The 2002 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championships of the National Hockey League was played from April until June. The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Carolina Hurricanes four games to one to clinch the 10th championship in their history. It was the Hurricanes first ever appearance in the championship round. Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs. It was the ninth championship for Red Wings coach Scotty Bowman, who announced his retirement after the deciding game of the series.
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.
A record 25 shutouts were recorded in the 2002 Playoffs and, for the first time since 1991, not a single team was swept in a playoff series.
The teams that made it into the 2002 Stanley Cup Playoffs were: by rankings
Eastern Conference 1 Boston Bruins 2 Philadelphia Flyers 3 Carolina Hurricanes 4 Toronto Maple Leafs 5 New York Islanders 6 New Jersey Devils 7 Ottawa Senators 8 Montreal Canadiens
Western Conference 1 Detroit Red Wings (President's Trophy winners) 2 Colorado Avalanche 3 San Jose Sharks 4 St. Louis Blues 5 Chicago Blackhawks 6 Phoenix Coyotes 7 Los Angeles Kings 8 Vancouver Canucks
[edit] Playoff bracket
| | Conference Quarter-finals | | Conference Semi-finals | | Conference Finals | | Stanley Cup Final |
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| 1 | Boston Bruins | 2 | | | 3 | Carolina Hurricanes | 4 | |
| 8 | Montreal Canadiens | 4 | | | 8 | Montreal Canadiens | 2 |
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| 2 | Philadelphia Flyers | 1 | | Eastern Conference |
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| 7 | Ottawa Senators | 4 | |
| | | 3 | Carolina Hurricanes | 4 | |
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| | 4 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 2 | |
| 3 | Carolina Hurricanes | 4 | |
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| 6 | New Jersey Devils | 2 | |
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| 4 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 4 | | 4 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 4 |
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| 5 | New York Islanders | 3 | | | 7 | Ottawa Senators | 3 |
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| | | E3 | Carolina Hurricanes | 1 |
| | (Pairings are re-seeded after the first round) | |
| | W1 | Detroit Red Wings | 4 |
| 1 | Detroit Red Wings | 4 | | | 1 | Detroit Red Wings | 4 |
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| 8 | Vancouver Canucks | 2 | | | 4 | St. Louis Blues | 1 | |
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| 2 | Colorado Avalanche | 4 |
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| 7 | Los Angeles Kings | 3 | |
| | | 1 | Detroit Red Wings | 4 |
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| | 2 | Colorado Avalanche | 3 | |
| 3 | San Jose Sharks | 4 | |
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| 6 | Phoenix Coyotes | 1 | | | Western Conference |
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| 4 | St. Louis Blues | 4 | | 2 | Colorado Avalanche | 4 |
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| 5 | Chicago Blackhawks | 1 | | | 3 | San Jose Sharks | 3 | |
Note: All dates in 2002.
[edit] Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points
[edit] Conference quarter-finals
[edit] Eastern Conference
| (1)Boston vs. (8)Montreal | | Date | Away | Home | Score | | April 18 | Montreal 5 | 2 Boston | | | April 21 | Montreal 4 | 6 Boston | | | April 23 | Boston 3 | 5 Montreal | | | April 25 | Boston 5 | 2 Montreal | | | April 27 | Montreal 2 | 1 Boston | | | April 29 | Boston 1 | 2 Montreal | | | Montreal wins series 4–2 | | | (2)Philadelphia vs. (7)Ottawa | | Date | Away | Home | OT | Score | | April 17 | Ottawa 0 | 1 Philadelphia | OT | | | April 20 | Ottawa 3 | 0 Philadelphia | | | | April 22 | Philadelphia 0 | 3 Ottawa | | | | April 24 | Philadelphia 0 | 3 Ottawa | | | | April 26 | Ottawa 2 | 1 Philadelphia | OT | | | Ottawa wins series 4–1 | |
| (3)Carolina vs. (6)New Jersey | | Date | Away | Home | OT | Score | | April 17 | New Jersey 1 | 2 Carolina | | | | April 19 | New Jersey 1 | 2 Carolina | OT | | | April 21 | Carolina 0 | 4 New Jersey | | | | April 23 | Carolina 1 | 3 New Jersey | | | | April 24 | New Jersey 2 | 3 Carolina | OT | | | April 27 | Carolina 1 | 0 New Jersey | | | | Carolina wins series 4–2 | | | (4)Toronto vs. (5)New York Islanders | | Date | Away | Home | Score | | April 18 | NY Islanders 1 | 3 Toronto | | | April 20 | NY Islanders 0 | 2 Toronto | | | April 23 | Toronto 1 | 6 NY Islanders | | | April 24 | Toronto 3 | 4 NY Islanders | | | April 26 | NY Islanders 3 | 6 Toronto | | | April 28 | Toronto 3 | 5 NY Islanders | | | April 30 | NY Islanders 2 | 4 Toronto | | | Toronto wins series 4–3 | |
[edit] Western Conference
| (1)Detroit vs. (8)Vancouver | | Date | Away | Home | | April 17 | Vancouver 4 | 3 Detroit | OT | | April 19 | Vancouver 5 | 2 Detroit | | April 21 | Detroit 3 | 1 Vancouver | | April 23 | Detroit 4 | 2 Vancouver | | April 25 | Vancouver 0 | 4 Detroit | | April 27 | Detroit 6 | 4 Vancouver | | Detroit wins series 4–2 | | | (2)Colorado vs. (7)Los Angeles | | Date | Away | Home | | April 18 | Los Angeles 3 | 4 Colorado | | April 20 | Los Angeles 3 | 5 Colorado | | April 22 | Colorado 1 | 3 Los Angeles | | April 23 | Colorado 1 | 0 Los Angeles | | April 25 | Los Angeles 1 | 0 Colorado | OT | | April 27 | Colorado 1 | 3 Los Angeles | | April 29 | Los Angeles 0 | 4 Colorado | | Colorado wins series 4–3 | |
| (3)San Jose vs. (6)Phoenix | | Date | Away | Home | | April 17 | Phoenix 1 | 2 San Jose | | April 20 | Phoenix 3 | 1 San Jose | | April 22 | San Jose 4 | 1 Phoenix | | April 24 | San Jose 2 | 1 Phoenix | | April 26 | Phoenix 1 | 4 San Jose | | San Jose wins series 4–1 | | | (4)St. Louis vs. (5)Chicago | | Date | Away | Home | | April 18 | Chicago 2 | 1 St. Louis | | April 20 | Chicago 0 | 2 St. Louis | | April 21 | St. Louis 4 | 0 Chicago | | April 23 | St. Louis 1 | 0 Chicago | | April 25 | Chicago 3 | 5 St. Louis | | St. Louis wins series 4–1 | |
[edit] Conference semi-finals
Eastern Conference | (3)Carolina vs. (8)Montreal | | Date | Away | Home | | May 3 | Montreal 0 | 2 Carolina | | May 5 | Montreal 4 | 1 Carolina | | May 7 | Carolina 1 | 2 Montreal | OT | | May 9 | Carolina 4 | 3 Montreal | OT | | May 12 | Montreal 1 | 5 Carolina | | May 13 | Carolina 8 | 2 Montreal | | Carolina wins series 4–2 | | | (4)Toronto vs. (7)Ottawa | | Date | Away | Home | | May 2 | Ottawa 5 | 0 Toronto | | May 4 | Ottawa 2 | 3 Toronto | 3OT | | May 6 | Toronto 2 | 3 Ottawa | | May 8 | Toronto 2 | 1 Ottawa | | May 10 | Ottawa 4 | 2 Toronto | | May 12 | Toronto 4 | 3 Ottawa | | May 14 | Ottawa 0 | 3 Toronto | | Toronto wins series 4–3 | |
Western Conference | (1)Detroit vs. (4)St. Louis | | Date | Away | Home | | May 2 | St. Louis 0 | 2 Detroit | | May 4 | St. Louis 2 | 3 Detroit | | May 7 | Detroit 1 | 6 St. Louis | | May 9 | Detroit 4 | 3 St. Louis | | May 11 | St. Louis 0 | 4 Detroit | | Detroit wins series 4–1 | | | (2)Colorado vs. (3)San Jose | | Date | Away | Home | | May 1 | San Jose 6 | 3 Colorado | | May 4 | San Jose 2 | 8 Colorado | | May 6 | Colorado 4 | 6 San Jose | | May 8 | Colorado 4 | 1 San Jose | | May 11 | San Jose 5 | 3 Colorado | | May 13 | Colorado 2 | 1 San Jose | OT | | May 15 | San Jose 0 | 1 Colorado | | Colorado wins series 4–3 | |
[edit] Conference finals
[edit] Stanley Cup Final
1As of 2008, the playoff game on June 8, 2002 between Detroit and Carolina is the 18th longest NHL overtime game. 54 minutes and 47 seconds of overtime were played before Igor Larionov of Detroit scored the game-winning goal. It is also the longest home debut in Stanley Cup Finals history. Larionov had just broken his own record for oldest player to score a final-round goal, set less than 2 hours previous. He was 42 years and 172 days old at the time.
[edit] Playoff Awards
[edit] Playoff Scoring Leaders
Despite getting eliminated by the Red Wings in the Western Conference Final, Colorado forward Peter Forsberg led the playoffs in scoring with 18 assists and 27 points. Brett Hull of the Detroit Red Wings led the playoffs with 10 goals.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
