar play from goalies Cam Ward of Carolina and Martin Brodeur of New Jersey. Niclas Wallin born February 20, 1975 in Boden, Sweden is a professional ice hockey player who plays for the NHLs Carolina Hurricanes. ...

With a four-game sweep and elimination staring them in the face, New Jersey jumped out to a 5-0 lead and won game 4 with a final score of 5-1, including two goals by Scott Gomez and Jay Pandolfo's first goal of the postseason. Goalie Cam Ward of Carolina was pulled after the fourth goal for Martin Gerber, the man that he displaced behind the goal in Game 3 of Carolina's first-round series with Montreal. Jay Pandolfo (born 27 December 1974 in Winchester, Massachusetts) is an American ice hockey forward who currently plays for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League. ... Martin Gerber (b. ...

Ward would return to the net a day later back in Carolina in Game 5, and it looked like he might have a similarly short outing after Brian Gionta tallied in the game's first minute. However, Ward and the Carolina defense clamped down on the Devils attack as the Hurricanes killed off 5 straight New Jersey penalties. Hurricanes defenseman Frantisek Kaberle also added a goal to tie the score at 1. When the Hurricanes received their first power play over halfway into the game, Carolina tallied on a rush up ice, with Brind'Amour and Justin Williams feeding an open Cory Stillman who beat Brodeur. Whitney and Staal added late markers to make the final game and series totals 4-1 in favor of the Hurricanes. Brian Gionta (born January 18, 1979 in Rochester, New York, United States) is an American ice hockey rightwinger. ... Frantisek Kaberle (born November 8, 1973 in Kladno, Czech Republic) is a Czech Republic professional ice hockey defenseman who plays for the Carolina Hurricanes in the National Hockey League (NHL). ... Justin Williams (born 4 October 1981 in Cobourg, Ontario) is a Canadian ice hockey right winger who currently plays for the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL. Williams was drafted 28th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. ... Cory Stillman is a professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League (NHL). ...

Doug Weight (Born January 21, 1971 in Warren, Michigan, USA) is a National Hockey League centre. ... Niclas Wallin born February 20, 1975 in Boden, Sweden is a professional ice hockey player who plays for the NHLs Carolina Hurricanes. ... Sergei Brylin (born January 13, 1974 in Moscow, USSR) is a forward on New Jersey Devils NHL team since 1994. ... Jay Pandolfo (born 27 December 1974 in Winchester, Massachusetts) is an American ice hockey forward who currently plays for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League. ... Frantisek Kaberle (born November 8, 1973 in Kladno, Czech Republic) is a Czech Republic professional ice hockey defenseman who plays for the Carolina Hurricanes in the National Hockey League (NHL). ...

Western Conference

(8) Edmonton Oilers defeat (5) San Jose Sharks, 4 games to 2

Coming into this series, many saw this matchup as a toss-up: the underrated Oilers were riding an emotional high following their Game 6 third-period comeback over the Detroit Red Wings in the first round, while the Sharks easily dispatched an uninspired Nashville Predators club in five games. It also would be a test for two mostly young teams, as leadership from such players as Patrick Marleau and Alyn McCauley of the Sharks and Chris Pronger of Edmonton would be necessary for success. Patrick Marleau (born September 15, 1979, in Aneroid, Saskatchewan) is a professional ice hockey centre who currently plays for the San Jose Sharks of the NHL. Although he struggled early, Marleau learned to combine his excellent offensive talents with defensive prowess from former Sharks head coach Darryl Sutter. ... Alyn McCauley (born May 29, 1977 in Brockville, Ontario) is a professional ice hockey player. ... Christopher Robert Pronger (born October 10, 1974 in Dryden, Ontario, Canada) is a professional ice hockey player for the Edmonton Oilers. ...

Game 1 was a muddled, penalty-filled battle. Edmonton took a 1st period lead off a Jaroslav Spacek power-play goal, but the Patrick Marleau line was the order of the day. Marleau scored one goal (raising his playoff-leading total to eight) and assisted on the other, leading the Sharks to a convincing 2-1 win. Game 2 also saw a San Jose 2-1 victory, with Joe Thornton scoring the game-winning goal on a power play in the second period. Jaroslav Å paÄek (born February 11, 1974 in Rokycany, Czechoslovakia) is a professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL. Actually, this is not the case. ... Patrick Marleau (born September 15, 1979, in Aneroid, Saskatchewan) is a professional ice hockey centre who currently plays for the San Jose Sharks of the NHL. Although he struggled early, Marleau learned to combine his excellent offensive talents with defensive prowess from former Sharks head coach Darryl Sutter. ...

The site changed to Edmonton for Game 3, and the Sharks and Oilers engaged in an epic, triple-overtime thriller, the longest playoff game in this postseason to date, before Edmonton's Shawn Horcoff finally ended the game with a goal giving the Oilers a 3-2 win. Invigorated by their tense victory in Game 3, Edmonton shook off an early 3-1 deficit in Game 4 and scored five unanswered goals late in the game, including three in the final period to knock out San Jose's goalie, Vesa Toskala, to win 6-3 and even the series 2-2 going back to San Jose.

Game 5 was the first time that a road team won a game in the series with a 6-3 Edmonton victory. The teams entered a crazy third period with Edmonton up 2-1 having killed off 6 penalties in the first and second periods. Twelve seconds in, Shawn Horcoff of the Oilers managed to put in a short-handed goal past Vesa Toskala making the score 3-1. Shortly after, the Sharks scored their first power play goal in three games with Christian Ehrhoff putting it in the Edmonton net at 0:44. Less than two minutes later Cheechoo put another one past Roloson tying the game up. However, the Oilers answered back with Fernando Pisani scoring his second goal of the game. Despite the rather crazy opening, the Sharks took 6 penalties in the third period, which proved very costly. Jarret Stoll quickly capitalized on a Jonathan Cheechoo interference call and then Ryan Smyth for an Edmonton five-on-three later in the period sealing the game. The two teams headed back to Edmonton, where the Oilers took the game 2-0, with the game-winning goal from Michael Peca, to win the series, 4-2.

Christian Ehrhoff (born July 6, 1982 in Moers, West Germany) is a NHL player currently playing defense for the San Jose Sharks. ... Tom Preissing (born December 3, 1978 in Arlington Heights, IL) is a professional ice hockey defenseman who currently plays for the San Jose Sharks of the NHL. // College career Preissing was signed as a free agent out of college. ... Joseph Eric Thornton (born July 2, 1979, in London, Ontario) is a professional ice hockey centre in the National Hockey League (NHL), currently playing for the San Jose Sharks. ... Marc-Andre Bergeron (born October 13, 1980 in Saint-Louis-de-France, Quebec, Canada) is a French Canadian professional hockey defenceman. ... Michael Peca (born March 26, 1974 in Toronto, Ontario) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who plays for the Edmonton Oilers in the National Hockey League (NHL). ... Jason Matthew Smith (Born November 2, 1973 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada) is a professional ice hockey defenceman in the National Hockey League since the 1993-94 season. ... Albert Dwayne Roli Roloson (born October 12, 1969 in Simcoe, Ontario, Canada) is an NHL goaltender for the Edmonton Oilers. ...

(6) Mighty Ducks of Anaheim defeat (7) Colorado Avalanche, 4 games to 0

Fresh off of the first round's only series to go the full seven games, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim advanced to play the Colorado Avalanche in the second round. The Avalanche went 3-1 against Anaheim in the regular season, though all four games were decided by a single goal, and Anaheim's win was in overtime. This is the first playoff series between the teams.

Game 1 started slow with no goals in the first period, but Samuel Påhlsson would give Anaheim the lead early in the second. Two goals in the last minute of the period gave Anaheim a 4-0 advantage that would be extended to 5-0 by game's end, as rookie Ilya Bryzgalov recorded his second straight shutout. Samuel PÃ¥hlsson (born December 17, 1977, in Ã–rnskÃ¶ldsvik, Sweden) is a professional ice hockey player who currently plays for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the National Hockey League. ... Ilya Bryzgalov Ilya Bryzgalov(Russian:Ð˜Ð»ÑŒÑ ÐÐ¸ÐºÐ¾Ð»Ð°ÐµÐ²Ð¸Ñ‡ Ð‘Ñ€Ñ‹Ð·Ð³Ð°Ð»Ð¾Ð²) (b. ...

Bryzgalov was at it again in Game 2, becoming the first goalie since his teammate, Jean-Sebastien Giguere, to record three straight playoff shutouts as the Ducks won 3-0. Bryzgalov joins Frank McCool as the only rookie to accomplish such a feat, which was tested late when the Avalanche pulled goalie Jose Theodore in a desperate attempt to score. Stretching back to midway through the first period of Game 6 of the previous series, the Ducks have not been scored on in 229:42, giving Bryzgalov the fourth longest playoff shutout streak in NHL history. He would break the record for longest such streak at 0:27 of the third period of Game 3 if the Avalanche did not score before then. Jean-SÃ©bastien Jiggy GiguÃ¨re (born May 16, 1977 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada) is a French Canadian professional hockey goaltender. ... Frank McCool October 27, 1918 - May 20, 1973 in Calgary, Alberta was a Canadian professional ice hockey goalie who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the National Hockey League. ... José Théodore (born September 13, 1976 in Laval, Quebec, Canada) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is currently starting goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens. ...

However, the third game was a little bit more climactic than the first two, when Bryzgalov recorded two shutouts to take the Avs out of the game. Dan Hinote scored late in the 1st period for the Avs, setting Bryzgalov's streak at second all-time, clocking in at just under 250 minutes. Joffrey Lupul brought the Ducks back even in the second, but a Jim Dowd tally gave the Avs another lead. Two more from Lupul, his first career hat trick, put the Ducks in a 3-2 lead late, but a Rob Blake follow-up from a heavy Alex Tanguay shot tied the score. It took 16:30 of extra time to get a winner, and it was decided by Joffrey Lupul, whose fourth goal on the night put the Ducks in a commanding 3-0 series lead. Dan Hinote (born January 30, 1977 in Leesburg, Florida) is an NHL ice hockey player currently playing for the Colorado Avalanche. ... Lupul playing for the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks Joffrey Lupul (born September 23, 1983 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) is a professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the Anaheim Mighty Ducks of the National Hockey League. ... Jim Dowd as a New Jersey Devil Jim Dowd is a player in the National Hockey League (NHL). ... Rob Blake in the Team Canada uniform. ... Alex Tanguay (born November 21, 1979, in Ste-Justine, Quebec) is a professional ice hockey player in the NHL. Career overview Tanguay plays left wing. ...

The fourth game would be the Avs' last in the playoffs, as they lost 4-1 in Colorado. Joe Sakic scored the only goal for the Avs early in the first period. The Ducks equalized late in the first period via a Todd Marchant goal. Bryzgalov didn't allow the puck past him in the next two periods, with Teemu Selanne scoring the winning goal early in the second period. Also, Dustin Penner scoring in the sixth minute of the third period, and Marchant scored his second goal of the game late in the third period to secure Anaheim's berth in the Western Conference finals. Joseph Steven Å akiÄ‡ (born July 7, 1969 in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada) is a professional ice hockey player who is the captain of the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League. ... Todd Marchant (born August 12, 1973 in Buffalo, New York, USA) is a National Hockey League centre. ... Teemu Ilmari Selänne (born July 3, 1970), The Finnish Flash, began his NHL career with the Winnipeg Jets. ... Dustin Penner (born September 28, 1982 in Winkler, Manitoba, Canada) is a professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the Anaheim Mighty Ducks of the National Hockey League. ...

Travis Moen (born April 6, 1982 in Swift Current, Saskatchewan) is Canadian hockey player for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim of the NHL. He was originally drafted in the fifth round of the 2000 NHL Draft by the Calgary Flames. ... Ilya Bryzgalov (b. ... Dan Hinote (born January 30, 1977 in Leesburg, Florida) is an NHL ice hockey player currently playing for the Colorado Avalanche. ... Todd Marchant (born August 12, 1973 in Buffalo, New York, USA) is a National Hockey League centre. ... Dustin Penner (born September 28, 1982 in Winkler, Manitoba, Canada) is a professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the Anaheim Mighty Ducks of the National Hockey League. ...

Conference Finals

Eastern Conference

(2) Carolina Hurricanes defeat (4) Buffalo Sabres, 4 games to 3

The Carolina Hurricanes and Buffalo Sabres began the series labeled as "mirror images" of each other. Both teams were expected to do little in the pre-season, largely due to a lack of major moves in free agency in the off-season attributed to both teams' small-market status. Yet, both teams succeeded, thanks to a successful adjustment to the new, up-tempo game played in the NHL. The two teams were separated by just two points in the regular season, and both finished with 52 wins (Carolina had more points by virtue of taking two more games to overtime than Buffalo did). In their post-season runs, both teams had won their first round series 4-2, and their second round series 4-1. Both teams' post-season success had been credited to team defense, offensive scoring depth and the outstanding play of a rookie goaltender, Ryan Miller for the Sabres, and Cam Ward for the Hurricanes. The Carolina Hurricanes, a professional ice hockey club, is a National Hockey League (NHL) team based in Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina, and is the citys only major league team. ... The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. ... Ryan Seth James Miller was born in 1974 in Albuquerque, New Mexico to a family of three brothers. ... Cameron Ward (born February 29, 1984 in Sherwood Park, Alberta) is a Canadian hockey goaltender who currently plays in the National Hockey League for the Carolina Hurricanes. ...

Thus, something had to give when the two teams first took the ice for Game 1 on May 20 in Carolina. One theme that held true early was Buffalo's propensity for scoring first, as defenseman Henrik Tallinder finished off a barrage on Ward by beating the rookie goaltender three minutes in. Carolina amped up the pressure, and Rod Brind'Amour converted a turnover into a goal that ensured a 1-1 first period deadlock. Buffalo responded in the second, outshooting Carolina 13-4 and getting a beautiful goal from co-captain Daniel Briere in transition. Carolina applied plenty of pressure in the 3rd, but the Sabres took advantage of a failed power-play when Jay McKee emerged from the penalty box to beat Ward for another Buffalo transition marker. Mike Commodore cut the defecit to 3-2 with a shorthanded tally three minutes from the buzzer, but the Hurricanes failed to take advantage of opportunities down the stretch and the Sabres celebrated a 3-2 win. May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... Henrik Tallinder (born January 10, 1979 in Stockholm, Sweden) is a professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL. Tallinder was drafted 48th overall by the Sabres in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. ... Rod BrindAmour at the 1998 Winter Olympics. ... Daniel Briere (born October 6, 1977 in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada) is a French Canadian professional hockey centre. ... Jay McKee has been a steady defensive blue-liner throught his tenure in Buffalo. ... Mike Commodore (born November 7, 1979 in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada) is a professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL. Commodore was drafted 42nd overall by the New Jersey Devils in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. ...

Buffalo head coach Lindy Ruff expected the Hurricanes to come out and give their best effort in Game 2. Carolina did not disappoint. Urged on by a raucous RBC Center crowd, the 'Canes had the better of the play in the 1st period, climaxed by a Frantisek Kaberle power-play goal. However, Buffalo evened the game 48 seconds from intermission when a point shot pinballed past Ward. Perhaps as a result of the tie score, the 'Canes put the pedal to the medal and absolutely dominated Buffalo in the second period, outshooting the Sabres 16-4 and picking up two goals from veteran forward Ray Whitney. A near Buffalo goal, saved from trickling in the net by an alert Hurricanes defenseman Glen Wesley, and a Justin Williams tally in the third period, which should have been stopped by Miller, both seemed meaningless at the time, but two late Buffalo goals (by Chris Drury and Derek Roy) made them quite important. The 4-3 Hurricanes win was not without controversy, as 'Canes boss Peter Laviolette accused the Sabres of diving in order to draw four penalty calls against Carolina in the third period. Ruff shot back that the Sabres were just following Carolina's example, beginning a war of words between the two bosses. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Carolina Hurricanes at the RBC Center NC State Wolfpack at the RBC Center The RBC Center (originally the Raleigh Entertainment and Sports Arena) is an indoor arena located in Raleigh, North Carolina. ... Frantisek Kaberle (born November 8, 1973 in Kladno, Czech Republic) is a Czech Republic professional ice hockey defenseman who plays for the Carolina Hurricanes in the National Hockey League (NHL). ... Ray Whitney is a politician in the United Kingdom. ... Glen Wesley {b. ... Justin Williams (born 4 October 1981 in Cobourg, Ontario) is a Canadian ice hockey right winger who currently plays for the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL. Williams was drafted 28th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. ... Christopher Chris Drury (born August 20, 1976 in Trumbull, Connecticut) is a professional ice hockey player who currently plays for the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL. // Playing career Chris Drury was drafted by the Quebec Nordiques 72nd overall in the 3rd round of the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. ... Derek Roy (born 4 May 1983 in Ottawa, Ontario) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who currently plays for the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL. // Playing Career Roy started his notable hockey career very well, leading the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL with 87 points during the 1999-00... Peter Laviolette (born December 7, 1964 in Franklin, Massachusetts, USA) is an American former National Hockey League defenceman and current head coach. ...

Game 3 was similar, except this time the two teams were reversed. Buffalo had the better of the play in the 1st, but led just 1-1, this time tieing the game when Chris Drury deflected a shot past Ward. In this second period, it would be Buffalo that dominated, unleashing a barrage on Ward that yielded three goals, two for Daniel Briere and one for Ales Kotalik. After the Kotalik goal, Ward was pulled in favor of Martin Gerber, the Hurricanes #1 goaltender during the regular season. Gerber was immediately called into duty and made two impressive saves on break-aways, giving Carolina momentum. The Hurricanes responded with tallies from Cory Stillman and Eric Staal, extending Staal's point streak to 13 games. A fourth goal would not come in spite of lots of pressure in the Buffalo zone in the final moments. The Sabres emerged with a 2-1 series lead, but lost Tallinder, one of their top defensemen, to a broken arm that would sideline him for the rest of the post-season. Christopher Chris Drury (born August 20, 1976 in Trumbull, Connecticut) is a professional ice hockey player who currently plays for the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL. // Playing career Chris Drury was drafted by the Quebec Nordiques 72nd overall in the 3rd round of the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. ... Daniel Briere (born October 6, 1977 in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada) is a French Canadian professional hockey centre. ... Ales Kotalik (born 23 December 1978 in Jindrichuv Hradec, Czech Republic) is a professional ice hockey right winger who is currently playing in his 4th season for the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL. Kotalik was drafted 164th overall by the Sabres in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. ... Martin Gerber (b. ... Cory Stillman is a professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League (NHL). ... Eric Joseph Brent Staal (born on 29 October 1984 in Thunder Bay, Ontario) is a Canadian ice hockey player who plays for the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL Playing career Eric Staal Staal was selected 2nd overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes. ...

Once more, the past game's result would have no reflection on the next game, as Game 4 provided, as of yet, the series' first large margin of victory for either side. The game went Carolina's way, as the 'Canes emerged with a 4-0 shutout win. Much of the pregame conjecture centered around whom Laviolette would turn to in net. In the end, the call went to the veteran Gerber, and the Switzerland native responded. Gerber made big save after big save in the first period, keeping the score deadlocked before Mark Recchi and Staal tallied to give the 'Canes a 2-0 1st period lead. Andrew Ladd and Bret Hedican added their first goals of the post-season to provide the final margin. The goals and the result were largely blamed on a Buffalo defense missing Talinder, Dmitri Kalinin and Teppo Numminen, who had been injured in Game 1, forcing seldom-used Jeff Jillson and Doug Janik into the line-up. Mark Recchi at the 1998 Winter Olympics. ... Andrew Ladd born December 12, 1985 in Maple Ridge, British Columbia in a Canadian ice hockey player who plays for the NHLs Carolina Hurricanes. ... Bret Hedican (born on 10 August 1970 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA) is an American NHL hockey player, married to figure-skater Kristi Yamaguchi. ... Dmitri Kalinin born July 22, 1980 in Cheljabinsk, Russia is an ice hockey player currently playing in the NHL for the Buffalo Sabres. ... Teppo Numminen is a hockey defenceman born in Tampere, Finland on July 3, 1968. ... Jeff Jillson (born July 24, 1980 in North Smithfield, Rhode Island) is an American professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League. ... Doug Janik (born March 26, 1980 in Agawam, Massachusetts) is a professional ice hockey defensman who is currently playing for the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL. Janik was drafted 55th overall in the 2nd round by the Sabres in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. ...

Ruff was miffed that these individuals received so much blame in Game 4, and wanted his team to respond in Game 5. Once more, Gerber started in net for the Hurricanes, but on this night he was not on his game. Drury scored his ninth of the post-season to open the scoring and, after a Williams goal 17 seconds later tied the score, Derek Roy beat Gerber on a seemingly stoppable shot to give the Sabres a 2-1 lead at the first intermission. Things got worse two minutes into the second when a fallen Wesley and a Commodore turnover allowed Sabre defenseman Toni Lydman to break-away in and beat Gerber, giving Buffalo a 3-1 lead. Laviolette once more made a mid-game switch, this time turning back to Ward, who had not played poorly in his Game 3 ousting. Momentum would swing Carolina's way once more, and within 10 minutes the Hurricanes had evened the score thanks to goals from Recchi and Brind'Amour. A tense thirty minutes followed, with neither team wanting to make a pivotal mistake. As a result, the Hurricanes registered only one shot on goal in the entire 3rd period. The best scoring opportunity in this frame was a Maxim Afinogenov break-away that Ward turned aside. Buffalo had an opportunity to win the game when Hedican was whistled for hooking 41 seconds from the final gun. The Sabres failed to score in regulation, sending the series to overtime for the first time. Though the power play would pass without a score, Buffalo exhibited continued pressure on the Hurricane net, forcing Ward to make a game-saving stop on Jochen Hecht. Momentum from this stop built when Sabre forward J.P. Dumont was sent to the penalty box for hooking. The Hurricanes would make Dumont and Buffalo pay, as Stillman beat Miller with a rebound goal. With the 4-3 win, the Hurricanes earned their first lead of the series. Derek Roy (born 4 May 1983 in Ottawa, Ontario) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who currently plays for the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL. // Playing Career Roy started his notable hockey career very well, leading the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL with 87 points during the 1999-00... Toni Lydman born September 25, 1977 in Lahti, Finland is a Finnish professional ice hockey player. ... Maxim Sergeyevich Afinogenov (Ru: ÐœÐ°ÐºÑÐ¸Ð¼ Ð¡ÐµÑ€Ð³ÐµÐµÐ²Ð¸Ñ‡ ÐÑ„Ð¸Ð½Ð¾Ð³ÐµÐ½Ð¾Ð², Maksim SergejeviÄ Afinogenov, ; born September 4, 1979 in Moscow, USSR; now Russia) is a professional ice hockey player. ... Jochen Hecht (b. ... Jean-Pierre Dumont (born April 1, 1978 in Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who plays for the Buffalo Sabres in the National Hockey League (NHL). ...

Post-game, Ruff accused the Hurricanes of embellishing penalties and looking for calls. Also, Eric Staal received an assist on the Brind'Amour goal to push his consecutive points streak to 15 games. The record is 19 games, set by Bryan Trottier for the New York Islanders in 1981. Bryan John Trottier (born July 17, 1956, in Val Marie, Saskatchewan, Canada) was a professional Ice Hockey Centre in the NHL, and is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. ... The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

With Teppo Numminen returning to the bench as a spiritual leader for the Sabres, Game 6 started out comfortably for the home side, as J.P. Dumont scored on a rebound early in the first period to give the Sabres a lead. It held until late in the third period, when Bret Hedican put a shot into the top corner to level the sides and send it into overtime. After Doug Weight was given a penalty early in the extra session, Daniel Brière sent the series to a Game 7 by putting a shot in that went off Cam Ward's glove and into the net. Bret Hedican (born on 10 August 1970 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA) is an American NHL hockey player, married to figure-skater Kristi Yamaguchi. ... Doug Weight (Born January 21, 1971 in Warren, Michigan, USA) is a National Hockey League centre. ...

In Game 7, the Sabres remained competitive despite the loss of defenseman Jay McKee, leaving them with four defenders sidelined due to injury. Entering the third, however, Buffalo led, 2-1, however, Carolina tied it and then took the lead on a power-play goal that resulted when Brian Campbell unintentionally fired the puck over the glass in his own end. Carolina scored another goal with less than a minute left to win the game, 4-2, and earn a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. Jay McKee has been a steady defensive blue-liner throught his tenure in Buffalo. ... Brian Wesley Campbell (born on May 23, 1979, Strathroy, Ontario) is an ice hockey defenseman who plays for the Buffalo Sabres. ...

Mike Commodore (born November 7, 1979 in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada) is a professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL. Commodore was drafted 42nd overall by the New Jersey Devils in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. ... Bret Hedican (born on 10 August 1970 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA) is an American NHL hockey player, married to figure-skater Kristi Yamaguchi. ... Andrew Ladd born December 12, 1985 in Maple Ridge, British Columbia in a Canadian ice hockey player who plays for the NHLs Carolina Hurricanes. ... Toni Lydman born September 25, 1977 in Lahti, Finland is a Finnish professional ice hockey player. ... Doug Janik (born March 26, 1980 in Agawam, Massachusetts) is a professional ice hockey defensman who is currently playing for the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL. Janik was drafted 55th overall in the 2nd round by the Sabres in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. ...

Western Conference

(8) Edmonton Oilers defeat (6) Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, 4 games to 1

The Oilers opened up the scoring in the first game of the series in the first period when Michael Peca scored his second short-handed goal of the playoffs with a long pass from Edmonton goalie Dwayne Roloson. The Ducks quickly answered back with a goal on a power play, tying the game. The Oilers took the lead in the middle of the second period when Ales Hemsky knocked in a high rebound. The Oilers then sealed the deal in the third period with an empty-netter by Todd Harvey.

The second game of the series was one which many declared a "must-win" for Anaheim ^{[1] [2]} in order to avoid going down 2-0 in the series heading to Rexall Place, where they had not won since 1999. However, the Oilers opened with another special-teams goal in the first period as Chris Pronger scored on a power-play with a rocket of a shot coming off the blue line thirteen minutes in. However, the Ducks responded in the second with Jeff Friesen putting a rebound past Roloson. Roloson remained solid after that, stopping 33 shots on the night. Fernando Pisani, who led the Oilers in goals, notched his eighth of the playoffs through the five-hole of Ilya Bryzgalov with three minutes left in the second period. During the third period, the Ducks pressured Edmonton, much like Game 1, but were unable to beat Roloson as well as the Edmonton shot-blocking. Michael Peca notched his second goal of the series with an empty-netter as time ran out to make sure the Oilers would return to Rexall Place with a 2-0 series lead.

The third and perhaps most exciting game of the series brought the game back to Rexall Place in Edmonton. The Ducks sought to break the Oilers six-game playoff win streak in a building they have not won in since 1999. The first period was marred with over 40 penalty minutes assessed in total. However, Toby Peterson managed to put the Oilers in the lead on a failed Bryzgalov clearing attempt which left the net wide open. Both teams could not score in the second as things seemed to calm down a little. However, the third period was a complete roller coaster ride. First, Michael Peca scored his fourth goal in as many games on a breakaway. Just over a minute later, Steve Staios scored his first goal of the playoffs on a power play giving the Oilers a 3-0 lead. Chris Pronger seemed to put this out of reach on a five-on-three power play goal. The Oilers had scored three goals in two and a half minutes giving them a seemingly safe 4-0 lead. However, the Ducks refused to bow out. Sean O'Donnell opened up the scoring for the Ducks at just past the seven-minute mark of the third. Teemu Selanne, who had been quiet for much of the series, put the Ducks right back in with his first goal of the series. Chris Kunitz then put the Ducks within a goal as momentum completely shifted over. However, Pisani scored his ninth goal of the playoffs off a bad Anaheim faceoff putting the Oilers back ahead by two. This tied him for the most goals in the playoffs with Patrick Marleau of the San Jose Sharks with nine. Teemu Selanne then scored his second goal of the game with less than two minutes left bringing it back to a one-goal game. However, the Oilers managed to hang on in the dying seconds and secure a 3-0 series lead with a chance to sweep at Rexall Place in Game 4. The game had a total of 76 penalty minutes handed out by the time everything was done.

After a less than stellar performance in Game 3, Ducks coach Randy Carlyle replaced Bryzgalov with Jean-Sebastien Giguere for Game 4, hoping the shakeup would energize his team. It worked quite well, as the Ducks allowed only three shots in the first period, scoring three goals to jump out quickly and take the wild Edmonton crowd out of the game. Edmonton did lead a comeback in the second period, coming within one of the Ducks, but an inspired Joffrey Lupul saw a return to form, scoring two insurance goals to take the series back to Orange County. Randy Carlyle (Born: April 19, 1956 in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian hockey defenceman and coach. ... Jean-SÃ©bastien Jiggy GiguÃ¨re (born May 16, 1977 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada) is a French Canadian professional hockey goaltender. ...

Game 5 returned to Anaheim, where the first period saw several more penalties called against the Oilers. Although the Oilers successfully killed off the penalty to Matt Greene, Jaroslav Spacek's hooking minor led to a power play goal for the Ducks, scored by Francois Beauchemin. The first period ended with the Ducks up 1-0 and outshooting the Oilers, 14-8. Early in the second period, the Ducks took a penalty that was successfully killed off, but immediately after the penalty expired, the Oilers tied the game with a rebound goal from Ethan Moreau. Five minutes later, Raffi Torres tipped in a shot from Marc-Andre Bergeron to take the lead in the game. Although several good chances for both teams followed, including a shot by Ducks player Rob Niedermayer at 1:30 of the third period that went off the crossbar, the lead was held by the Oilers. Despite late pressure by the Ducks, the Oilers held on to win the Western Conference and move on to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1990. They are also the first eighth-seeded team to reach the Finals under the current playoff format (which was introduced in 1994).

Todd Harvey (b. ... Toby Peterson (born October 27, 1978 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is a professional ice hockey right winger who currently plays for the Edmonton Oilers organization. ... Steve Staios (b. ... Georges Laraque (b. ... Ethan Moreau (b. ...

Stanley Cup Finals

(E2) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (W8) Edmonton Oilers

This series marks the first time that two former World Hockey Association teams are playing against each other for the Stanley Cup since they merged with the NHL in 1979. The Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes team are the only former WHA club to have never contested a Finals. Because of the new scheduling formula that was implemented before the 2005-06 NHL season, the Hurricanes and the Oilers did not meet during the regular season. World Hockey Association logo The World Hockey Association (French: Association Mondiale de Hockey) was a professional ice hockey league in North America from 1972 to 1979. ... The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale. ... The modernized NHL shield logo, debuting in 2005. ...

In Game 1, Carolina tied the biggest comeback in Stanley Cup Finals history, overcoming a three-goal deficit to win 5-4. Edmonton scored first 8:18 into the first period with a goal from Fernando Pisani. In the second period, Chris Pronger scored the first penalty shot goal in finals history after defenceman Niclas Wallin illegally covered the puck inside his own goal crease, and Ethan Moreau's goal at 16:23 gave the Oilers a 3-0 lead. But at the 17:17 mark, Rod Brind'Amour scored the Hurricanes' first goal of the game. Carolina then tied the game in the third period with two scores by Ray Whitney. The Hurricanes jumped ahead, 4-3, on a shorthanded goal by Justin Williams, but Edmonton's Ales Hemsky scored on a power play to tie the game with 6:29 remaining. Late in the final period, Oilers goalie Dwayne Roloson suffered a series-ending knee injury in a collision, and was replaced with Ty Conklin. With less than a minute to go in regulation, Conklin misplayed the puck, and it deflected off of Jason Smith's stick to the front of the empty net, allowing Brind'Amour to score the winning goal. Fernando Pisani (b. ... Christopher Robert Pronger (born October 10, 1974 in Dryden, Ontario, Canada) is a professional ice hockey player for the Edmonton Oilers. ... Niclas Wallin born February 20, 1975 in Boden, Sweden is a professional ice hockey player who plays for the NHLs Carolina Hurricanes. ... Rod BrindAmour at the 1998 Winter Olympics. ... Ray Whitney was born on the 8th of May, 1972 in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. ... Justin Williams (born 4 October 1981 in Cobourg, Ontario) is a Canadian ice hockey right winger who currently plays for the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL. Williams was drafted 28th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. ... AleÅ¡ HemskÃ½ (born 13 August 1983, Pardubice, Czechoslovakia) is a professional ice hockey right wing in the National Hockey League. ... Albert Dwayne Roli Roloson (born October 12, 1969 in Simcoe, Ontario, Canada) is an NHL goaltender for the Edmonton Oilers. ... Ty Conklin (born 30 March 1976, Anchorage, Alaska) is a goaltender with the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League. ... Jason Matthew Smith (Born November 2, 1973 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada) is a professional ice hockey defenceman in the National Hockey League since the 1993-94 season. ...

OLN (formerly known as the Outdoor Life Network until July 2005) is a cable television channel owned by Comcast. ... The present Hockey Night in Canada logo used since 1998. ... RÃ©seau des sports (RDS), is a Canadian French language cable television channel showing sports and sport-related shows, it is the French-language sister station of The Sports Network TSN. It is available in 2. ... NASN, full name North American Sports Network, is a television channel available in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, and from 15 November 2004 in Germany. ... NBC Sports logo NBC Sports is a division of NBC, responsible for the televising of many sports events on the network. ...

Contents

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Playoff seeds

Eastern Conference

Western Conference

Leading scorers

Leading goaltenders

Conference Quarterfinals

Eastern Conference

(1) Ottawa Senators defeat (8) Tampa Bay Lightning, 4 games to 1

(2) Carolina Hurricanes defeat (7) Montreal Canadiens, 4 games to 2

(3) New Jersey Devils defeat (6) New York Rangers, 4 games to 0

(4) Buffalo Sabres defeat (5) Philadelphia Flyers, 4 games to 2

Western Conference

(8) Edmonton Oilers defeat (1) Detroit Red Wings, 4 games to 2

(7) Colorado Avalanche defeat (2) Dallas Stars, 4 games to 1

(6) Mighty Ducks of Anaheim defeat (3) Calgary Flames, 4 games to 3

(5) San Jose Sharks defeat (4) Nashville Predators, 4 games to 1

Conference Semifinals

Eastern Conference

(4) Buffalo Sabres defeat (1) Ottawa Senators, 4 games to 1

(2) Carolina Hurricanes defeat (3) New Jersey Devils, 4 games to 1

Western Conference

(8) Edmonton Oilers defeat (5) San Jose Sharks, 4 games to 2

(6) Mighty Ducks of Anaheim defeat (7) Colorado Avalanche, 4 games to 0

Conference Finals

Eastern Conference

(2) Carolina Hurricanes defeat (4) Buffalo Sabres, 4 games to 3

Western Conference

(8) Edmonton Oilers defeat (6) Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, 4 games to 1

Stanley Cup Finals

(E2) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (W8) Edmonton Oilers

See also

Playoff bracket