1997 Stanley Cup Playoffs

The 1997 Stanley Cup Playoffs of the National Hockey League began in April, 1997, following the 1996-97 NHL season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the conference champions played a best-of-7 series for the Stanley Cup.

The Playoffs ended on June 7, with the Detroit Red Wings deafeating the Philadelphia Flyers in a four game sweep to win their 8th Stanley Cup championship in their history, and their first in 42 years. Red Wings goaltender Mike Vernon was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff's Most Valuable Player.

Playoff bracket

NHLBracket
RD1=Conference Quarterfinals
RD2=Conference Semifinals
RD3=Conference Finals
RD4=Stanley Cup Finals
group1=Eastern Conference
group2=Western Conference
RD1-seed03=3
RD1-team03=Philadelphia
RD1-score03=4
RD1-seed04=6
RD1-team04=Pittsburgh
RD1-score04=1
RD1-seed01=2
RD1-team01=Buffalo
RD1-score01=4
RD1-seed02=7
RD1-team02=Ottawa
RD1-score02=3
RD1-seed05=1
RD1-team05=New Jersey
RD1-score05=4
RD1-seed06=8
RD1-team06=Montreal
RD1-score06=1
RD1-seed07=4
RD1-team07=Florida
RD1-score07=1
RD1-seed08=5
RD1-team08=NY Rangers
RD1-score08=4
RD1-seed11=4
RD1-team11=Anaheim
RD1-score11=4
RD1-seed12=5
RD1-team12=Phoenix
RD1-score12=3
RD1-seed09=3
RD1-team09=Detroit
RD1-score09=4
RD1-seed10=6
RD1-team10=St. Louis
RD1-score10=2
RD1-seed15=2
RD1-team15=Dallas
RD1-score15=3
RD1-seed16=7
RD1-team16=Edmonton
RD1-score16=4
RD1-seed13=1
RD1-team13=Colorado
RD1-score13=4
RD1-seed14=8
RD1-team14=Chicago
RD1-score14=2
RD2-seed01=2
RD2-team01=Buffalo
RD2-score01=1
RD2-seed02=3
RD2-team02=Philadelphia
RD2-score02=4
RD2-seed03=1
RD2-team03=New Jersey
RD2-score03=1
RD2-seed04=5
RD2-team04=NY Rangers
RD2-score04=4
RD2-seed07=1
RD2-team07=Colorado
RD2-score07=4
RD2-seed08=7
RD2-team08=Edmonton
RD2-score08=1
RD2-seed05=3
RD2-team05=Detroit
RD2-score05=4
RD2-seed06=4
RD2-team06=Anaheim
RD2-score06=0
RD3-seed01=3
RD3-team01=Philadelphia
RD3-score01=4
RD3-seed02=5
RD3-team02=NY Rangers
RD3-score02=1
RD3-seed03=1
RD3-team03=Colorado
RD3-score03=2
RD3-seed04=3
RD3-team04=Detroit
RD3-score04=4
RD4-seed01=E3
RD4-team01=Philadelphia
RD4-score01=0
RD4-seed02=W3
RD4-team02=Detroit
RD4-score02=4

Conference quarterfinals

Eastern Conference

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Western Conference

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Eastern Conference Finals

The Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers met in the 1997 Eastern Conference Finals. Philadelphia was coming off a relatively easy five-game series win over the Buffalo Sabres. New York, on the other hand, had just pulled off a big upset, defeating the top team in the East, the New Jersey Devils in five games. The Flyers were looking to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in ten years, while the Rangers were looking to advance to the Cup Finals with help from new additions like Wayne Gretzky, Esa Tikkanen, Russ Courtnall, David Oliver and Mike Eastwood.

New York outshot Philadelphia in game one at the CoreStates Center, 25–21, but the Flyers ended up winning, 3–1. Wayne Gretzky had his second hat trick of the playoffs in game two, as the Rangers edged the Flyers 5–4. With the series tied at 1–1, the two teams moved to Madison Square Garden in New York for games three and four. This time it was the Flyers' Eric Lindros who netted a hat trick, as Philadelphia won 6–3. In game four, Lindros broke a 2–2 tie with just seven seconds remaining in regulation. The Flyers won 3–2. They now took a commanding three-games-to-one series lead back home to the CoreStates Center for game five on Sunday, May 25th. The Rangers scored twice in 26 seconds in the first period to take a 2–1 lead, but the Flyers scored three unanswered goals and won the game 4–2, and the series four games to one.

tanley Cup Finals

ee Also

*List of Stanley Cup champions
*1996 NHL Entry Draft
*47th National Hockey League All-Star Game
*NHL All-Star Game
*NHL All-Rookie Team
*1997 in sports
*1996-1997 NHL season