In each round, the highest remaining seed in each conference is matched against the lowest remaining seed. The higher-seeded team is awarded home ice advantage, which gives them a possible maximum of four games on their home ice, with the lower-seeded team getting a possible maximum of three. In the Stanley Cup Finals, home ice is determined based on regular season points. Thus, the Washington Capitals will have home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs. Each best-of-seven series follows a 2–2–1–1–1 format. This means that the higher-seeded team has home ice for games 1 and 2 and if necessary, 5 and 7, while the lower-seeded team has home ice for games 3, 4, and if necessary, game 6.
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Conference Quarter-finals
Eastern Conference Quarter-finals
(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 is the first playoff series between the two teams.
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 teams are meeting in playoffs for the first time since the first round in 2004, having previously met in the 2000 Conference Finals.
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 teams took place in 1999.
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 is the third time in four years the Senators are meeting the Penguins in the first round, with Ottawa winning the series 4–1 in 2007, and Pittsburgh sweeping the series in 2008 (the Senators failed to make the playoffs in 2009).
The San Jose Sharks entered the playoffs as the Western Conference Champions, with 113 points. The Colorado Avalanche earned 95 points to clinch the eighth playoff seed in the Western Conference. This is a rematch of the semi-finals series between the two teams 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 is the first time these two teams are meeting each other in the playoffs.
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 teams are meeting for the first time since the 1993 division finals, which the Kings won 4–2.
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 post-season appearance, earned 102 points during the regular season to finish fifth overall in the Western Conference, setting up a playoff rematch from 1998, when the Red Wings defeated Phoenix 4-2 in the opening round.
GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/– = Plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes
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. The table is sorted by GAA, and the criteria for inclusion is bolded.[3][4]
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)
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