1990 Stanley Cup playoffs

The 1990 Stanley Cup Playoffs for the National Hockey League (NHL) championship began on April 5, 1990, following the 1989–90 regular season. The sixteen 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 last time that the Detroit Red Wings missed the playoffs. They have since made the playoffs 20 consecutive seasons.

The playoffs concluded on May 24 with the Edmonton Oilers winning the Stanley Cup, defeating the Boston Bruins in the final series four games to one. Edmonton goaltender Bill Ranford was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as Most Valuable Player of the playoffs.

For the first and (as of the present) only time in history, both the Flyers and the Penguins missed the playoffs in the same season.

Playoff bracket

Division Semi-finals

Division Finals

Conference Finals

Final

A1

Boston Bruins

4

A4

Hartford Whalers

3

A1

Boston Bruins

4

A3

Montreal Canadiens

1

A2

Buffalo Sabres

2

A3

Montreal Canadiens

4

A1

Boston Bruins

4

P3

Washington Capitals

0

P1

New York Rangers

4

P4

New York Islanders

1

P1

New York Rangers

1

P3

Washington Capitals

4

P2

New Jersey Devils

2

P3

Washington Capitals

4

A1

Boston Bruins

1

S2

Edmonton Oilers

4

N1

Chicago Blackhawks

4

N4

Minnesota North Stars

3

N1

Chicago Blackhawks

4

N2

St. Louis Blues

3

N2

St. Louis Blues

4

N3

Toronto Maple Leafs

1

N1

Chicago Blackhawks

2

S2

Edmonton Oilers

4

S1

Calgary Flames

2

S4

Los Angeles Kings

4

S2

Edmonton Oilers

4

S4

Los Angeles Kings

0

S2

Edmonton Oilers

4

S3

Winnipeg Jets

3

Series

Division Semi-finals

Boston Bruins vs. Hartford Whalers

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score
Apr. 5	Hartford	4	Boston	3
Apr. 7	Hartford	1	Boston	3
Apr. 9	Boston	3	Hartford	5
Apr. 11	Boston	6	Hartford	5
Apr. 13	Hartford	2	Boston	3
Apr. 15	Boston	2	Hartford	3 (OT)
Apr. 17	Hartford	1	Boston	3
Boston won best-of-seven series 4–3

Source: Total Stanley Cup, p. 31

Buffalo Sabres vs. Montreal Canadiens

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score
Apr. 5	Montreal	1	Buffalo	4
Apr. 7	Montreal	3	Buffalo	0
Apr. 9	Buffalo	1	Montreal	2 (OT)
Apr. 11	Buffalo	4	Montreal	2
Apr. 13	Montreal	4	Buffalo	2
Apr. 15	Buffalo	2	Montreal	5
Montreal won best-of-seven series 4–2

Source: Total Stanley Cup, p. 31

New York Rangers vs. New York Islanders

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score
Apr. 5	NY Islanders	1	NY Rangers	2
Apr. 7	NY Islanders	2	NY Rangers	5
Apr. 9	NY Rangers	3	NY Islanders	4 (2OT)
Apr. 11	NY Rangers	6	NY Islanders	1
Apr. 13	NY Islanders	5	NY Rangers	6
NY Rangers won best-of-seven series 4–1

Source: Total Stanley Cup, p. 31

New Jersey Devils vs. Washington Capitals

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score
Apr. 5	Washington	5	New Jersey	4 (OT)
Apr. 7	Washington	5	New Jersey	6
Apr. 9	New Jersey	2	Washington	1
Apr. 11	New Jersey	1	Washington	3
Apr. 13	Washington	4	New Jersey	3
Apr. 15	New Jersey	2	Washington	3
Washington won best-of-seven series 4–2

Source: Total Stanley Cup, p. 31

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Minnesota North Stars

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score
Apr. 4	Minnesota	2	Chicago	1
Apr. 6	Minnesota	3	Chicago	5
Apr. 8	Chicago	2	Minnesota	1
Apr. 10	Chicago	0	Minnesota	4
Apr. 12	Minnesota	1	Chicago	5
Apr. 14	Chicago	3	Minnesota	5
Apr. 16	Minnesota	2	Chicago	5
Chicago won best-of-seven series 4–3

Source: Total Stanley Cup, p. 31

St. Louis Blues vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score
Apr. 4	Toronto	2	St. Louis	4
Apr. 6	Toronto	2	St. Louis	4
Apr. 8	St. Louis	6	Toronto	5 (OT)
Apr. 10	St. Louis	2	Toronto	4
Apr. 12	Toronto	3	St. Louis	4
St. Louis won best-of-seven series 4–1

Source: Total Stanley Cup, p. 31

Calgary Flames vs. Los Angeles Kings

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score
Apr. 4	Los Angeles	5	Calgary	3
Apr. 6	Los Angeles	5	Calgary	8
Apr. 8	Calgary	1	Los Angeles	2 (OT)
Apr. 10	Calgary	4	Los Angeles	12
Apr. 12	Los Angeles	1	Calgary	5
Apr. 14	Calgary	3	Los Angeles	4 (2OT)
Los Angeles won best-of-seven series 4–2

Source: Total Stanley Cup, p. 31

Edmonton Oilers vs. Winnipeg Jets

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score
Apr. 4	Winnipeg	7	Edmonton	5
Apr. 6	Winnipeg	2	Edmonton	3 (OT)
Apr. 8	Edmonton	1	Winnipeg	2
Apr. 10	Edmonton	3	Winnipeg	4 (2OT)
Apr. 12	Winnipeg	3	Edmonton	4
Apr. 14	Edmonton	4	Winnipeg	3
Apr. 16	Winnipeg	1	Edmonton	4
Edmonton won best-of-seven series 4–3

Source: Total Stanley Cup, p. 31

Division Finals

Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score
Apr. 19	Montreal	0	Boston	1
Apr. 21	Montreal	4	Boston	5 (OT)
Apr. 23	Boston	6	Montreal	3
Apr. 25	Boston	1	Montreal	4
Apr. 27	Montreal	1	Boston	3
Boston won best-of-seven series 4–1

Source: Total Stanley Cup, p. 31

New York Rangers vs. Washington Capitals

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score
Apr. 19	Washington	3	NY Rangers	7
Apr. 21	Washington	6	NY Rangers	3
Apr. 23	NY Rangers	1	Washington	7
Apr. 25	NY Rangers	3	Washington	4 (OT)
Apr. 27	Washington	2	NY Rangers	1 (OT)
Washington won best-of-seven series 4–1

Source: Total Stanley Cup, p. 31

Chicago Blackhawks vs. St. Louis Blues

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score
Apr. 18	St. Louis	4	Chicago	3
Apr. 20	St. Louis	3	Chicago	5
Apr. 22	Chicago	4	St. Louis	5
Apr. 24	Chicago	3	St. Louis	2
Apr. 26	St. Louis	2	Chicago	3
Apr. 28	Chicago	2	St. Louis	4
Apr. 30	St. Louis	2	Chicago	8
Chicago won best-of-seven series 4–3

Source: Total Stanley Cup, p. 31

Edmonton Oilers vs. Los Angeles Kings

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score
Apr. 18	Los Angeles	0	Edmonton	7
Apr. 20	Los Angeles	1	Edmonton	6
Apr. 22	Edmonton	5	Los Angeles	4
Apr. 24	Edmonton	6	Los Angeles	5 (OT)
Edmonton won best-of-seven series 4–0

Source: Total Stanley Cup, p. 31

Conference Finals

Boston Bruins vs. Washington Capitals

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score
May 3	Washington	3	Boston	5
May 5	Washington	0	Boston	3
May 7	Boston	4	Washington	1
May 9	Boston	3	Washington	2
Boston won best-of-seven series 4–0

Source: Total Stanley Cup, p. 31

Edmonton Oilers vs. Chicago Blackhawks

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score
May 2	Chicago	2	Edmonton	5
May 4	Chicago	4	Edmonton	3
May 6	Edmonton	1	Chicago	5
May 8	Edmonton	4	Chicago	2
May 10	Chicago	3	Edmonton	4
May 12	Edmonton	8	Chicago	4
Edmonton won best-of-seven series 4–2

Source: Total Stanley Cup, p. 31

Final

The Edmonton Oilers defeated the Boston Bruins in the Final series, four games to one. For the Oilers, it was their fifth Cup win in seven years, and their only one without Wayne Gretzky. In game one, Petr Klima scored at 15:13 of the third overtime period to give the Oilers a 3–2 win. The game broke the record for longest Final game, set in 1931 between Chicago and Montreal.^[1] As of 2010^[update] this game remains the longest in Stanley Cup Final history (Longest NHL overtime games), edging both Brett Hull's cup-winner in 1999 and Igor Larionov's game-winner in 2002 by less than 30 seconds. In game five at the Boston Garden on May 24, the Oilers won 4–1. Craig Simpson scored the game-winning goal.

Boston Bruins vs. Edmonton Oilers

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score
May 15	Edmonton	3	Boston	2 (3OT)
May 18	Edmonton	7	Boston	2
May 20	Boston	2	Edmonton	1
May 22	Boston	1	Edmonton	5
May 24	Edmonton	4	Boston	1
Edmonton won series 4–1 and Stanley Cup

Source: Total Stanley Cup, pp. 31–32

See also

• 1989–90 NHL season
• List of NHL seasons

Notes

References

Preceded by 1989 Stanley Cup playoffs

Stanley Cup Champions

Succeeded by 1991 Stanley Cup playoffs

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