1986 Stanley Cup playoffs

The 1986 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League (NHL) began on April 9, after the conclusion of the 1985–86 NHL season. The playoffs concluded on May 24 with the champion Montreal Canadiens defeating the Calgary Flames 4–3 to win the series four games to one and win the Stanley Cup.

Contents

Series

The playoffs of 1986 saw three first place teams eliminated in the opening round and the fourth, Edmonton, bowed out in the second.

The Montreal Canadiens decided to go with a rookie goaltender by the name of Patrick Roy. This decision proved to be a good one just like when the Canadiens rode rookie goalie Ken Dryden to a Stanley Cup championship in 1971. In the Final, the Canadiens beat the Calgary Flames, who were also riding a rookie netminder, Mike Vernon. Patrick Roy won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP and had a sparkling 1.92 goals against average along with 15 wins.

The 1986 playoffs marked the first time that all four former WHA teams made the playoffs in the same year. This would happen again the following year and in 1999, by which time 3 of those teams had moved, the Quebec Nordiques to Denver, the Winnipeg Jets to Phoenix, and the Hartford Whalers to Raleigh, North Carolina.

Playoff bracket

  Division Semi-finals Division Finals Conference Finals Stanley Cup Final
                                     
A1  Quebec Nordiques 0  
A4  Hartford Whalers 3  
  A4  Hartford Whalers 3  
 
  A2  Montreal Canadiens 4  
A2  Montreal Canadiens 3
A3  Boston Bruins 0  
  A2  Montreal Canadiens 4  
  P4  New York Rangers 1  
P1  Philadelphia Flyers 2  
P4  New York Rangers 3  
  P4  New York Rangers 4
 
  P2  Washington Capitals 2  
P2  Washington Capitals 3
P3  New York Islanders 0  
  A2  Montreal Canadiens 4
  S2  Calgary Flames 1
N1  Chicago Black Hawks 0  
N4  Toronto Maple Leafs 3  
  N4  Toronto Maple Leafs 3
 
  N3  St. Louis Blues 4  
N2  Minnesota North Stars 2
N3  St. Louis Blues 3  
  N3  St. Louis Blues 3
  S2  Calgary Flames 4  
S1  Edmonton Oilers 3  
S4  Vancouver Canucks 0  
  S1  Edmonton Oilers 3
 
  S2  Calgary Flames 4  
S2  Calgary Flames 3
S3  Winnipeg Jets 0  

Division semi-finals

Adams Division Semi-Finals

Hartford Whalers vs. Quebec Nordiques

This was Hartford's lone playoff series victory in their NHL history prior to moving to Carolina.

Date Away Score Home Score Notes
April 9 Hartford 3 Quebec 2 (OT)
April 10 Hartford 4 Quebec 1
April 12 Quebec 4 Hartford 9

Hartford wins best-of-five series 3–0.

Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens

Date Away Score Home Score Notes
April 9 Boston 1 Montreal 3
April 10 Boston 2 Montreal 3
April 12 Montreal 4 Boston 3

Montreal wins best-of-five series 3–0.

Patrick Division Semi-Finals

New York Rangers vs. Philadelphia Flyers

Date Away Score Home Score Notes
April 9 New York 6 Philadelphia 2
April 10 New York 1 Philadelphia 2
April 12 Philadelphia 2 New York 5
April 13 Philadelphia 7 New York 1
April 15 New York 5 Philadelphia 2

New York Rangers wins best-of-five series 3–2.

New York Islanders vs. Washington Capitals

Date Away Score Home Score Notes
April 9 New York 1 Washington 3
April 10 New York 2 Washington 5
April 12 Washington 3 New York 1

Washington wins best-of-five series 3–0.

Norris Division Semi-Finals

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Chicago Black Hawks

Date Away Score Home Score Notes
April 9 Toronto 5 Chicago 3
April 10 Toronto 6 Chicago 4
April 12 Chicago 2 Toronto 7

Toronto wins best-of-five series 3–0.

St. Louis Blues vs. Minnesota North Stars

Date Away Score Home Score Notes
April 9 St. Louis 2 Minnesota 1
April 10 St. Louis 2 Minnesota 6
April 12 Minnesota 3 St. Louis 4
April 13 Minnesota 7 St. Louis 4
April 15 St. Louis 6 Minnesota 3

St. Louis wins best-of-five series 3–2.

Smythe Division Semi-Finals

Vancouver Canucks vs. Edmonton Oilers

Date Away Score Home Score Notes
April 9 Vancouver 3 Edmonton 7
April 10 Vancouver 1 Edmonton 5
April 12 Edmonton 5 Vancouver 1

Edmonton wins best-of-five series 3–0.

Winnipeg Jets vs. Calgary Flames

Date Away Score Home Score Notes
April 9 Winnipeg 1 Calgary 5
April 10 Winnipeg 4 Calgary 6
April 12 Calgary 4 Winnipeg 3 (OT)

Calgary wins best-of-five series 3–0.

Divisional Finals

Hartford Whalers vs. Montreal Canadiens

The upstart Whalers pushed the eventual Stanley Cup Champions to the limit before falling. Claude Lemieux scored the series-winning overtime goal for Montreal.

Date Away Score Home Score Notes
April 17 Hartford 4 Montreal 1
April 19 Hartford 1 Montreal 3
April 21 Montreal 4 Hartford 1
April 23 Montreal 1 Hartford 2 (OT)
April 25 Hartford 3 Montreal 5
April 27 Montreal 0 Hartford 1
April 29 Hartford 1 Montreal 2 (OT)

Montreal wins best-of-seven series 4–3.

New York Rangers vs. Washington Capitals

Date Away Score Home Score Notes
April 17 New York 4 Washington 3 (OT)
April 19 New York 1 Washington 8
April 21 Washington 6 New York 3
April 23 Washington 5 New York 6 (OT)
April 25 New York 4 Washington 2
April 27 Washington 1 New York 2

New York Rangers wins best-of-seven series 4–2.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. St. Louis Blues

Date Away Score Home Score Notes
April 18 Toronto 1 St. Louis 6
April 20 Toronto 3 St. Louis 0
April 22 St. Louis 2 Toronto 5
April 24 St. Louis 7 Toronto 4
April 26 Toronto 3 St. Louis 4 (OT)
April 28 St. Louis 3 Toronto 5
April 30 Toronto 1 St. Louis 2

St. Louis wins best-of-seven series 4–3.

Calgary Flames vs. Edmonton Oilers

The deciding goal of game seven between the Oilers and Flames was scored five minutes into the third period when Edmonton's Steve Smith attempted a cross-ice pass from the side of his own net and the puck struck goaltender Grant Fuhr's leg and went in the Edmonton goal. This is significant because it eliminated the Oilers from the playoffs and prevented them from possibly winning a third straight Stanley Cup. The series was the Flames' only playoff victory over the Oilers in the Battle of Alberta (Edmonton beat Calgary in 4 other playoff series), but significantly fueled the rivalry between the teams.

Date Away Score Home Score Notes
April 18 Calgary 4 Edmonton 1
April 20 Calgary 5 Edmonton 6 (OT)
April 22 Edmonton 2 Calgary 3
April 24 Edmonton 7 Calgary 4
April 26 Calgary 4 Edmonton 1
April 28 Edmonton 5 Calgary 2
April 30 Calgary 3 Edmonton 2

Calgary wins best-of-seven series 4–3

Conference Finals

New York Rangers vs. Montreal Canadiens

This series is best remembered for the third game, in which the Rangers badly outshot the Habs, but were stymied by Patrick Roy. Another Montreal rookie, Claude Lemieux, scored in overtime—his second overtime goal of the playoffs.

Date Away Score Home Score Notes
May 1 New York 1 Montreal 2
May 3 New York 2 Montreal 6
May 5 Montreal 4 New York 3 (OT)
May 7 Montreal 0 New York 2
May 9 New York 1 Montreal 3

Montreal wins best-of-seven series 4–1

St. Louis Blues vs. Calgary Flames

In Game 6, the Flames led 4–1 after two periods and 5–2 early in the third, but the Blues came back to tie it and then won on an overtime goal by Doug Wickenheiser. In Game 7, the Flames were up 2–0 before the Blues scored in the third to cut the lead in half. There wouldn't be another comeback, though, as Mike Vernon and the Flames withstood a late assault to advance to their first Stanley Cup Final.

Date Away Score Home Score Notes
May 2 St. Louis 3 Calgary 2
May 4 St. Louis 2 Calgary 8
May 6 Calgary 5 St. Louis 3
May 8 Calgary 2 St. Louis 5
May 10 St. Louis 2 Calgary 4
May 12 Calgary 5 St. Louis 6 (OT)
May 14 St. Louis 1 Calgary 2

Calgary wins best-of-seven series 4–3

Stanley Cup Final

Montreal Canadiens vs. Calgary Flames

Date Away Score Home Score Notes
May 16 Montreal 2 Calgary 5
May 18 Montreal 3 Calgary 2 (OT)
May 20 Calgary 3 Montreal 5
May 22 Calgary 0 Montreal 1
May 24 Montreal 4 Calgary 3

Montreal wins best-of-seven series 4–1

See also

References

Preceded by
1985 Stanley Cup playoffs
Stanley Cup playoffs Succeeded by
1987 Stanley Cup playoffs