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 . 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 . 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 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 ) . Western Conference Quarter - finals . ( 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 . Conference Semi - finals . Eastern Conference Semi - finals . ( 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 . Western Conference Semi - finals . ( 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 . Conference Finals . Eastern Conference . ( 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 . Western Conference . ( 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 Finals The 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 ) . This was the first Stanley Cup won in overtime since the New Jersey Devils in 2000 . Player statistics . 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 . " 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 . " 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 ) "