2014-15 NHL season

The 2014–15 NHL season was 98th season of operation and the 97th season of play. The regular season lasted from October 8, 2014 to April 11, 2015.
==Rule changes==
The following rule changes were voted upon by the NHL Board of Governors in June, and were approved by the Players' Association in September 2014.
*The trapezoidal areas behind each net in which goaltenders are allowed to play the puck are to be made 4 ft (1.2m) wider than their current width.
*The width of the hashmarks outside the faceoff circles will be extended from their current 3.5 feet to five feet, seven inches apart (international markings).
*Prior to any overtime period, both teams will change ends and the ice will be dry-scraped by an ice resurfacer. The league hopes that the "long line changes" and the better ice surfaces will increase scoring in overtime, and thus decrease shootouts.
*Coaches no longer have to submit a list of shootout participants as it begins. The coaches will be free as to who they will pick next.
*Teams that ice the puck can only use one center to take the ensuing faceoff. If that player attempts to get kicked out of the faceoff to buy his team time, he'll get a two-minute delay-of-game penalty.
*The NHL's "situation room" will have more latitude to conduct video reviews of goals that don't fall under the guidelines of what can be reviewed but that clearly weren't scored legally.
*The wording "embellishment" will be changed to allow an escalating scale of fines to repeat-offense players and coaches.
*The "spin-o-rama" will no longer be allowed on penalty shots and during the shootout.
At the league's General Managers Meeting in November, it was decided to immediately end the dry-scrap prior to overtime, as it was felt that the average time of five minutes was too long and it seemed to have no significant difference. The GMs also voted to allow officials in the Situation Room to buzz the arena to have play immediately stopped for a video review without waiting for a whistle.
==Outdoor Games==
*2015 Winter Classic held at Nationals Park in Washington, DC on January 1, 2015. The game featured the Washington Capitals hosting the Chicago Blackhawks in front of a crowd of 42,832 that saw the Capitals win 3-2 with Troy Brouwer scoring the winning power-play goal with 13 seconds left in regulation.
*2015 Stadium Series was held February 21, 2015 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The game matched up the Los Angeles Kings playing the San Jose Sharks.  The Kings won 2-1 in front of a crowd of 70, 205. The event coincided with Hockey Day in America.
==All Star Game==
The Columbus Blue Jackets hosted the 60th National Hockey League All-Star Game at the Nationwide Arena on January 25, 2015. Team Toews defeated Team Foligno 17-12.  The city was originally scheduled to host the 2013 edition of the game but that was cancelled due to the 2012-13 NHL lockout and no game was scheduled for 2014 as NHL players participated in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. 
The game set records for:
*most goals by one team (17)
*most goals by both teams (29)
*Most goals in a single period by both teams (11) (2nd period)
*Fastest back to back goals: Ryan Suter and Claude Giroux (8 seconds)
*Fastest 3 goals scored
*Fastest 4 goals scored
==Misc.==
The league had two games postponed for very different reasons:
*On October 22nd the game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Ottawa Senators was postponed due to the shootings at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario located near where the Maple Leafs team was staying at a hotel.
*The November 22nd game between the Buffalo Sabres and the New York Rangers was postponed as result of an unprecidented storm that devilered anywhere from 4 to 8.5 feet (1.22- 2.23 meters) of snow in the western New York Region.
==Standings==
Atlantic Divison (Top 3) 	Atlantic Divison (Top 3) 	Atlantic Divison (Top 3) 	Atlantic Divison (Top 3) 	Atlantic Divison (Top 3) 	Atlantic Divison (Top 3) 	Atlantic Divison (Top 3) 	Atlantic Divison (Top 3) 	Atlantic Divison (Top 3)
Team 	GP 	W 	L 	OTL 	SL 	GF 	GA 	Pts
Montreal Canadiens x y 	82 	50 	22 	5 	5 	221 	189 	110
Tampa Bay Lightningx 	82 	50 	24 	3 	5 	262 	211 	108
Detroit Red Wings x 	82 	43 	25 	4 	10 	235 	221 	100
Metropolitan Division (Top 3) 	Metropolitan Division (Top 3) 	Metropolitan Division (Top 3) 	Metropolitan Division (Top 3) 	Metropolitan Division (Top 3) 	Metropolitan Division (Top 3) 	Metropolitan Division (Top 3) 	Metropolitan Division (Top 3) 	Metropolitan Division (Top 3)
New York Rangersx y z p 	82 	53 	22 	2 	5 	252 	192 	113
Washington Capitalsx 	82 	45 	26 	7 	4 	242 	203 	101
New York Islandersx 	82 	47 	28 	1 	6 	252 	230 	101
Eastern Conference Wildcard (Top 2 qualify)	Eastern Conference Wildcard (Top 2 qualify)	Eastern Conference Wildcard (Top 2 qualify)	Eastern Conference Wildcard (Top 2 qualify)	Eastern Conference Wildcard (Top 2 qualify)	Eastern Conference Wildcard (Top 2 qualify)	Eastern Conference Wildcard (Top 2 qualify)	Eastern Conference Wildcard (Top 2 qualify)	Eastern Conference Wildcard (Top 2 qualify)
Ottawa Senatorsx 	82 	43 	26 	6 	7 	238 	215 	99
Pittsburgh Penguinsx 	82 	43 	27 	6 	6 	221 	210 	98
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Boston Bruins 	82 	41 	27 	4 	10 	213 	211 	96
Florida Panthers 	82 	38 	29 	5 	10 	206 	223 	91
Columbus Blue Jackets 	82 	42 	35 	3 	2 	236 	250 	89
Philadelphia Flyers 	82 	33 	31 	7 	11 	215 	234 	84
New Jersey Devils 	82 	32 	36 	7 	7 	181 	216 	78
Carolina Hurricanes 	82 	30 	41 	4 	7 	188 	226 	71
Toronto Maple Leafs 	82 	30 	44 	3 	5 	211 	262 	68
Buffalo Sabres 	82 	23 	51 	3 	5 	161 	274 	54
Central Divison (Top 3) 	Central Divison (Top 3) 	Central Divison (Top 3) 	Central Divison (Top 3) 	Central Divison (Top 3) 	Central Divison (Top 3) 	Central Divison (Top 3) 	Central Divison (Top 3) 	Central Divison (Top 3)
Team 	GP 	W 	L 	OTL 	SL 	GF 	GA 	Pts
St. Louis Bluesx y 	82 	51 	24 	3 	4 	248 	201 	109
Nashville Predatorsx 	82 	47 	25 	4 	6 	232 	208 	104
Chicago Blackhawksx 	82 	48 	28 	3 	3 	229 	189 	102
Pacific Division (Top 3) 	Pacific Division (Top 3) 	Pacific Division (Top 3) 	Pacific Division (Top 3) 	Pacific Division (Top 3) 	Pacific Division (Top 3) 	Pacific Division (Top 3) 	Pacific Division (Top 3) 	Pacific Division (Top 3)
Anaheim Ducksx y 	82 	51 	24 	2 	5 	236 	226 	109
Vancouver Canucksx 	82 	48 	29 	3 	2 	242 	222 	101
Calgary Flamesx 	82 	45 	30 	4 	3 	241 	216 	97
Western Conference Wildcard (Top 2 qualify)	Western Conference Wildcard (Top 2 qualify)	Western Conference Wildcard (Top 2 qualify)	Western Conference Wildcard (Top 2 qualify)	Western Conference Wildcard (Top 2 qualify)	Western Conference Wildcard (Top 2 qualify)	Western Conference Wildcard (Top 2 qualify)	Western Conference Wildcard (Top 2 qualify)	Western Conference Wildcard (Top 2 qualify)
Minnesota Wildx 	82 	46 	28 	5 	3 	231 	201 	100
Winnipeg Jetsx 	82 	43 	26 	7 	6 	230 	210 	99
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Los Angeles Kings 	82 	40 	27 	7 	8 	220 	205 	95
Dallas Stars 	82 	41 	31 	7 	3 	261 	260 	92
Colorado Avalanche 	82 	39 	31 	8 	4 	219 	227 	90
San Jose Sharks 	82 	40 	33 	3 	6 	228 	232 	89
Edmonton Oilers 	82 	24 	44 	7 	7 	198 	283 	62
Arizona Coyotes 	82 	24 	50 	3 	5 	170 	272 	56
x-clinched playoff berth, y-clinched division title, z-clinched conference title, p-clinched President's Trophy
==2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs==
==Playoff Results==
===Eastern Conference First Round===
*Montreal Canadiens defeated Ottawa Senators 4 games to 2 (4-3, 3-2 (ot), 2-1 (ot), 0-1, 1-5, 2-0)
*Tampa Bay Lightning defeated Detroit Red Wings 4 games to 3 (2-3, 5-1, 0-3, 3-2 (ot), 0-4, 5-2, 2-0)
*New York Rangers defeated Pittsburgh Penguins 4 games to 1 (2-1, 3-4, 2-1, 2-1 (ot), 2-1 (ot))
*Washington Capitals defeated New York Islanders 4 games to 3 (1-4, 4-3, 1-2 (ot), 2-1 (ot), 5-1, 1-3, 2-1)
===Western Conference First Round===
*Minnesota Wild defeated St. Louis Blues 4 games to 2 (4-2, 1-4, 3-0, 1-6, 4-1, 4-1)
*Chicago Blackhawks defeated Nashville Predators 4 games to 3 (4-3 (2ot), 2-6, 4-2, 3-2 (3ot), 2-5, 4-3)
*Anaheim Ducks defeated Winnipeg Jets 4 games to none (4-2, 2-1, 5-4 (ot), 5-2)
*Calgary Flames defeated Vancouver Canucks 4 games to 2 (2-1, 1-4, 4-2, 3-1, 1-2, 7-4)
===Eastern Conference Semifinals===
*Tampa Bay Lightning defeated Montreal Canadiens 4 games to 2 (2-1 (2ot), 6-2, 2-1, 2-6, 1-2, 4-1)
*New York Rangers defeated Washington Capitals 4 games to 3 (1-2, 3-2, 0-1, 1-2, 2-1 (ot), 4-3, 2-1 (ot)
===Western Conference Semifinals===
*Chicago Blackhawks defeated Minnesota Wild 4 games to none (4-3, 4-1, 1-0, 4-3)
*Anaheim Ducks defeated Calgary Flames 4 games to 1 (6-1, 3-0, 3-4 (ot), 4-2, 3-2 (ot)
===Eastern Conference Final===
*Tampa Bay Lightning defeated New York Rangers 4 games to 3 (1-2, 6-2, 6-5 (ot), 1-5, 2-0, 3-7, 2-0)
The Tampa Bay Lightning win the Prince of Wales Trophy
===Western Conference Final===
*Chicago Blackhawks defeated Anaheim Ducks 4 games to 3 (1-4, 3-2 (3ot), 1-2, 5-4 (2ot), 4-5 (ot), 5-2, 5-3)
The Chicago Blackhawks win the Clarence Campbell Trophy
===Stanley Cup Final===
*Chicago Blackhawks defeated Tampa Bay Lightning 4 games to 2 (2-1, 3-4, 2-3, 2-1, 1, 2-0)
Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup for their 3rd Cup in 6 years and 6th Cup overall.
Duncan Keith was named winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
Category:2015 in hockey
Category:National Hockey League seasons
Category:National Hockey League