First Round
Eastern Conference
(1) NY Islanders vs (8) Buffalo
The aging Buffalo Sabres gave the defending champion New York Islanders all they could handle early in their first round series. After New York won game one in a 5-0 blowout, The Sabres took a 2-1 series lead after back-to-back overtime victories. The Isles managed to turn the series around after a big 4-1 road win before hanging on for a 4-2 series victory with a 3-0 win in game 6.
(2) Ottawa vs (7) Atlanta
This series would end up being the Sedin Twins coming out party, with Henrik scoring the overtime winner in game 1 and Daniel putting up three points in game 2 as the Flames take a surprising 2-0 series lead. Things got worse for Ottawa when Henrik Lundqvist got knocked out of game 3 and the series by hurting his ankle in practice. Without him, the Sens never stood a chance in the next two games, losing them by identical 4-1 scores as Atlanta completes the sweep and advances, albeit Henrik Sedin would get hurt near the end of game 4.
(3) Tennessee vs (6) Pittsburgh
After clinching their first-ever playoff spot, the Killer Bees were full of confidence entering their series with Tennessee. However the Raccoons put a damper on Pittsburgh right away with a 3-0 win in game one. The Raccoons then won the next two to lead the series 3-0, but the Killer Bees salvaged the series with a big 4-2 victory, the first post-season win in franchise history, thanks to a 51 save effort from Al Montoya before the Killer Bees won game 5 in overtime. But in Pittsburgh two nights later, the Killer Bees run finally came to an end, but the Pittsburgh crowd gave their team a standing ovation as they left the ice.
(4) Tampa Bay vs (5) Hartford
Tampa Bay shuts the Whalers down in the first two games, taking a 2-0 series lead. But in Hartford, the Whalers treated their fans to two overtime thrillers where Daniel Alfredsson scored the winner in both games. The Whalers woes on the road continued back in Tampa Bay, as the Crocs took the series lead again. After forcing game seven, Hartford broke out their third jerseys for game seven, hoping to change their luck on the road. It wouldn’t work, as Marian Hossa’s hat-trick gave Tampa a 5-1 win to advance.
Western Conference
(1) Detroit vs (8) Colorado
After barely making the playoffs, the young Rockies proved to be no match for the powerful Redshirts. Roman Turek allowed only six goals in five games as Detroit advanced. But the win would come at a cost for the Red Wings, as Jaromir Jagr suffered a broken wrist in game four.
(2) Vancouver vs (7) Chicago
In a rematch from last years playoffs, the Canucks were hungry to get revenge. But Alexander Ovechkin had other ideas, putting up some great numbers in the first four games of the series as the teams split the first two games. But in game 5, the Canucks would start to frustrate Ovechkin, constantly checking him. The strategy seemed to work, as Vancouver took game 5 6-2, than took game 6 3-1 to advance.
(3) Milwaukee vs (6) San Jose
the Admirals and the Seals played the only seven-game series of the West playoffs as the lead in the series shifted back and forth all the way to game seven in Milwaukee. Teemau Selanne’s two-goal night in game seven gave Milwaukee a 2-1 lead through most of the game while Dominik Hasek turned away a barrage of San Jose shots in the final minutes before Petr Sykora finally sealed the victory for the Ads with an empty netter.
(4) Houston vs (5) Minnesota
The defending conference champion Houston Aeros appeared to be in control of their series with the Minnesota Moose after taking a 2-0 series lead. However back-to-back overtime victories for the Moose at home tied the series 2-2. In game five, Minnesota superstar Vincent Lecavlier was the hero with a big two-goal night as Minnesota moved ahead three games to two with a 4-2 win. Game six would go to overtime again this time with Johan Franzen proving to be the hero for Minnesota as the Moose completed the upset and moved on to the second round.
Second Round
Eastern Conference
NY Islanders vs Atlanta
Henrik Sedin misses the first two games of the series with a dislocated shoulder as Atlanta is forced to settle for the split heading home. In game three, Henrik attempts to play but leaves after two shifts as the Islanders win 4-1. Henrik Sedin is out for game four and Alexander Mogilny scores two points in a 2-0 Islanders win. With his team in trouble, Henrik Sedin returns once again to the Flames lineup and scores twice in a 3-1 win. Game six in Atlanta would be one of the best performances of Chris Osgood’s career, as Osgood stops 51 shots in a 3-0 win to send the Islanders back to the Eastern Conference Final.
Tennessee vs Tampa Bay
Powered by Marian Hossa's two goals, the Crocs stunned the Raccoons in game one with a 3-2 victory. The Raccoons bounced back, however, taking games two and three before the Crocs tied the series with a 4-3 overtime win in game four. The Raccoons suffered a devastating loss in game four, as Jarome Iginla suffered a knee injury on a hit from Craig Conroy. Though it was a clean hit, Tennessee still hinted that they would go after Conroy. Game five went into overtime once again, with Owen Nolan proving to be the hero for Tampa Bay, giving them a 3-2 series lead and a chance to wrap it up at home in game six. With his team facing elimination in game six, Iginla attempted to return to the lineup, but only played seven minutes before having to call it a night. Hossa, Conroy, Zdeno Chara, and Peter Schaefer all scored while Tommy Salo made 49 saves in a 4-1 Tampa Bay win to send the Crocs to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in team history.
Western Conference
Detroit vs Minnesota
The Red Wings faced an uphill battle in their second-round series with Minnesota. The Moose took 1-0 and 2-1 series leads and forced Detroit to play from behind throughout most of the first four games. The Red Wings finally caught a break in game four, trailing 3-2. Keith Tkachuk was hooked on a breakaway and was awarded a penalty shot. Tkachuk made good on the rare opportunity and tied the game. Just two minutes into overtime, Tkachuk scored his second of the game as Detroit tied the series. The penalty shot proved to be a turning point as the Red Wings never looked back, winning game five 5-3 and taking game six 3-2 to win the series and advance to the Western Conference Finals for the fourth time in five years.
Vancouver vs Milwaukee
In a showdown of two of the best teams in the West since 2000, the series between the Canucks and Admirals was tied 2-2 with each team having won both its home games heading into a pivotal game five. The Canucks made good use of home ice once again in game five, winning 3-1 to give themselves a chance to take the series in game six. The Admirals put up a valiant effort in game six, playing with the lead twice before the game went into overtime. It would take two extra periods but Joe Sakic finally found the back of the net late in the second OT to send Vancouver to the Western Conference Finals.
Conference Finals
NY Islanders vs Tampa Bay
Tommy Salo’s solid play in the Tampa Bay net continued in game one against the Islanders with a shutout performance as the Crocs took a 1-0 series lead. In game two, The Crocs came back to tie the game after going down 2-0. Early in the first overtime, Alexander Mogliny beat Salo to tie the series. After winning two games in Tampa, the Islanders found themselves one win away from returing to the Finals. Game five back on Long Island was a close one. Marian Hossa and Jed Ortmeyer each scored for Tampa while J.P. Dumont and Ales Hemsky each scored for New York as the teams went into OT once again. The Isles peppered Salo with shots throughout a lopsided first overtime, but the Swede made some huge saves to send the game to a second extra frame. Five minutes into the second overtime, Mogilny was the hero again, beating Salo to clinch the series and send the Islanders back to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Detroit vs Vancouver
The Western Conference Finals would pit the Detroit Red Wings against the Vancouver Canucks for the second time in three years. The Canucks would manage to steal home ice advantage with a 3-1 win in game two, but they were unable to get back into the series after that. Detroit won the next two at GM Place, before decisively ending the series with a 7-0 victory in game five. Jaromir Jagr, back in action after an injury in round 1, finished the series with an incredible 9 points, nearly two points per game, while Roman Turek never game Vancouver a chance in net.