Attyla
04-20-2006, 06:13 PM
Western Conference:
(1) Detroit Red Wings vs. (8) Edmonton Oilers
Detroit Season Record: 58-16-8 (124 points) Against Oilers: 2-0-2
The Red Wings ran away with the NHL President's Trophy, outpacing Dallas, Ottawa and Carolina for home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs.
Edmonton Season Record: 41-28-13 (95 points) Against Red Wings: 2-1-1
The Oilers earned their postseason berth in a nail-biting final stretch with the San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks. The Oilers earned a 2-1 win over Anaheim on April 14 and locked up the last playoff spot in the West when the Canucks lost 5-3 to the Sharks over an hour later.
(2) Dallas Stars vs. (7) Colorado Avalanche
Dallas Season Record: 53-23-6 (112 points) Against Avalanche: 3-1
The Stars clinched their seventh division title in nine seasons and also broke their franchise record of 50 regular season wins set in the 1998-99 season when they won their only Stanley Cup.
Colorado Season Record: 43-30-9 (95 points) Against Stars: 1-1-2
The Avalanche finished with a solid regular season record to clinch its 11th straight postseason berth, but will be starting the first round on the road for the first time since the Nordiques in 1987.
(3) Calgary Flames vs. (6) Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
Calgary Season Record: 46-25-11 (103 points) Against Mighty Ducks: 2-2
The Flames captured their first division crown since the 1994-95 season. It's also the first time they have reached triple digits since 1990-91 and fourth time in the franchise's 33-year history.
Anaheim Season Record: 43-27-12 (98 points) Against Flames: 2-2
The Ducks finished third in the Pacific Division with a franchise-best 43 victories and 98 points, the highest total in club history. They also set club records with 254 goals and 87 on the power play.
(4) Nashville Predators vs. (5) San Jose Sharks
Nashville Season Record: 49-25-8 (106 points) Against Sharks: 2-0-2
The Predators clinched their second straight playoff berth with a shootout win over Chicago on April 8. They were locked into second place in the division for most of the season, well behind Detroit and well ahead of Columbus. They ended up with the fourth seed in the West, behind the three division winners. Nashville topped 30 home wins this season.
San Jose Season Record: 44-27-11 (99 points) Against Predators: 2-2
The Sharks stumbled to an 8-12-4 start this season before the trade for Joe Thornton turned things around. They were 36-14-7 after his arrival and ended up second in the Pacific Division behind Dallas. That was good for the fifth seed in the conference.
Eastern Conference
(1) Ottawa Senators vs. (8) Tampa Bay Lightning
Ottawa Season Record: 51-21-9 (113 points) Against Lightning: 4-0
Even without Dominik Hasek after the Olympic break, the Senators dominated the league and took the top spot in the Eastern Conference on the final night of the regular season.
Tampa Bay Season Record: 43-33-6 (92 points) Against Senators: 0-4
The Lightning had an up-and-down year, clinching a postseason berth on the second-last day of the regular season after a lengthy battle with the Canadiens, Leafs and Thrashers down the stretch.
(2) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (7) Montreal Canadiens
Carolina Season Record: 52-22-8 (112 points) Against Canadiens: 4-0
No one picked the Hurricanes to have this much success, but they answered the critics with their best regular season ever. Carolina finished just a point shy of Ottawa for top spot in the Eastern Conference.
Montreal Season Record: 42-31-9 (93 points) Against Hurricanes: 0-4
After a red-hot October, the Habs struggled right through to the Olympic break and was almost out of the playoff picture. They were the NHL's hottest team afterwards, but needed a loss by Atlanta on the second-last day of the season to clinch a playoff spot.
(3) New Jersey Devils vs. (6) New York Rangers
New Jersey Season Record: 46-27-9 (101 points) Against Rangers: 4-3-1-0
The Devils, led for most of the season by GM Lou Lamoreillo, were the hottest team down the stretch, winning a league-best 11 straight games to take the Altantic Division on the final night of the regualar season.
NY Rangers Season Record: 44-26-12 (100 points) Against Devils: 4-4
The Rangers enjoyed their best regular season since 1993-94 when they tallied 112 points and won the Stanley Cup. The Blueshirts went right down to the wire with the Devils and Flyers for top spot in the Atlantic, but a loss to Ottawa and a Devils win pushed them down to sixth place.
(4) Buffalo Sabres vs. (5) Philadelphia Flyers
Buffalo Season Record: 52-24-6 (110 points) Against Flyers: 3-1
The Sabres may have been the biggest winners in the new NHL, with a high-tempo, exciting game that dominated teams almost every night. Their club-record 52 wins gave them a fourth-place finish in the East.
Philadelphia Season Record: 45-26-11 (101 points) Against Sabres: 1-3
Despite battling injuries to key players, the Flyers were a deep team that was in a dogfight for the Atlantic Division title in the last minutes of the regular season. A come-from-behind victory by the Devils over Montreal pushed the Flyers back to fifth place in the Eastern Conference.
(1) Detroit Red Wings vs. (8) Edmonton Oilers
Detroit Season Record: 58-16-8 (124 points) Against Oilers: 2-0-2
The Red Wings ran away with the NHL President's Trophy, outpacing Dallas, Ottawa and Carolina for home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs.
Edmonton Season Record: 41-28-13 (95 points) Against Red Wings: 2-1-1
The Oilers earned their postseason berth in a nail-biting final stretch with the San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks. The Oilers earned a 2-1 win over Anaheim on April 14 and locked up the last playoff spot in the West when the Canucks lost 5-3 to the Sharks over an hour later.
(2) Dallas Stars vs. (7) Colorado Avalanche
Dallas Season Record: 53-23-6 (112 points) Against Avalanche: 3-1
The Stars clinched their seventh division title in nine seasons and also broke their franchise record of 50 regular season wins set in the 1998-99 season when they won their only Stanley Cup.
Colorado Season Record: 43-30-9 (95 points) Against Stars: 1-1-2
The Avalanche finished with a solid regular season record to clinch its 11th straight postseason berth, but will be starting the first round on the road for the first time since the Nordiques in 1987.
(3) Calgary Flames vs. (6) Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
Calgary Season Record: 46-25-11 (103 points) Against Mighty Ducks: 2-2
The Flames captured their first division crown since the 1994-95 season. It's also the first time they have reached triple digits since 1990-91 and fourth time in the franchise's 33-year history.
Anaheim Season Record: 43-27-12 (98 points) Against Flames: 2-2
The Ducks finished third in the Pacific Division with a franchise-best 43 victories and 98 points, the highest total in club history. They also set club records with 254 goals and 87 on the power play.
(4) Nashville Predators vs. (5) San Jose Sharks
Nashville Season Record: 49-25-8 (106 points) Against Sharks: 2-0-2
The Predators clinched their second straight playoff berth with a shootout win over Chicago on April 8. They were locked into second place in the division for most of the season, well behind Detroit and well ahead of Columbus. They ended up with the fourth seed in the West, behind the three division winners. Nashville topped 30 home wins this season.
San Jose Season Record: 44-27-11 (99 points) Against Predators: 2-2
The Sharks stumbled to an 8-12-4 start this season before the trade for Joe Thornton turned things around. They were 36-14-7 after his arrival and ended up second in the Pacific Division behind Dallas. That was good for the fifth seed in the conference.
Eastern Conference
(1) Ottawa Senators vs. (8) Tampa Bay Lightning
Ottawa Season Record: 51-21-9 (113 points) Against Lightning: 4-0
Even without Dominik Hasek after the Olympic break, the Senators dominated the league and took the top spot in the Eastern Conference on the final night of the regular season.
Tampa Bay Season Record: 43-33-6 (92 points) Against Senators: 0-4
The Lightning had an up-and-down year, clinching a postseason berth on the second-last day of the regular season after a lengthy battle with the Canadiens, Leafs and Thrashers down the stretch.
(2) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (7) Montreal Canadiens
Carolina Season Record: 52-22-8 (112 points) Against Canadiens: 4-0
No one picked the Hurricanes to have this much success, but they answered the critics with their best regular season ever. Carolina finished just a point shy of Ottawa for top spot in the Eastern Conference.
Montreal Season Record: 42-31-9 (93 points) Against Hurricanes: 0-4
After a red-hot October, the Habs struggled right through to the Olympic break and was almost out of the playoff picture. They were the NHL's hottest team afterwards, but needed a loss by Atlanta on the second-last day of the season to clinch a playoff spot.
(3) New Jersey Devils vs. (6) New York Rangers
New Jersey Season Record: 46-27-9 (101 points) Against Rangers: 4-3-1-0
The Devils, led for most of the season by GM Lou Lamoreillo, were the hottest team down the stretch, winning a league-best 11 straight games to take the Altantic Division on the final night of the regualar season.
NY Rangers Season Record: 44-26-12 (100 points) Against Devils: 4-4
The Rangers enjoyed their best regular season since 1993-94 when they tallied 112 points and won the Stanley Cup. The Blueshirts went right down to the wire with the Devils and Flyers for top spot in the Atlantic, but a loss to Ottawa and a Devils win pushed them down to sixth place.
(4) Buffalo Sabres vs. (5) Philadelphia Flyers
Buffalo Season Record: 52-24-6 (110 points) Against Flyers: 3-1
The Sabres may have been the biggest winners in the new NHL, with a high-tempo, exciting game that dominated teams almost every night. Their club-record 52 wins gave them a fourth-place finish in the East.
Philadelphia Season Record: 45-26-11 (101 points) Against Sabres: 1-3
Despite battling injuries to key players, the Flyers were a deep team that was in a dogfight for the Atlantic Division title in the last minutes of the regular season. A come-from-behind victory by the Devils over Montreal pushed the Flyers back to fifth place in the Eastern Conference.