List of NHL playoff series
Pittsburgh Penguins
Table:
Opponent

S

Occurrences

GP

Rec

%

Washington Capitals

11

1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2009, 2016, 2017, 2018

68

9–2

.818

New York Rangers

7

1989, 1992, 1996, 2008, 2014, 2015, 2016

37

5–2

.714

Philadelphia Flyers

7

1989, 1997, 2000, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2018

41

3–4

.429

Ottawa Senators

5

2007, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2017

27

4–1

.800

New Jersey Devils

5

1991, 1993, 1995, 1999, 2001

29

3–2

.600

Boston Bruins

5

1979, 1980, 1991, 1992, 2013

23

2–3

.400

New York Islanders

5

1975, 1982, 1993, 2013, 2019

29

1–4

.200

St. Louis Blues

3

1970, 1975, 1981

13

1–2

.333

Toronto Maple Leafs

3

1976, 1977, 1999

12

0–3

.000

Buffalo Sabres

2

1979, 2001

10

2–0

1.000

Columbus Blue Jackets

2

2014, 2017

11

2–0

1.000

Chicago Blackhawks

2

1972, 1992

8

1–1

.500

Detroit Red Wings

2

2008, 2009

13

1–1

.500

Tampa Bay Lightning

2

2011, 2016

14

1–1

.500

Montreal Canadiens

2

1998, 2010

13

0–2

.000

California Golden Seals

1

1970

4

1–0

1.000

Carolina Hurricanes

1

2009

4

1–0

1.000

Dallas Stars

1

1991

6

1–0

1.000

Nashville Predators

1

2017

6

1–0

1.000

San Jose Sharks

1

2016

6

1–0

1.000

Considering the provided table along with the supporting text listed at the end.

Respond to the question below: Where does the team with a .714 percentage play their home games ? Return your answer as JSON: {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}.

The Washington Capitals ( colloquially known as the Caps ) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington , D.C . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference . The Capitals are owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment , headed by Ted Leonsis . From 1974 to 1997 the Capitals played their home games at the Capital Centre , in Landover , Maryland ( a suburb in the Washington metropolitan area ) . In 1997 the team moved to the arena now called Capital One Arena , their present home arena in Washington , D.C . The Capitals were founded in 1974 as an expansion franchise , alongside the Kansas City Scouts . Since purchasing the team in 1999 , Leonsis revitalized the franchise by drafting star players such as Alexander Ovechkin , Nicklas Backstrom , Mike Green and Braden Holtby . The 2009-10 Capitals won the franchise 's first Presidents ' Trophy for being the team with the most points at the end of the regular season . They won it a second time in 2015-16 , and did so for a third time the following season in 2016-17 . In addition to twelve division titles and three Presidents ' Trophies , the Capitals have reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 1998 and 2018 , winning in the latter . The Capitals have retired the use of four numbers in honor of four players . In addition , the team holds an association with a number of individuals inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame .
The 1991 Stanley Cup Playoffs for the National Hockey League ( NHL ) championship began on April 3 , 1991 , following the 1990-91 regular season . The 16 teams that qualified , from the top four teams of the four divisions , played best-of-seven series with re-seeding after the division finals . The Conference Champions played a best-of-seven series for the Stanley Cup . This was the first of the 25 consecutive years in which the Detroit Red Wings qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs until their streak finally ended in 2017 . Their streak is tied for the third longest in NHL history , and was the longest active playoff appearance streak in the four major American professional sports . The finals concluded on May 25 with the Pittsburgh Penguins winning the Stanley Cup , defeating the Minnesota North Stars in the final series four games to two . Pittsburgh forward Mario Lemieux was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as Most Valuable Player of the playoffs . This was the first NHL playoffs without any series sweeps since the 1972-73 season . In addition , this season set the record for most playoff games played with 92 , which stood until 2014 .
The 1992 Stanley Cup playoffs , the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) began on April 18 , after the conclusion of the 1991-92 NHL season . It was the 100th anniversary of the first awarding of the Stanley Cup , and it was won by the Pittsburgh Penguins , defeating the Chicago Blackhawks . The 1992 playoffs saw history being made , as for the first time ever , all four division winners were eliminated in the same round . In the division finals , the Norris Division champion Detroit Red Wings were swept by the Chicago Blackhawks in four straight games , and the Montreal Canadiens , who had won the Adams Division , suffered the same fate at the hands of the Boston Bruins . The Pittsburgh Penguins eliminated the Patrick Division titlists , the New York Rangers , in six games , while the Vancouver Canucks , the Smythe Division toppers , fell to the Edmonton Oilers , also in six games . A record 54 games were played in the first round , with six of the eight series going the full seven games , in addition three series featured teams coming back from 3-1 series deficits , the most in a single playoff year ; this record was equaled in 2003 . The only two series that did n't go seven games were the Oilers ' six-game win over the Kings , and the Blackhawks ' six-game win over the Blues . This was the last year the Hartford Whalers and Minnesota North Stars qualified for the playoffs . The franchises would not reach the post-season again until 1999 and 1994 respectively . By the time each franchise reached the playoffs again , they were known as the Carolina Hurricanes and the Dallas Stars , respectively . Video replay was used to decide a playoff game for the first time in game six of the Detroit-Minnesota division semifinal . Sergei Fedorov of the Red Wings appeared to hit the crossbar behind Minnesota goalie Jon Casey during the first overtime , but after the North Stars iced the puck immediately afterward , referee Rob Shick called for a video review , which determined that the puck had entered the goal just below the crossbar and caromed off the frame at the back of the net .
The 1994 Stanley Cup playoffs , the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) , began after the conclusion of the 1993-94 NHL season . The sixteen teams that qualified , eight from each conference , played best-of-seven game series for conference quarterfinals , semifinals and championships ; and then the conference champions played a best-of-seven series for the Stanley Cup . The playoffs ended when the New York Rangers defeated the Vancouver Canucks in the seventh game of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals . For the first time since joining the NHL , all four former WHA teams ( Edmonton , Hartford , Quebec , and Winnipeg ) failed to make the playoffs . Wayne Gretzky also missed the playoffs for the first time in his career . Conversely , the San Jose Sharks became the first post-1990 expansion team to make the playoffs . All series played between Central and Pacific Division teams had a 2-3-2 format to reduce travel . This remains the last time that two Canadian teams made it to the conference finals in the same year , let alone faced each other in that particular round .
The 1995 Stanley Cup playoffs , the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League was played between May 6 and June 24 , 1995 . The 1994-95 NHL regular season was shortened to 48 games , and the playoffs pushed to a later date , due to a lockout . The sixteen teams that qualified , eight from each conference , played best-of-seven series for the conference quarterfinals , semifinals and championships , and then the conference champions played a best-of-seven series for the Stanley Cup . In the Final , the New Jersey Devils swept the favored Detroit Red Wings in four games to win their first championship . This was the only time Patrick Roy missed the playoffs in his career . His team , the Montreal Canadiens , missed the playoffs for the first time since 1970 . The Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators missed the playoffs this year . Montreal and Ottawa would not miss the playoffs in the same year again until 2016 , when all Canadian teams missed the playoffs . The Quebec Nordiques played their last ever playoff series during this time . They would move to Denver , Colorado during the summer . For the first time since 1980 , no league semifinal/conference final games were played in Canada .
The 1996 Stanley Cup playoffs , the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) , began on April 16 , 1996 . The 16 teams that qualified ( 8 from each conference ) played best-of-seven series for conference quarterfinals , semifinals and championships , and then the conference champions played a best-of-seven series for the Stanley Cup . These playoffs are noted as being the first playoffs in which all Canadian teams were eliminated during the first round . The New Jersey Devils , who had won the Stanley Cup the year before , failed to qualify for these playoffs . This was the first time that both Florida teams - the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning - made it to the playoffs . The playoffs ended on June 10 with the Colorado Avalanche sweeping the Florida Panthers in both teams ' first-ever Finals appearance . It was Colorado 's first-ever Stanley Cup championship in their inaugural season after relocating from Quebec City prior to the start of the regular season ; in the previous years , they were known as the Quebec Nordiques . Joe Sakic was named playoff MVP and awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy . For the second time in three years and the last time until 2013 , all of the Original Six teams reached the playoffs . This is also the last time all three California-based teams missed the playoffs .
The 2000 Stanley Cup playoffs , the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) , began on April 12 , 2000 , and concluded on June 10 . The 16 teams that qualified , eight from each conference , played best-of-seven series for Conference Quarterfinals , Conference Semifinals and Conference Finals , with each conference champion playing a best-of-seven series in the Stanley Cup Finals for the Stanley Cup . The playoffs ended when the New Jersey Devils defeated the reigning champion Dallas Stars in a six-game series to win their second Stanley Cup title in franchise history . Devils defenseman Scott Stevens was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs . The Calgary Flames and the Vancouver Canucks both missed the playoffs this year . This would not happen again until 2014 , when all four Western Canadian teams missed the playoffs . For the first time in history , only two Original Six teams made it to the playoffs ( Toronto and Detroit ) . This would only happen again in 2001 ( Toronto and Detroit ) , 2007 ( New York Rangers and Detroit ) , 2018 ( Boston and Toronto ) , and 2019 ( Boston and Toronto ) . Also for the first time , the Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens missed the playoffs in the same season . In addition , both conference finals went to the maximum seven games . This did not happen again until 2015 .
The 2001 Stanley Cup playoffs , the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) , began on April 11 , 2001 , and ended on June 9 , 2001 , when the Western Conference champion Colorado Avalanche defeated the Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Devils to win its second Stanley Cup . Defenceman Ray Bourque , who had a 21-year tenure in Boston , won his first Stanley Cup in his final professional year . Joe Sakic , Swedish center Peter Forsberg , defenceman Rob Blake , and goalkeeper Patrick Roy claimed the Stanley Cup for the final time in their careers . Roy was also awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy , his third , the most by any player . No hat tricks were scored in the 2001 playoffs , and goaltenders combined for a record 19 shutouts . This was the first of ten consecutive seasons the Florida Panthers missed the playoffs , the longest playoff drought in NHL history .
The 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 15 , 2009 , after the 2008-09 regular season . The sixteen teams that qualified , eight from each conference ( the winner of each of the three divisions plus the five teams with highest point totals from the teams remaining ) , play a best-of-seven series for the conference quarterfinals , semifinals , and championships , and then the conference champions will play a best-of-seven series for the Stanley Cup . The Columbus Blue Jackets made their first appearance in the playoffs in their nine-year history . Previously they had been the only franchise to have not made the playoffs . Also , home teams set a record by going 13-2 in the openers of all the series combined . There were no playoff games played in the Province of Ontario as this was the first time that the modern Ottawa Senators and the Toronto Maple Leafs both missed the playoffs in the same year . This was the most recent time that the Carolina Hurricanes were in the playoffs until 2019 . The Finals ended on June 12 , 2009 , with the Pittsburgh Penguins defeating the Detroit Red Wings four games to three to win the championship . They became just the second team , after the 1971 Montreal Canadiens , to win the championship after losing the first two games of the series on the road .
The 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) began on April 13 , 2016 and ended on June 12 , 2016 , with the Pittsburgh Penguins defeating the San Jose Sharks four games to two in the 2016 Stanley Cup Finals . For only the second time in league history ( 1970 being the only other time ) , none of the NHL 's Canadian-based teams , seven in total , qualified for the postseason . In addition , for the second season in a row and only the fifth time since joining the league in 1979 , all four former WHA teams ( the Edmonton Oilers , Arizona Coyotes , Carolina Hurricanes and Colorado Avalanche ) missed the playoffs . The Washington Capitals made the playoffs as the Presidents ' Trophy winners with the most points ( i.e . best record ) during the regular season . This was the final season of the Detroit Red Wings ' 25-season playoff appearance streak , the longest streak at the time and tied for third longest in NHL history . The Florida Panthers qualified for the playoffs for only the second time since the 1999-2000 season - both times winning their division - and fifth time in franchise history . For the fourth time in six years , all three California-based teams made the playoffs in the same season . And , for only the second time ever ( 1996 being the only other time ) , both Florida-based teams made the playoffs in the same season . For the first time since 2006 , and only the third time in league history , all Original Six teams who made the playoffs ( three in total ) were eliminated in the first round . The New York Islanders won their first post-season series since the 1993 Stanley Cup playoffs , ending the third longest post-season win drought in NHL history . For the seventh consecutive season and eleventh out of thirteen seasons , a team from California was in the Western Conference Final .
The 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) began on April 12 , 2017 , after the 2016-17 regular season and concluded on June 11 , 2017 , with the Pittsburgh Penguins defeating the Nashville Predators four games to two in the Finals to win the Stanley Cup for the second consecutive year . The Washington Capitals made the playoffs as the Presidents ' Trophy winners for the second consecutive year with the most points ( i.e . best record ) during the regular season . The Detroit Red Wings failed to make the playoffs for the first time since the 1989-90 season , ending the NHL 's longest active playoff streak at 25 consecutive seasons ; the streak was also tied for the third-longest streak in NHL history . The longest active playoff streak moved to the Pittsburgh Penguins with eleven consecutive appearances . The Edmonton Oilers made the playoffs for the first time since 2006 , ending a record-tying playoff drought for a team with ten years missed ( the Florida Panthers also missed the playoffs between 2001 and 2011 inclusively ) . For the first time since 2006 , both Alberta teams , the Oilers and the Calgary Flames , qualified for the postseason in the same year . For the first time since 2013 , and the fourth time since 2002 , all three Eastern Canadian teams ( Montreal Canadiens , Ottawa Senators , and Toronto Maple Leafs ) qualified for the playoffs . In all , five Canadian-based teams made the playoffs , matching 2004 and 2015 , after a season in which none of the seven teams in Canada contended . Five Original Six teams made the playoffs , with only the previously mentioned Red Wings failing to make it . The first round saw eighteen overtime games , eclipsing the previous record of seventeen overtime games in the first round set in 2013 . There were 27 total overtime games in these playoffs , one short of the record set in 1993 .
The 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs was the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . The playoffs began on April 11 , 2018 , after the 2017-18 regular season ended , and concluded on June 7 , 2018 , with the Washington Capitals winning their first Stanley Cup in franchise history defeating the Vegas Golden Knights four games to one in the Stanley Cup Finals . The Nashville Predators made the playoffs as the Presidents ' Trophy winners with the most points ( i.e . best record ) during the regular season . The Pittsburgh Penguins increased their post-season appearance streak to twelve seasons , the current longest streak . The Vegas Golden Knights became the first team to make the playoffs in their inaugural season in the league since the 1979-80 Hartford Whalers and the Edmonton Oilers . They also became the first expansion team to make the playoffs in their inaugural season since the 1967 NHL expansion . From there , they eventually became the first team since the 1967-68 St. Louis Blues to win their respective conference , and reach the Stanley Cup Finals in their inaugural season . The only difference is that the 1967-68 season through to the 1969-70 season ensured that an expansion team would be able to reach the Stanley Cup Finals . For the fourth time in league history ( 2000 , 2001 , 2007 ) , only two Original Six teams , the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs , clinched a berth for the playoffs . For the first time since 1966 , no playoff games were played in the state of New York . For the fifth time in eight years , all three California-based teams made the playoffs .
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference . The team plays its home games at Madison Square Garden in the borough of Manhattan , an arena they share with the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) . They are one of three NHL teams located in the New York metropolitan area ; the others being the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders . Founded in 1926 by Tex Rickard , the Rangers are one of the Original Six teams that competed in the NHL before its 1967 expansion , along with the Boston Bruins , Chicago Blackhawks , Detroit Red Wings , Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs . The team attained success early on under the guidance of Lester Patrick , who coached a team containing Frank Boucher , Murray Murdoch , and Bun and Bill Cook to Stanley Cup glory in 1928 , making them the first NHL franchise in the United States to win the trophy . The team would then go onto win two additional Stanley Cups in 1933 and 1940 . Following this initial grace period , the franchise struggled between the 1940s and 1960s , whereby playoff appearances and success was infrequent . The team enjoyed a mini renaissance in the 1970s , where they made the Stanley Cup finals twice , albeit , losing to the Bruins in 1972 and the Canadiens in 1979 . The Rangers subsequently embraced a rebuild for much of the 1980s and early 1990s , which eventually paid dividends , where the team , led by Mark Messier , Brian Leetch , Adam Graves , and Mike Richter , captured their fourth Stanley Cup in 1994 . The team was unable to duplicate that success in the years that followed , and entered into another period of mediocrity . They endured a franchise-record seven-year postseason drought from 1998 to 2005 , and languished for the majority of the 2000s before enjoying another period of prosperity after the 2004-05 NHL Lockout .
The 1989 Stanley Cup playoffs , the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) began on April 5 , after the conclusion of the 1988-89 NHL season . This was the final year that all of the Division Semifinals began with teams playing the first four games in a span of five days . The playoffs concluded on May 25 with the champion Calgary Flames defeating the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 to win the Stanley Cup Final series four games to two . It remains the last time that the Cup Finals was contested between two Canadian hockey teams . Montreal finished the regular season with 115 points , only two behind the league leader Calgary . They had last faced each other in 1986 , with Montreal winning in five games . Calgary was only the second opposing team in NHL history to win a Stanley Cup at the Montreal Forum ( the New York Rangers defeated the Montreal Maroons in 1928 ) and the first and only to do so against the Canadiens . Flames defenceman Al MacInnis won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP , while Lanny McDonald , who ended the regular season with exactly 500 goals , got his name on the Cup in his last ever NHL game . Flames co-owner Sonia Scurfield became the first Canadian woman to have her name inscribed on the Stanley Cup . Wayne Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings met the defending champion Oilers in the first round . Gretzky and the Kings defeated the defending Stanley Cup champions after falling behind 3 games to 1 . In the second round the Kings were swept by the eventual champion Calgary Flames in four games .
The 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) began on April 9 , 2008 , after the 2007-08 regular season . The 16 teams that qualified , eight from each conference , played best-of-seven series for conference quarterfinals , semifinals and championships , then the conference champions played a best-of-seven series for the Stanley Cup . The Buffalo Sabres became the second team to miss the playoffs after winning the Presidents ' Trophy in the prior season . This would not happen again until 2015 . The Finals ended on June 4 , 2008 with the Detroit Red Wings defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins four games to two to win their eleventh championship and their fourth in eleven seasons . It was the first championship in the 16-year career of Red Wings winger Dallas Drake , who retired following the season . Red Wings winger Henrik Zetterberg was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs ' Most Valuable Player . Sidney Crosby and Zetterberg led the tournament with 27 points .
The 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) began on April 16 , 2014 and ended June 13 , 2014 when the Los Angeles Kings defeated the New York Rangers four games to one in the Stanley Cup Final . For the first time since 1973 , only one Canadian team qualified for the playoffs : the Montreal Canadiens . This was also the first time since the 1978 Stanley Cup playoffs that no playoff games were played in Western Canada . The Detroit Red Wings increased their consecutive playoff appearance streak to 23 seasons , the longest streak at the time and the fifth longest streak in NHL history . The Dallas Stars ended the league 's third longest active playoff appearance drought , qualifying for the postseason for the first time in six years . For the third time in four years , all three California-based teams again made the playoffs . The Columbus Blue Jackets won their first franchise playoff game on April 19 , 2014 , and their first ever franchise playoff home game at Nationwide Arena on April 23 , 2014 , both against the Pittsburgh Penguins . Three Original Six teams reached the Conference Finals , the first time this has occurred since 1979 . The 2013-14 playoffs opening round featured leads changing hands more so than any other year . After the Anaheim Ducks rallied from a 4-2 deficit to defeat the Dallas Stars in game six of their opening round series on April 27 , 2014 , an NHL record was broken for most multi-goal comebacks by all teams in the opening round , with ten . In all four rounds combined in the previous year 's playoffs , there were only eight such victories . It also marked just the fourth time in NHL playoff history that a team who led a series 3-0 in a seven-game series failed to advance , when the San Jose Sharks lost to the Los Angeles Kings in game seven of the opening round on April 30 , 2014 .
The 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) began on April 15 , 2015 , and ended on June 15 , 2015 , with the Chicago Blackhawks defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning four games to two in the 2015 Stanley Cup Finals . The New York Rangers made the playoffs as the Presidents ' Trophy winners with the most points ( i.e . best record ) during the regular season . They also came back from a 3-1 series deficit for the second consecutive year . The Detroit Red Wings increased their consecutive post-season appearance streak to 24 seasons , the longest current streak at the time and tied for the fourth-longest streak in NHL history . The Winnipeg Jets qualified for the playoffs for the first time since the former Atlanta Thrashers franchise relocated to Winnipeg in 2011 ; the only time that the Thrashers/Jets franchise made the post-season was in 2007 , and the last time that the city of Winnipeg hosted a playoff game was in 1996 , the season before the previous Winnipeg Jets team relocated to Phoenix , Arizona , to become the Coyotes . The Ottawa Senators became the first team in the NHL 's modern era ( since 1943-44 ) to overcome a 14-point deficit in the standings to clinch a playoff spot . Also , the Calgary Flames returned to the playoffs after a six-year absence . In total , five Canadian NHL teams qualified for the post-season , the most since 2004 . The Los Angeles Kings became the first defending Stanley Cup champions since the Carolina Hurricanes in 2007 to fail to make the playoffs . The Boston Bruins failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2007 and became the first reigning Presidents ' Trophy winners to miss the post-season since the Buffalo Sabres in 2008 ( and the third overall ) . In addition , the San Jose Sharks failed to make the post-season for the first time since 2003 , ending the NHL 's second-longest active playoff streak .
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference . Part of the 1967 NHL Expansion , the Flyers were the first expansion team in the post-Original Six era to win the Stanley Cup , victorious in 1973-74 and again in 1974-75 . The Flyers ' all-time points percentage of 57.5% ( as of the 2018-19 NHL season [ update ] ) is the third-best in the NHL , behind only the Vegas Golden Knights and Montreal Canadiens . Additionally , the Flyers have the most appearances in the conference finals of all 24 expansion teams ( 16 appearances , winning 8 ) , and they are second behind the St. Louis Blues for the most playoff appearances out of all expansion teams ( 39 out of 51 seasons ) . The Flyers have played their home games on Broad Street since their inception , first at the Spectrum from 1967 until 1996 , and then at the Wells Fargo Center since 1996 . The Flyers have had rivalries with several teams over the years . Historically , their biggest adversaries have been the New York Rangers , with an intense rivalry stretching back to the 1970s . They have also waged lengthy campaigns against the New York Islanders in the 70s and 80s , the Boston Bruins , a bruising battle especially in the 1970s , the Washington Capitals , which has always been intense since their days in the Patrick Division , as well as the New Jersey Devils , with whom they traded the Atlantic Division title every season between 1994-95 and 2006-07 , and finally they enjoy a spirited rivalry with their cross-state and expansion brethren , the Pittsburgh Penguins , which is considered by some to be the best rivalry in the league .
The 1997 Stanley Cup playoffs , the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) , began on April 16 , 1997 , following the completion of the 1996-97 NHL season . The sixteen teams that qualified , eight from each conference , played best-of-seven series for conference quarter-finals , semi-finals and championships , and then the conference champions played a best-of-seven series for the Stanley Cup . The Playoffs ended on June 7 , with the Detroit Red Wings defeating the Philadelphia Flyers in a four-game sweep to win their eighth 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 . It was also the first time since 1967 that the Boston Bruins failed to qualify for the playoffs , ending their 29-year consecutive playoffs appearances record .
The 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) began on April 11 , 2012 , after the conclusion of the 2011-12 NHL regular season . These playoffs marked only the second time since the 1996 playoffs in which no Canadian teams advanced past the first round . These playoffs featured the return of the Florida Panthers to the postseason for the first time since the 2000 Stanley Cup playoffs , one of the longest playoff droughts in league history . The 2012 Stanley Cup Finals started on May 30 and ended on June 11 , with the Los Angeles Kings defeating the New Jersey Devils in six games to win their first Stanley Cup title . Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick , having recorded a 1.41 goals against average , was named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP . After clinching a postseason spot in their 81st game of the regular season , the Kings became the first eighth-seeded team to win the Stanley Cup in NHL history ( and the second eighth seed to reach the Cup Finals after the 2005-06 Edmonton Oilers ) , also being the second team to eliminate the first , second , and third seeds from the playoffs in the same postseason after the 2003-04 Calgary Flames ( and the first team to do so in that order ) . In addition , the Kings became the first team to make the Final undefeated on the road ( with their 8-0 record ) . As the sixth seed in their conference , the Devils were the lowest-seeded team to have home-ice advantage in the Stanley Cup Finals , breaking a record they set when they won the Cup as a fourth seed in 2000 .
The Ottawa Senators ( French : Sénateurs d'Ottawa ) are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference . The Senators play their home games at the 18,652-seat Canadian Tire Centre , which opened in 1996 as the Palladium . Founded and established by Ottawa real estate developer Bruce Firestone , the team is the second NHL franchise to use the Ottawa Senators name . The original Ottawa Senators , founded in 1883 , had a famed history , winning 11 Stanley Cups , playing in the NHL from 1917 until 1934 . On December 6 , 1990 , after a two-year public campaign by Firestone , the NHL awarded a new franchise , which began play in the 1992-93 season . The current team owner is Eugene Melnyk , and in 2019 , the franchise was valued by Forbes magazine at $ 445 million . The Senators have won four division titles and , in 2003 , the Presidents ' Trophy ; and have once appeared in the Stanley Cup Finals ( 2007 ) .
The 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 11 , 2007 . The sixteen teams that qualified , eight from each conference , played best-of-seven series for conference quarterfinals , semifinals and championships , and then the conference champions played a best-of-seven series for the Stanley Cup . The series ended on June 6 with the Anaheim Ducks defeating the Ottawa Senators in five games to win their first ever championship . For the first time in NHL history , neither of the two teams that played in the previous year 's Stanley Cup Finals ( the Carolina Hurricanes and the Edmonton Oilers ) qualified for the playoffs . For the first time since 1994 , all four former WHA teams ; Carolina ( formerly the Hartford Whalers ) , Colorado ( formerly the Quebec Nordiques ) , Edmonton , and Phoenix ( formerly the Winnipeg Jets ) missed the playoffs in the same year , this would not happen again until 2013 . Also for the first time since 1994 , the Philadelphia Flyers missed the playoffs . This was the only time that the Atlanta Thrashers qualified for the playoffs in their twelve years in Georgia ( they became the new Winnipeg Jets in 2011 ) . Only two Original Six teams made the playoffs this year , the New York Rangers and the Detroit Red Wings ( this included the Montreal Canadiens ' and the Toronto Maple Leafs ' first absence from the tournament together since 1970 ) . This only happened twice before in 2000 and 2001 , and would not happen again until 2018 .
The 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) began on April 14 , 2010 , after the 2009-10 NHL regular season . The Finals ended on June 9 , 2010 , with the Chicago Blackhawks defeating the Philadelphia Flyers in six games to win their fourth championship and their first since 1961 . Blackhawks center and team captain Jonathan Toews was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs ' most valuable player . This NHL post-season was noted for the unexpected playoff successes of two teams : the Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens , who were the seventh and eighth seeds in their conference and were tied for points . The Flyers became the third NHL team to win a seven-game series after being down 3-0 ( the others being the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and the 1975 New York Islanders ) . The Flyers went on to play in the Stanley Cup Final , losing to Chicago . Meanwhile , the Canadiens became the first eighth-seeded team in NHL history to win a series against the first-seeded team after being down 3-1 in a series , when they beat the Washington Capitals in the first round . After upsetting the defending Cup champions Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round , the Canadiens became 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 . As a result of the Canadiens having the eighth seed , the Flyers became the first seventh-seed to have home-ice advantage in the conference finals since the current playoff format was instituted . During the 2010 playoffs , 18 games went to overtime .
The 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) began on April 30 , 2013 , following the conclusion of the 2012-13 NHL regular season . The regular season was shortened to 48 games , and the playoffs pushed to a later date , due to a lockout . The playoffs ended on June 24 , 2013 , with the Chicago Blackhawks defeating the Boston Bruins in six games to win the Stanley Cup . Patrick Kane won the Conn Smythe trophy as the playoffs MVP , with 19 points ( 9 goals and 10 assists ) . The Toronto Maple Leafs made the playoffs for the first time since 2004 , breaking one of the NHL 's longest playoff droughts . Since the 1967 expansion , only the Colorado Rockies/New Jersey Devils ( 1979-1987 ) , the Florida Panthers ( 2001-2011 ) , and Edmonton Oilers ( 2007-2016 ) have had longer playoff droughts . The New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers missed the playoffs this year , marking the first time this happened since the Devils ' move to the East Coast in 1982 . The 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs marked the first time since 1996 that every Original Six team has advanced to the playoffs in the same year . Also , this year marks the first time since 2004 that two Canadian teams have played each other in the playoffs . In all , four Canadian teams qualified for the playoffs ( Montreal , Ottawa , Toronto , and Vancouver ) , the most since 2006 . For the second time in three years , all three teams from California made the playoffs . For the first time since 2007 , and for only the third time in history , all four former WHA teams ; Carolina ( formerly the Hartford Whalers ) , Colorado ( formerly the Quebec Nordiques ) , Edmonton , and Phoenix ( formerly the Winnipeg Jets ) missed the playoffs in the same year .
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark , New Jersey . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference . The club was founded as the Kansas City Scouts in Kansas City , Missouri , in 1974 . The Scouts moved to Denver , Colorado in 1976 and became the Colorado Rockies . In 1982 , they moved to East Rutherford , New Jersey and took their current name . For their first 25 seasons in New Jersey , the Devils were based at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford and played their home games at Brendan Byrne Arena ( later renamed to Continental Airlines Arena ) . Before the 2007-08 season , the Devils moved to Prudential Center in Newark . The franchise was poor to mediocre in the eight years before moving to New Jersey , a pattern that continued during the first five years in New Jersey as they failed to make the Stanley Cup playoffs and never finished higher than fifth in their division . Their fortunes began to turn around following the hiring of president and general manager Lou Lamoriello in 1987 . Under Lamoriello 's stewardship , the Devils made the playoffs all but three times between 1988 and 2012 , including 13 berths in a row from 1997 to 2010 , and finished with a winning record every season from 1992-93 to 2009-10 . They have won the Atlantic Division regular season title nine times , most recently in 2009-10 , before transferring to the newly created Metropolitan Division as part of the NHL 's realignment in 2013 . The Devils have reached the Stanley Cup Finals five times , winning in 1994-95 , 1999-2000 and 2002-03 , and losing in 2000-01 and 2011-12 .
The 1993 Stanley Cup playoffs the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) began after the conclusion of the 1992-93 NHL season on April 18 and ended with the Montreal Canadiens defeating the Los Angeles Kings four games to one to win the Stanley Cup on June 9 . These playoffs featured an NHL record 28 overtime games , of which the Canadiens set a playoff record for most overtime games won in one year with ten . The Canadiens also won 11 consecutive games during the playoffs , tying an NHL record . The Presidents ' Trophy-winning Pittsburgh Penguins , who had won the Stanley Cup the previous two years , were the favourite to repeat . However , both conferences saw numerous upsets as the third place team in every division reached their respective conference finals . This was the first time since the 1979 NHL-WHA merger that the Edmonton Oilers had missed the playoffs . It was also the first time that longtime Oilers and then-New York Rangers captain Mark Messier had missed the playoffs in his career . This was the only year between 1984 and 1994 that the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens did not face each other in the playoffs . This was the last time that the New York Islanders won a playoff round before 2016 . Montreal 's Cup championship remains the last time that a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup .
The 1999 Stanley Cup playoffs , the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) , began on April 21 , 1999 , following the 1998-99 NHL season . The sixteen teams that qualified , eight from each conference , played best-of-seven series for conference quarter-finals , semi-finals and championships , and then the conference champions played a best-of-seven series for the Stanley Cup . As of 2019 , this was the last time all four WHA teams made the playoffs . Despite his team being eliminated before the Stanley Cup Finals , Colorado Avalanche forward Peter Forsberg 's postseason scoring totals , with 24 points in 19 games , were not surpassed for the rest of the 1999 playoffs . This made him the first player to lead all playoff scorers despite not making the finals since the 1986 playoffs where Doug Gilmour and Bernie Federko each tallied 21 points in 19 postseason games for St. Louis who was also eliminated in the conference finals . The playoffs ended on June 19 , 1999 , with the Dallas Stars defeating the Buffalo Sabres to win their first Stanley Cup championship in their history . Brett Hull scored the controversial triple overtime goal in game six for Dallas , while Joe Nieuwendyk was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs .
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference . The team has been in existence since 1924 , and is the league 's third-oldest team overall and the oldest in the United States . It is also an Original Six franchise , along with the Chicago Blackhawks , Detroit Red Wings , Montreal Canadiens , New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs . The Bruins have won six Stanley Cup championships , tied for fourth most of all-time with the Blackhawks and tied second-most of any American NHL team also with the Blackhawks ( behind the Red Wings , who have 11 ) . The first facility to host the Bruins was the Boston Arena ( today 's Matthews Arena ) - the world 's oldest ( built 1909-10 ) indoor ice hockey facility still in use for the sport at any level of competition - and following the Bruins ' departure from the Boston Arena , the team played its home games at the Boston Garden for 67 seasons , beginning in 1928 and concluding in 1995 , when they moved to the TD Garden .
The 1979 Stanley Cup playoffs , the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League , ( NHL ) began on April 10 , after the conclusion of the 1978-79 NHL season . The playoffs concluded on May 21 , with the three-time defending champion Montreal Canadiens defeating the New York Rangers 4-1 to win the Final series four games to one for the Stanley Cup . Three Original Six teams made the semifinals , which would not happen again until the 2014 Conference Finals .
The 1980 Stanley Cup playoffs , the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) began on April 8 , after the conclusion of the 1979-80 NHL season . This season saw the addition of four teams from the disbanded World Hockey Association ( WHA ) as expansion franchises , and thus the playoffs were also expanded from 12 to 16 teams . Two for those former WHA clubs , the Edmonton Oilers and the Hartford Whalers , made the playoffs in their first season in the NHL . The playoffs concluded on May 24 when the New York Islanders defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4 to win the Final series four games to two and win the Stanley Cup . It was the Islanders ' first Stanley Cup win and was the first of four consecutive Stanley Cup wins .
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York metropolitan area . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference . The team splits its home games between Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale , New York , and Barclays Center in the borough of Brooklyn . The Islanders are one of three NHL franchises in the New York metropolitan area , along with the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers , and their fan base resides primarily on Long Island . The team was founded in 1972 as part of the NHL 's maneuvers to keep a team from rival league World Hockey Association ( WHA ) out of the newly built Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in suburban Uniondale , New York . After two years of building up the team 's roster , they found almost instant success by securing fourteen straight playoff berths starting with their third season . The Islanders won four consecutive Stanley Cup championships between 1980 and 1983 , the seventh of eight dynasties recognized by the NHL in its history . Their 19 consecutive playoff series wins between 1980 and 1984 is a feat that remains unparalleled in the history of professional sports . They are the last team in any major professional North American sport to win four consecutive championships . Following the team 's dynasty era , the franchise ran into problems with money , ownership and management , an aging arena , and low attendance . Their woes were reflected on the ice , as the team has not won a division title since 1987-88 , and went 22 seasons without winning a playoff series prior to the 2016 playoffs . After years of failed attempts to rebuild or replace Nassau Coliseum in suburban Long Island , the Islanders relocated to Barclays Center following the 2014-15 season .
The 1974-75 NHL season was the 58th season of the National Hockey League . Two new teams , the Washington Capitals and Kansas City Scouts were added , increasing the number of teams to 18 . To accommodate the new teams , the NHL re-organized its divisional structure and playoff format . The regular season was expanded to 80 games per team ( which would be the case until 1992-93 ) . The Philadelphia Flyers won the Stanley Cup for the second consecutive year .
The 1982 Stanley Cup playoffs , the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) began on April 7 , after the conclusion of the 1981-82 NHL season . The playoffs concluded on May 16 with the champion New York Islanders defeating the Vancouver Canucks 3-1 to win the Final series four games to none and win the Stanley Cup .
The 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs was the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . The playoffs began on April 10 , 2019 , after the 2018-19 NHL season , and concluded on June 12 , 2019 , with the St. Louis Blues winning their first Stanley Cup in franchise history defeating the Boston Bruins four games to three in the Stanley Cup Finals . The Tampa Bay Lightning made the playoffs as the Presidents ' Trophy winners with the most points ( i.e . best record ) during the regular season . The Pittsburgh Penguins increased their post-season appearance streak to thirteen seasons , the current longest streak . The Carolina Hurricanes made the playoffs for the first time since 2009 , ending a nine-year playoff drought . For the second season in a row , the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs were the only Original Six teams to make the playoffs , marking the fifth time in league history ( 2000 , 2001 , 2007 , 2018 ) that only two Original Six teams clinched a playoff berth . For the first time since 2004 , both Southern California teams , the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings , missed the playoffs . For the second time in League history ( 2018 ) , both the Detroit Red Wings and Montreal Canadiens missed the playoffs . For the first time in NHL history , all division winners were eliminated in the first round as all the wild-cards advanced to the second round . The Columbus Blue Jackets won a playoff series for the first time , defeating the first-place Lightning in four games , and marking the first time in Stanley Cup playoff history that the Presidents ' Trophy winners were swept in the opening round , and the first time since 2012 that the Presidents ' Trophy winners were defeated in the opening round . They were soon followed by the Calgary Flames , who with their five-game loss to the Colorado Avalanche , ensured that for the first time in NHL history , neither of the conference number one seeds advanced to the second round .
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Central Division of the Western Conference . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the six teams from the 1967 NHL expansion and is named after the W. C. Handy song Saint Louis Blues . The Blues play their home games at the 19,150-seat Enterprise Center in downtown St. Louis , which has been their arena since moving from St. Louis Arena in 1994 . The Blues qualified for the playoffs in all but nine of their 52 seasons , appeared in the Stanley Cup Finals four times , and won the Stanley Cup in 2019 . Their 42 playoff appearances are the most for any NHL team outside of the Original Six , although the franchise struggled in the postseason throughout much of their history . While they made the Stanley Cup Finals in each of their first three seasons , they were swept each time . With the Blues ' victory in their fourth Stanley Cup Final , 49 years after their last appearance and in their 52nd year of existence , they became the final active team from the 1967 expansion to win their first Stanley Cup . The Blues have a rivalry with the Chicago Blackhawks , with both teams having played in the same division since 1970 . The San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League ( AHL ) and the Tulsa Oilers of the ECHL are the two minor league affiliates of the Blues .
The 1969-70 NHL season was the 53rd season of the National Hockey League . For the third straight season , the St. Louis Blues reached the Stanley Cup finals , and for the third straight year , the winners of the expansion West Division were swept four games to none . This time , however , it was at the hands of the Boston Bruins , as the defending champions Montreal Canadiens narrowly missed the playoffs , something that did not happen again for the next quarter century . With both the Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs missing the 1970 Stanley Cup playoffs , it was the first time in league history that neither of the NHL 's two Canadian teams ( at the time ) qualified for the playoffs ( something that has happened only once since , in 2016 , when all of the league 's then seven Canadian teams missed the playoffs ) . It was also the final season that teams wore their colored jerseys at home until the 2003-04 season .
The 1981 Stanley Cup playoffs , the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) began on April 8 , after the conclusion of the 1980-81 NHL season . The playoffs concluded on May 21 with the champion New York Islanders defeating the Minnesota North Stars 5-1 to win the Final series four games to one and win the Stanley Cup .
The Toronto Maple Leafs , officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often simply referred to as the Leafs , are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference . The club is owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment , Ltd. and are represented by Chairman Larry Tanenbaum . The Maple Leafs ' broadcasting rights are split between BCE Inc. and Rogers Communications . For their first 14 seasons , the club played their home games at the Mutual Street Arena , before moving to Maple Leaf Gardens in 1931 . The Maple Leafs moved to their present home , Scotiabank Arena ( originally named the Air Canada Centre ) in February 1999 . The club was founded in 1917 , operating simply as Toronto and known then as the Toronto Arenas . Under new ownership , the club was renamed the Toronto St. Patricks in 1919 . In 1927 the club was purchased by Conn Smythe and renamed the Maple Leafs . A member of the Original Six , the club was one of six NHL teams to have endured through the period of League retrenchment during the Great Depression . The club has won thirteen Stanley Cup championships , second only to the 24 championships of the Montreal Canadiens . The Maple Leafs history includes two recognized dynasties , from 1947 to 1951 ; and from 1962 to 1967 .
The 1975-76 NHL season was the 59th season of the National Hockey League . The Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup , defeating the defending champion Philadelphia Flyers in the final . This season also marked the final time that Hockey Night in Canada on CBC in Canada would air both radio and television broadcasts of games , the show would become exclusive to television the next season .
The 1976-77 NHL season was the 60th season of the National Hockey League . The Kansas City Scouts moved to Denver , Colorado , and became the Colorado Rockies and the California Golden Seals moved to Cleveland , Ohio , and became the Cleveland Barons . The Montreal Canadiens once again dominated the playoffs as , for the second straight year , they swept their opponent four games to none in the final series for the Stanley Cup .
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo , New York . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference . The team was established in 1970 , along with the Vancouver Canucks , when the league expanded to 14 teams . They have played at KeyBank Center since 1996 . Prior to that , the Buffalo Sabres played at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium from the start of the franchise in 1970 . The Sabres are owned by Terry Pegula , who purchased the club in 2011 from Tom Golisano . The Sabres have the longest active playoff drought in the NHL , at 8 seasons . The team has twice advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals , losing to the Philadelphia Flyers in 1975 and to the Dallas Stars in 1999 . The best known line in team history is The French Connection , which consisted of Gilbert Perreault , Rick Martin and Rene Robert . All three players have had their sweater numbers ( 11 , 7 and 14 , respectively ) retired and a statue erected in their honor at KeyBank Center in 2012 . The Sabres , along with the Canucks , share the record for being the longest continuously running active NHL franchise to have never won the Stanley Cup .
The Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus , Ohio . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference . The Blue Jackets began play as an expansion team in 2000 . In their initial years , the Blue Jackets struggled , failing to win 30 games in a season until the 2005-06 season . The team qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in 2009 , but were swept . Columbus ultimately notched their first playoff game victory in the 2014 playoffs and five years later won their first playoff series in the 2019 playoffs against the Tampa Bay Lightning , becoming the first team in NHL history to sweep a Presidents ' Trophy winner in the first round . However , they are still the only team in the league which has never appeared in the conference finals . The Blue Jackets ' name and logos are inspired by Ohio 's Civil War history . The Blue Jackets play their home games at Nationwide Arena in downtown Columbus , which opened in 2000 . They are affiliated with the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL .
The Chicago Blackhawks ( spelled Black Hawks until 1986 , and known colloquially as the Hawks ) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Central Division of the Western Conference . They have won six Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926 . The Blackhawks are one of the Original Six NHL teams along with the Detroit Red Wings , Montreal Canadiens , Toronto Maple Leafs , Boston Bruins and New York Rangers . Since 1994 , the club 's home rink is the United Center , which they share with the National Basketball Association 's Chicago Bulls . The club had previously played for 65 years at Chicago Stadium . The club 's original owner was Frederic McLaughlin , who owned the club until his death in 1944 . Under McLaughlin , a hands-on owner who fired many coaches during his ownership , the club won two Stanley Cup titles . The club was then owned by the Norris family , who as owners of the Chicago Stadium were the club 's landlord , and owned stakes in several of the NHL teams . At first , the Norris ownership was as part of a syndicate fronted by long-time executive Bill Tobin , and the team languished in favor of the Norris-owned Detroit Red Wings . After the senior James E. Norris died in 1952 , the Norris assets were spread among family members and James D. Norris became owner . Norris Jr. took an active interest in the team and under his ownership , the club won one Stanley Cup title in 1961 .
The 1971-72 NHL season was the 55th season of the National Hockey League . Fourteen teams each played 78 games . The Boston Bruins beat the New York Rangers four games to two for their second Stanley Cup in three seasons in the finals .
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference , and are one of the Original Six teams of the league . Founded in 1926 , the team was known as the Detroit Cougars until 1930 . For the 1930-31 and 1931-32 seasons the team was called the Detroit Falcons , and in 1932 changed their name to the Red Wings . As of 2020 [ update ] , the Red Wings have won the most Stanley Cup championships of any NHL franchise based in the United States ( 11 ) and are third overall in total Stanley Cup championships , behind the Montreal Canadiens ( 24 ) and Toronto Maple Leafs ( 13 ) . The Wings played their home games at Joe Louis Arena from 1979 until 2017 , after playing for 52 years in Olympia Stadium . They moved into the new Little Caesars Arena beginning with the 2017-18 season . The Red Wings are one of the most popular and successful franchises in the NHL ; fans and sports commentators refer to the Detroit area as Hockeytown , which has been a registered trademark owned by the franchise since 1996 . Between the 1931-32 and 1965-66 seasons , the Red Wings missed the playoffs only four times . Between the 1966-67 and 1982-83 seasons , the Red Wings made the playoffs only two times . However , thereafter , from 1983-84 to 2015-16 , they made the playoffs 30 times in 32 seasons , including 25-straight from 1990-91 to 2015-16 ( not counting the cancelled 2004-05 season ) , in 2006 this became the longest active streak of postseason appearances in all of North American professional sports and finished tied for the third longest streak in NHL history . Since 1983-84 , the Red Wings have tallied six regular season first-place finishes and have won the Stanley Cup four times ( 1997 , 1998 , 2002 , and 2008 ) .
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa , Florida . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference . The club has won one Stanley Cup championship in their history , in 2003-04 . The team is often referred to as the Bolts , and the nickname was used on the former third jerseys . The Lightning plays home games in Amalie Arena in Tampa . The owner of the Lightning is Jeffrey Vinik , while Julien BriseBois serves as general manager . The team is currently coached by Jon Cooper , who has led the team since 2013 .
The 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) began on April 13 , 2011 , after the conclusion of the 2010-11 NHL regular season . The first game of the Finals was held on June 1 , while the deciding seventh game was held on June 15 . The Boston Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks in seven games in the Finals to capture their first Stanley Cup championship since 1972 , their sixth overall Stanley Cup win . Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player during the playoffs . Bruins forward David Krejci led all playoff scorers with 23 points in 25 games .
The Montreal Canadiens [ note 3 ] ( French : Les Canadiens de Montréal ) are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference . The club 's official name is le Club de hockey Canadien . The team is frequently referred to in English and French as the Habs . French nicknames for the team include Les Canadiens ( or Le Canadien ) , Le Bleu-Blanc-Rouge , La Sainte-Flanelle , Le Tricolore , Les Glorieux ( or Nos Glorieux ) , Le CH , Le Grand Club and Les Habitants ( from which Habs is derived ) . Founded in 1909 , the Canadiens are the longest continuously operating professional ice hockey team worldwide , and the only existing NHL club to predate the founding of the NHL . One of the oldest North American professional sports franchises , the Canadiens ' history predates that of every other Canadian franchise outside football as well as every American franchise outside baseball and the National Football League 's Arizona Cardinals . The franchise is one of the Original Six teams , a description used for the teams that made up the NHL from 1942 until the 1967 expansion . The team 's championship season in 1992-93 was the last time a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup . The Canadiens have won the Stanley Cup more times than any other franchise . They have won 24 Stanley Cup championships , 23 of them since the founding of the NHL and 22 of them since 1927 , when NHL teams became the only ones to compete for the Stanley Cup . On a percentage basis , as of 2014 [ needs update ] , the franchise has won 25.3% of all Stanley Cup championships contested after the Challenge Cup era , making it the second most successful professional sports team of the traditional four major sports of Canada and the United States , behind only the Boston Celtics .
The 1998 Stanley Cup playoffs , the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) , began on April 22 , 1998 following the 1997-98 regular 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 concluded on June 16 with the Detroit Red Wings winning their second consecutive Stanley Cup championship , defeating the Washington Capitals , who appeared in their very first Finals , in a four-game sweep . Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman was named playoff MVP , and awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy . The 1997-98 Detroit Red Wings were the last team to defend their Stanley Cup Championship until the Pittsburgh Penguins successfully defended their Stanley Cup title in 2017 . In the Eastern Semis , the Buffalo Sabres made history as they became the first team in NHL history to complete a four-game sweep of the Montreal Canadiens on Montreal ice . For the first time since 1969 the Chicago Blackhawks missed the playoffs . Also , both the Islanders and Rangers missed the playoffs in the same season for the first time .
The California Golden Seals were a professional ice hockey club that competed in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) from 1967 to 1976 . Initially named the California Seals , the team was renamed the Oakland Seals partway through the 1967-68 season ( on December 8 , 1967 ) and then to the California Golden Seals in 1970 , after two games as the Bay Area Seals . The Seals were one of six teams added to the league as part of the 1967 NHL expansion . Based in Oakland , California , they played their home games at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena . The Seals were never successful at the gate , qualifying for the postseason in only two of their nine seasons and failing to obtain a winning record in each , and eventually moved to Cleveland to become the Cleveland Barons in 1976 . They are the only franchise from the 1967 expansion to not reach the Stanley Cup Finals .
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh , North Carolina . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference . The Hurricanes play their home games at the 18,680-seat PNC Arena ( formerly known as RBC center ) . The franchise was formed in 1971 as the New England Whalers of the World Hockey Association ( WHA ) . The Whalers saw success immediately , winning the Eastern Division in the WHA 's first three seasons , as well as becoming the inaugural Avco World Trophy Champions to cap off the 1972-73 season . The Whalers again competed for the World Trophy in 1978 , this time falling short to the Winnipeg Jets in a rematch of the 1973 Finals . The franchise joined the NHL in 1979 as part of the NHL-WHA merger , renaming themselves the Hartford Whalers . The team relocated to North Carolina in 1997 , rebranding themselves as the Hurricanes . Carolina advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 2002 , where they were defeated by the Detroit Red Wings , 4-1 . The Hurricanes won the 2006 Stanley Cup over the Edmonton Oilers in seven games , giving the state of North Carolina its first major professional sports championship . On February 15 , 2020 , it was announced that the Hurricanes would host a Stadium Series game at Carter-Finley Stadium on February 20 , 2021 .
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Central Division of the Western Conference . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars , based in Bloomington , Minnesota . Before the beginning of the 1978-79 NHL season , the team merged with the Cleveland Barons after the league granted them permission due to each team 's respective financial struggles . Ultimately , the franchise relocated to Dallas for the 1993-94 NHL season . The Stars played out of Reunion Arena from their relocation until 2001 , when the team moved less than 1.5 miles into the American Airlines Center . The Stars have won eight division titles in Dallas , two Presidents ' Trophies as the top regular season team in the league , the Western Conference championship twice , and in 1998-99 , the Stanley Cup . Joe Nieuwendyk won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs that year . In 2000 , Neal Broten was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame . In 2009 , Brett Hull became the first Dallas Stars player inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame , followed by Ed Belfour and Joe Nieuwendyk in 2011 and Mike Modano in 2014 . In 2010 , brothers Derian and Kevin Hatcher were inducted to the United States Hockey Hall of Fame .
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville , Tennessee . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Central Division of the Western Conference . The Predators have played their home games at Bridgestone Arena since 1998 . Their television broadcasting rights are held by Fox Sports Tennessee , and radio broadcasting rights are held by WPRT-FM . The club was founded in 1998 when the NHL granted an expansion franchise to Craig Leipold . After five seasons , the Predators qualified for their first Stanley Cup playoffs during the 2003-04 season . In 2008 , ownership of the club was transferred from Leipold to a locally based ownership group . The Predators advanced to their first Stanley Cup Finals in 2017 , but were defeated by the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games . In the following season , the Predators won their first Presidents ' Trophy and Central Division title . The Predators are presently affiliated with the minor league teams Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League and Florida Everblades of the ECHL .
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose , California . They compete in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference . The franchise is owned by San Jose Sports & Entertainment Enterprises . Beginning play in the 1991-92 season , the Sharks initially played their home games at the Cow Palace , before they moved to their present home , now named SAP Center at San Jose , in 1993 . The SAP Center is known locally as the Shark Tank . The Sharks were founded in 1991 and were the first NHL franchise based in the San Francisco Bay Area since the California Golden Seals relocated to Cleveland in 1976 . The Sharks have advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals once , losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 . They have won the Presidents ' Trophy once , as the team with the league 's best regular season record in the 2008-09 season . They have also won six division titles as a member of the Pacific Division since 1993 . The club is affiliated with the San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League .