2010 Stanley Cup playoffs

The 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League (NHL) began on April 14, 2010, after the conclusion of the 2009–10 NHL season. The Montreal Canadiens became the first eight seeded team in NHL history to win a series against the first-seeded team after being down 1–3 in a series. The Canadiens are also the first eighth-seeded team to compete in the Eastern Conference finals since the current playoff format was implemented in 1994. Previously, only the eighth-seeded 2006 Edmonton Oilers had accomplished a similar feat, winning the 2006 Western Conference finals. Philadelphia became the third NHL team to win after being down 0–3 in the series, and the first since the 1975 New York Islanders.

Playoff seeds
After the regular season, the standard of 16 teams qualified for the playoffs. The Washington Capitals were the Eastern Conference regular season champions and the Presidents' Trophy winners with the best record at 121 points. The San Jose Sharks earned a number 1 seed in the Western Conference with 113 points.

Eastern Conference

 * 1) Washington Capitals – Southeast Division and Eastern Conference regular season champions; President's Trophy winners; 121 points
 * 2) New Jersey Devils – Atlantic Division champions, 103 points
 * 3) Buffalo Sabres – Northeast Division champions, 100 points
 * 4) Pittsburgh Penguins – 2009 Stanley Cup Champions, 101 points
 * 5) Ottawa Senators – 94 points
 * 6) Boston Bruins – 91 points
 * 7) Philadelphia Flyers – 88 points
 * 8) Montreal Canadiens – 88 points

Western Conference

 * 1) San Jose Sharks – Pacific Division champions and Western Conference regular season champions, 113 points
 * 2) Chicago Blackhawks – Central Division champions, 112 points
 * 3) Vancouver Canucks – Northwest Division champions,, 103 points
 * 4) Phoenix Coyotes – 107 points
 * 5) Detroit Red Wings – 102 points
 * 6) Los Angeles Kings – 101 points
 * 7) Nashville Predators – 100 points
 * 8) Colorado Avalanche – 95 points

Playoff bracket
In each round, the highest remaining seed in each conference is matched against the lowest remaining seed. The higher-seeded team is awarded home ice advantage, which gives them a possible maximum of four games on their home ice, with the lower-seeded team getting a possible maximum of three. In the Stanley Cup Finals, home ice is determined based on regular season points. Each best-of-seven series follows a 2–2–1–1–1 format. This means that the higher-seeded team had home ice for games 1 and 2 and if necessary, 5 and 7, while the lower-seeded team had home ice for games 3, 4, and if necessary, game 6.

(1) Washington Capitals vs. (8) Montreal Canadiens
The Washington Capitals entered the playoffs as the Presidents' Trophy winner, earning the NHL's best regular season record with 121 points. The Montreal Canadiens qualified for the postseason as the eighth seed with 88 points. This was the first playoff series between the two franchises. Montreal's difference in the series is the 5th largest point differential (33 points) for a lower-seeded team beating a higher-seeded team in playoff history. It is also the first time a #8 seeded team has come back against a #1 seed after being down 3–1 in the series.

(2) New Jersey Devils vs. (7) Philadelphia Flyers
The New Jersey Devils entered the playoffs as the second seed in the Eastern Conference after winning the Atlantic Division with 103 points. The Philadelphia Flyers earned the seventh seed with 88 points, winning the tiebreaker over Montreal on total wins (41 to 39). The two franchises met in the playoffs for the first time since the first round in 2004, having previously met in the 2000 and 1995 Conference Finals.

(3) Buffalo Sabres vs. (6) Boston Bruins
The Buffalo Sabres entered the playoffs as the third seed in the Eastern Conference after winning the Northeast Division with 100 points. The Boston Bruins earned the sixth seed with 91 points. The last series between the two franchises took place in 1999, which the Sabres won 4–2.

(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (5) Ottawa Senators
The Pittsburgh Penguins, the defending Stanley Cup Champions, entered the playoffs as the fourth overall seed in the Eastern Conference with 101 points. The Ottawa Senators earned 94 points during the regular season to finish fifth overall in the Eastern Conference. This was the third time in four years the Senators met the Penguins in the first round, with Ottawa winning the series 4–1 in 2007, and Pittsburgh sweeping the series in 2008 (the Senators did not qualify for the playoffs in 2009).

(1) San Jose Sharks vs. (8) Colorado Avalanche
The San Jose Sharks entered the playoffs as the regular season Western Conference Champions, with 113 points. The Colorado Avalanche earned 95 points to clinch the eighth playoff seed in the Western Conference. The franchises previously faced each other in the Western Conference Semi-final in 2004, which the Sharks won 4–2.

(2) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (7) Nashville Predators
The Chicago Blackhawks entered the playoffs as the second overall seed in the Western Conference, having clinched the Central Division title with 112 points. The Nashville Predators qualified for the playoffs after missing the playoffs the previous season, clinching the seventh seed with 100 points. This was the first time these two franchises met each other in the playoffs.

(3) Vancouver Canucks vs. (6) Los Angeles Kings
The Vancouver Canucks entered the playoffs as the third overall seed in the Western Conference, having clinched the Northwest Division title with 103 points. The Los Angeles Kings qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2002, clinching the sixth seed with 101 points. The two franchises met for the first time since the 1993 Smythe Division finals, which the Kings won 4–2.

(4) Phoenix Coyotes vs. (5) Detroit Red Wings
The Phoenix Coyotes qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2002, finishing the regular season with 107 points (the most in franchise history), and entered the playoffs as the fourth overall seed in the Western Conference. The Detroit Red Wings, making their 19th straight playoff appearance, earned 102 points during the regular season to finish fifth overall in the Western Conference. Phoenix and Detroit faced each other in the opening round of the 1998 playoffs, with the Red Wings defeating Phoenix 4–2. The franchises met in the opening round of the 1996 playoffs, with the Red Wings defeating the Winnipeg Jets 4–2, after which the Winnipeg franchise moved to Phoenix.

(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (8) Montreal Canadiens
This is the second time that Montreal and Pittsburgh have met in the playoffs. The only previous playoff series between Montreal and Pittsburgh was the 1998 Conference Quarter-finals, in which the Canadiens defeated the Penguins 4–2. Game 7 was the last game ever to be played at Mellon Arena, the Penguins' home rink since the start of the franchise. The Penguins will move into the Consol Energy Center starting the next season.

(6) Boston Bruins vs. (7) Philadelphia Flyers
This was the first time the franchises have met in the playoffs since 1978, when the Bruins defeated the Flyers 4-1 in the Stanley Cup semi-final. Boston and Philadelphia had previously met in the playoffs in 1976 and 1977. The Flyers won the first of those matchups, with Boston prevailing in 1977. Philadelphia and Boston also met in the 1974 Stanley Cup Finals, which Philadelphia won 4–2 to become the first expansion team to win the NHL championship. Philadelphia came back from a 3–0 deficit to win the series 4–3, becoming the third NHL team to achieve this feat, and the first since the 1975 New York Islanders.

(1) San Jose Sharks vs. (5) Detroit Red Wings
The Sharks and the Red Wings last played a series in the 2007 Conference Semi-finals, which Detroit won 4–2. There have been two other series between these franchises in the mid-1990s, with each team winning one.

(2) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (3) Vancouver Canucks
This is the third second-round series between Vancouver and Chicago under the current playoff format. Vancouver and Chicago competed in the Western Conference Semi-final the previous year, with the Blackhawks winning the series 4–2. In 1995, the Blackhawks swept the series.

(7) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (8) Montreal Canadiens
This was the first ever conference final contested by the seventh and eighth seeds. The Canadiens and the Flyers both earned 88 points in the regular season, but Philadelphia's greater number of victories gave them the higher seed. There were five previous meetings between Montreal and Philadelphia, including the 1976 Stanley Cup Finals. Their last meeting was in the 2008 Eastern Conference Semifinals which Philadelphia won 4–1.

(1) San Jose Sharks vs. (2) Chicago Blackhawks
This was the first ever playoff series between the Sharks and the Blackhawks. There were four games between these two teams during the regular season, with Chicago leading San Jose three games to one. This was the only sweep of the entire playoffs.

Stanley Cup Finals
Main article: 2010 Stanley Cup FinalsThe Chicago Blackhawks had home ice advantage in the Stanley Cup Finals since they finished the regular season with more points (112) than the Philadelphia Flyers (88). This was the second playoff series between the two teams and the first since 1971 when the Blackhawks swept the Flyers in the Stanley Cup quarterfinals. Prior to the 2010 Finals, both teams had previously lost in their last five consecutive Finals appearances (Chicago in 1962, 1965, 1971, 1973, and 1992; and Philadelphia in 1976, 1980, 1985, 1987, and 1997). Having lost in the 2010 Finals, the Flyers became the third team in NHL history to lose in six consecutive Finals appearances, after the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Detroit Red Wings. It also was the first time since the Flyers themselves lost in 1987 that a team in the city of Philadelphia lost a championship in a non-presidential inauguration year (Phillies in 1993 and 2009 World Series, Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005, Flyers in 1997, and 76ers in 2001 NBA Finals).[11]

This was the first Stanley Cup won in overtime since the New Jersey Devils in 2000.

Skaters
These are the top ten skaters based on points. If the list exceeds ten skaters because of a tie in points, goals take precedence.[12] GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/– = Plus/minus

Goaltending
This is a combined table of the top five goaltenders based on goals against average and the top five goaltenders based on save percentage with at least 420 minutes played. The table is sorted by GAA, and the criteria for inclusion are bolded.[13] [14] GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; SA = Shots against; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; SV% = Save percentage; SO = Shutouts; TOI = Time on ice (minutes:seconds)