2007 Stanley Cup playoffs
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The 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs of the National Hockey League begin on April 11, 2007. The sixteen teams that have qualified, eight from each conference, will play best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the conference champions will play a best-of-7 series for the Stanley Cup. June 11 is the last possible date for the series. For the first time in NHL history, neither of the two teams that played in the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals are in the playoffs.
Playoff seeds
After the 2006-07 NHL season, a total of 16 teams qualified for the playoffs. The Buffalo Sabres were the Eastern Conference regular season champions and were also the Presidents' Trophy winners with the best record at 113 points (53 wins, 22 regulation losses, 7 overtime losses), while the Detroit Red Wings earned the Western Conference regular season crown.
Eastern Conference
- Buffalo Sabres - Northeast Division and Eastern Conference regular season champions; Presidents' Trophy winners, 113 points
- New Jersey Devils - Atlantic Division champions, 107 points
- Atlanta Thrashers - Southeast Division champions, 97 points
- Ottawa Senators - 105 points (48 wins)
- Pittsburgh Penguins - 105 points (47 wins)
- New York Rangers - 94 points
- Tampa Bay Lightning - 93 points
- New York Islanders - 92 points
Western Conference
- Detroit Red Wings - Central Division and Western Conference regular season champions, 113 points
- Anaheim Ducks - Pacific Division champions, 110 points
- Vancouver Canucks - Northwest Division champions, 105 points
- Nashville Predators - 110 points
- San Jose Sharks - 107 points (51 wins)
- Dallas Stars - 107 points (50 wins)
- Minnesota Wild - 104 points
- Calgary Flames - 96 points
Playoff bracket
- Teams re-seed after round 1
Conference Quarterfinals
*if necessary
Eastern Conference
(1) Buffalo Sabres vs. (8) New York Islanders
| Date | Time | Away | Home | Result | Venue | TV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 12 | 8:00 p.m. | New York Islanders | Buffalo Sabres | HSBC Arena | TSN, VS | |
| 2 | April 14 | 7:30 p.m. | New York Islanders | Buffalo Sabres | HSBC Arena | TSN, VS | |
| 3 | April 16 | 7:30 p.m. | Buffalo Sabres | New York Islanders | Nassau Coliseum | TSN, VS | |
| 4 | April 18 | 7:30 p.m. | Buffalo Sabres | New York Islanders | Nassau Coliseum | TSN, VS | |
| *5 | April 20 | 7:00 p.m. | New York Islanders | Buffalo Sabres | HSBC Arena | TSN, VS | |
| *6 | April 22 | 7:00 p.m. | Buffalo Sabres | New York Islanders | Nassau Coliseum | TSN, VS | |
| *7 | April 24 | TBA | New York Islanders | Buffalo Sabres | HSBC Arena | TSN | |
| Series begins Thursday, April 12 8:00pm at Buffalo | |||||||
- Regular season series: Buffalo won, 3-1
- October 26, 2006: Sabres, 3-0
- January 1, 2007: Sabres, 3-1
- January 27: Islanders, 5-3
- March 30: Sabres, 6-4
- Previous playoff series:
- 1976 — New York Islanders, 4-2 (quarterfinal)
- 1977 — New York Islanders, 4-0 (quarterfinal)
- 1980 — New York Islanders, 4-1 (semifinal)
(2) New Jersey Devils vs. (7) Tampa Bay Lightning
| Date | Time | Away | Home | Result | Venue | TV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 12 | 7:30 p.m. | Tampa Bay Lightning | New Jersey Devils | Continental Airlines Arena | RDS | |
| 2 | April 14 | 7:00 p.m. | Tampa Bay Lightning | New Jersey Devils | Continental Airlines Arena | CBC | |
| 3 | April 16 | 7:00 p.m. | New Jersey Devils | Tampa Bay Lightning | St. Pete Times Forum | CBC | |
| 4 | April 18 | 7:00 p.m. | New Jersey Devils | Tampa Bay Lightning | St. Pete Times Forum | CBC | |
| *5 | April 20 | 7:00 p.m. | Tampa Bay Lightning | New Jersey Devils | Continental Airlines Arena | CBC | |
| *6 | April 22 | TBA | New Jersey Devils | Tampa Bay Lightning | St. Pete Times Forum | CBC | |
| *7 | April 24 | TBA | Tampa Bay Lightning | New Jersey Devils | Continental Airlines Arena | CBC | |
| Series begins Thursday, April 12 7:30pm at New Jersey | |||||||
- Regular season series: Lightning won, 3-1
- January 18, 2007: Lightning, 3-2, Shootout
- January 26: Devils, 2-0
- February 11: Lightning, 4-1
- March 22: Lightning, 3-1
- Previous playoff series:
- 2003 — New Jersey Devils, 4-1 (conference semifinals)
(3) Atlanta Thrashers vs. (6) New York Rangers
| Date | Time | Away | Home | Result | Venue | TV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 12 | 7:00 p.m. | New York Rangers | Atlanta Thrashers | Philips Arena | TSN | |
| 2 | April 14 | 3:00 p.m. | New York Rangers | Atlanta Thrashers | Philips Arena | NBC, TSN | |
| 3 | April 17 | 7:00 p.m. | Atlanta Thrashers | New York Rangers | Madison Square Garden | TSN | |
| 4 | April 18 | 7:00 p.m. | Atlanta Thrashers | New York Rangers | Madison Square Garden | TSN | |
| *5 | April 20 | TBA | New York Rangers | Atlanta Thrashers | Philips Arena | TSN | |
| *6 | April 22 | 1:00 p.m. | Atlanta Thrashers | New York Rangers | Madison Square Garden | NBC, TSN | |
| *7 | April 23 | 7:00 p.m. | New York Rangers | Atlanta Thrashers | Philips Arena | TSN | |
| Series begins Thursday, April 12 7:00pm at Atlanta | |||||||
- Regular season series: Atlanta won, 3-1
- November 10, 2006: Rangers, 5-2
- November 28: Thrashers, 5-4, Overtime
- January 20, 2007: Thrashers, 3-1
- March 16: Thrashers, 2-1, Overtime
- Previous playoff series: none
(4) Ottawa Senators vs. (5) Pittsburgh Penguins
| Date | Time | Away | Home | Result | Venue | TV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 11 | 7:00 p.m. | Pittsburgh Penguins | Ottawa Senators | Scotiabank Place | CBC, VS | |
| 2 | April 14 | 3:00 p.m. | Pittsburgh Penguins | Ottawa Senators | Scotiabank Place | CBC, NBC | |
| 3 | April 15 | 6:00 p.m. | Ottawa Senators | Pittsburgh Penguins | Mellon Arena | CBC, VS | |
| 4 | April 17 | 7:00 p.m. | Ottawa Senators | Pittsburgh Penguins | Mellon Arena | CBC, VS | |
| *5 | April 19 | 7:00 p.m. | Pittsburgh Penguins | Ottawa Senators | Scotiabank Place | CBC, VS | |
| *6 | April 22 | 1:00 p.m. | Ottawa Senators | Pittsburgh Penguins | Mellon Arena | CBC, NBC | |
| *7 | April 24 | 7:00 p.m. | Pittsburgh Penguins | Ottawa Senators | Scotiabank Place | CBC, VS | |
| Series begins Wednesday, April 11 7:00pm at Ottawa | |||||||
- Regular season series: Pittsburgh won, 3-1
- November 10, 2006: Senators, 6-3
- March 6, 2007: Penguins, 5-4, Shootout
- January 18: Penguins, 4-3, Shootout
- April 5: Penguins, 3-2
- Previous playoff series: none
Game One: April 11
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Western Conference
(1) Detroit Red Wings vs. (8) Calgary Flames
| Date | Time | Away | Home | Result | Venue | TV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 12 | 7:00 p.m. | Calgary Flames | Detroit Red Wings | Joe Louis Arena | CBC, VS | |
| 2 | April 15 | 1:00 p.m. | Calgary Flames | Detroit Red Wings | Joe Louis Arena | CBC, NBC | |
| 3 | April 17 | 8:00 p.m. (MDT) | Detroit Red Wings | Calgary Flames | Pengrowth Saddledome | CBC, VS | |
| 4 | April 19 | TBA | Detroit Red Wings | Calgary Flames | Pengrowth Saddledome | CBC, VS | |
| *5 | April 21 | 3:00 p.m. | Calgary Flames | Detroit Red Wings | Joe Louis Arena | CBC, NBC | |
| *6 | April 22 | TBA | Detroit Red Wings | Calgary Flames | Pengrowth Saddledome | CBC, VS | |
| *7 | April 24 | TBA | Calgary Flames | Detroit Red Wings | Joe Louis Arena | CBC, VS | |
| Series begins Thursday, April 12 7:00pm at Detroit | |||||||
- Regular season series: Series tied, 2-2
- November 1, 2006: Red Wings, 3-2
- November 17: Flames, 4-1
- February 11, 2007: Red Wings, 7-4
- March 20: Flames, 2-1
- Previous playoff series:
- 1978 — Detroit Red Wings, 2-0 (preliminary round)
- 2004 — Calgary Flames, 4-2 (conference semifinals)
(2) Anaheim Ducks vs. (7) Minnesota Wild
| Date | Time | Away | Home | Result | Venue | TV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 11 | 7:30 p.m. (PDT) | Minnesota Wild | Anaheim Ducks | Honda Center | TSN | |
| 2 | April 13 | 7:30 p.m. (PDT) | Minnesota Wild | Anaheim Ducks | Honda Center | TSN, VS | |
| 3 | April 15 | 7:00 p.m. (CDT) | Anaheim Ducks | Minnesota Wild | Xcel Energy Center | TSN, VS | |
| 4 | April 17 | 8:00 p.m. (CDT) | Anaheim Ducks | Minnesota Wild | Xcel Energy Center | TSN, VS | |
| *5 | April 19 | 7:30 p.m. (PDT) | Minnesota Wild | Anaheim Ducks | Honda Center | TSN, VS | |
| *6 | April 21 | TBA | Anaheim Ducks | Minnesota Wild | Xcel Energy Center | TSN, VS | |
| *7 | April 23 | 7:00 p.m. (PDT) | Minnesota Wild | Anaheim Ducks | Honda Center | TSN | |
| Series begins Wednesday, April 11 7:30pm (PDT) at Anaheim | |||||||
- Regular season series: Series tied, 2-2
- October 20, 2006: Ducks, 2-1
- October 27: Wild, 3-2, Shootout
- November 12: Ducks, 3-2
- December 31: Wild, 4-3
- Previous playoff series:
- 2003 — Anaheim Ducks (as Mighty Ducks of Anaheim), 4-0 (conference finals)
Game One: April 11
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(3) Vancouver Canucks vs. (6) Dallas Stars
| Date | Time | Away | Home | Result | Venue | TV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 11 | 7:00 p.m. (PDT) | Dallas Stars | Vancouver Canucks | General Motors Place | CBC, VS | |
| 2 | April 13 | 6:00 p.m. (PDT) | Dallas Stars | Vancouver Canucks | General Motors Place | CBC, VS | |
| 3 | April 15 | 7:30 p.m. (CDT) | Vancouver Canucks | Dallas Stars | American Airlines Center | CBC, VS | |
| 4 | April 17 | 7:00 p.m. (PDT) | Vancouver Canucks | Dallas Stars | American Airlines Center | CBC | |
| *5 | April 19 | TBA | Dallas Stars | Vancouver Canucks | General Motors Place | CBC | |
| *6 | April 21 | 7:00 p.m. (CDT) | Vancouver Canucks | Dallas Stars | American Airlines Center | CBC, VS | |
| *7 | April 23 | TBA | Dallas Stars | Vancouver Canucks | General Motors Place | CBC, VS | |
| Series begins Wednesday, April 11 7:00pm (PDT) at Vancouver | |||||||
- Regular season series: Series Tied, 2-2
- October 23, 2006: Stars, 2-1
- November 6: Canucks, 2-1
- January 3, 2007: Canucks, 2-1, Shootout
- February 25: Stars, 2-1, Overtime
- Previous playoff series:
- 1994 — Vancouver Canucks, 4-1 (conference semifinals)
Game One: April 11
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(4) Nashville Predators vs. (5) San Jose Sharks
| Date | Time | Away | Home | Result | Venue | TV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 11 | 7:00 p.m. (CDT) | San Jose Sharks | Nashville Predators | Nashville Arena | TSN | |
| 2 | April 13 | 7:00 p.m. (CDT) | San Jose Sharks | Nashville Predators | Nashville Arena | TSN | |
| 3 | April 16 | 7:00 p.m. (PDT) | Nashville Predators | San Jose Sharks | HP Pavilion | TSN, VS | |
| 4 | April 18 | 7:00 p.m. (PDT) | Nashville Predators | San Jose Sharks | HP Pavilion | TSN, VS | |
| *5 | April 20 | 8:00 p.m. (CDT) | San Jose Sharks | Nashville Predators | Nashville Arena | TSN, VS | |
| *6 | April 22 | 7:00 p.m. (PDT) | Nashville Predators | San Jose Sharks | HP Pavilion | TSN, VS | |
| *7 | April 24 | TBA | San Jose Sharks | Nashville Predators | Nashville Arena | TSN, VS | |
| Series begins Wednesday, April 11 7:00pm (CDT) at Nashville | |||||||
- Regular season series: Nashville won, 3-1
- October 26, 2006: Predators, 4-3
- December 9: Sharks, 3-1
- February 14, 2007: Predators, 5-0
- February 28: Predators, 4-3, Shootout
- Previous playoff series:
- 2006 — San Jose Sharks, 4-1 (conference quarterfinals)
Game One: April 11
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Trivia
- Neither the Eastern Conference champions (the Carolina Hurricanes) or the Western Conference champions (the Edmonton Oilers) from the prior Stanley Cup Playoffs made it to the 2007 Playoffs. These will be the first ever NHL playoffs featuring neither of the previous season's finalists. Interestingly, the Hurricanes and Oilers had already become the first two teams to contest a Finals after both missing the previous playoffs (assuming one skips the unplayed 2005 Stanley Cup Playoffs). Prior to the 2007 Playoffs, no NHL team had ever missed the playoffs, then played in the Stanley Cup Finals (win or lose) the following season, and then missed the playoffs again the season after that. Both the Hurricanes and Oilers have now done this.
- Both the Oilers and the Hurricanes were former members of the World Hockey Association, along with the Phoenix Coyotes and Colorado Avalanche, who also failed to qualify for post-season play. This marked the first time since the NHL-WHA merger that the four former World Hockey Association franchises all missed the playoffs. The Avalanche missed the playoffs for the first time since moving to Colorado.
- The San Jose Sharks and Nashville Predators returned to the 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs in a match-up identical to the 2006 Playoffs. In the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs the fifth seed Sharks downed the fourth seed Predators in five games in the Conference Quarterfinals.
- In comparison with the prior year's Stanley Cup Playoffs, each Western Conference division maintained the same number of teams as the prior year and the same seedings. In both series, the Pacific Division teams held the second, fifth and sixth seeds, the Northwest Division held the third, seventh and eighth seeds, and the Central Division held the first and the fourth seeds. The Detroit Red Wings, Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks all came into the playoffs with the same seeding as the prior year.
