1998 Stanley Cup playoffs

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1998 Stanley Cup playoffs
Tournament details
DatesApril 22–June 16, 1998
Teams16
Defending championsDetroit Red Wings
Final positions
ChampionsDetroit Red Wings
Runner-upWashington Capitals
Tournament statistics
Scoring leader(s)Steve Yzerman (Red Wings)
(24 points)
MVPSteve Yzerman (Red Wings)
1997
1999

The 1998 Stanley Cup playoffs, the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League (NHL), began on April 22, 1998 following the 1997–98 regular season. 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.

The playoffs concluded on June 16 with the Detroit Red Wings defeating the Washington Capitals in a four-game sweep to win their second Stanley Cup championship in a row. Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman was named playoff MVP, and awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy. The 1997–98 Detroit Red Wings were the last team to defend their Stanley Cup title until the Pittsburgh Penguins successfully defended their Stanley Cup title in 2017.

In the Eastern Semis, the Buffalo Sabres made history as they became the first team in NHL history to complete a four-game sweep of the Montreal Canadiens on Montreal ice.[1]

For the first time since 1969, the Chicago Blackhawks missed the playoffs. Also, both the Islanders and Rangers missed the playoffs in the same season for the first time.

The Stanley Cup, awarded to the champion of the NHL.

Playoff seeds[]

The following teams qualified for the playoffs:

Eastern Conference[]

  1. New Jersey Devils, Atlantic Division champions, Eastern Conference regular season champions – 107 points
  2. Pittsburgh Penguins, Northeast Division champions – 98 points
  3. Philadelphia Flyers – 95 points
  4. Washington Capitals – 92 points
  5. Boston Bruins – 91 points
  6. Buffalo Sabres – 89 points
  7. Montreal Canadiens – 87 points
  8. Ottawa Senators – 83 points

Western Conference[]

  1. Dallas Stars, Central Division champions, Western Conference regular season champions, Presidents' Trophy winners – 109 points
  2. Colorado Avalanche, Pacific Division champions – 95 points
  3. Detroit Red Wings – 103 points
  4. St. Louis Blues – 98 points
  5. Los Angeles Kings – 87 points
  6. Phoenix Coyotes – 82 points
  7. Edmonton Oilers – 80 points
  8. San Jose Sharks – 78 points

Playoff bracket[]

  Conference Quarterfinals Conference Semifinals Conference Finals Stanley Cup Finals
                                     
1 New Jersey 2     4 Washington 4  
8 Ottawa 4     8 Ottawa 1  


2 Pittsburgh 2 Eastern Conference
7 Montreal 4  
    4 Washington 4  
  6 Buffalo 2  
3 Philadelphia 1  
6 Buffalo 4  
4 Washington 4   6 Buffalo 4
5 Boston 2     7 Montreal 0  


  E4 Washington 0
(Pairings are re-seeded after the first round.)
  W3 Detroit 4
1 Dallas 4     1 Dallas 4
8 San Jose 2     7 Edmonton 1  
2 Colorado 3
7 Edmonton 4  
  1 Dallas 2
  3 Detroit 4  
3 Detroit 4  
6 Phoenix 2   Western Conference
4 St. Louis 4   3 Detroit 4
5 Los Angeles 0     4 St. Louis 2  
  • During the first three rounds home ice is determined by seeding number, not position on the bracket. In the Finals the team with the better regular season record has home ice.

Conference Quarterfinals[]

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals[]

(1) New Jersey Devils vs. (8) Ottawa Senators[]

This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.


April 22 Ottawa Senators 2–1 OT New Jersey Devils Continental Airlines Arena Recap  
No scoring First period No scoring
Alexei Yashin (1) – 18:48 Second period No scoring
No scoring Third period 16:36 – Doug Gilmour (1)
Bruce Gardiner (1) – 05:58 First overtime period No scoring
Damian Rhodes 28 saves / 29 shots Goalie stats Martin Brodeur 30 saves / 32 shots
April 24 Ottawa Senators 1–3 New Jersey Devils Continental Airlines Arena Recap  
Chris Murray (1) – 03:38 First period 09:19 – ppDave Andreychuk (1)
No scoring Second period 18:58 – Doug Gilmour (2)
No scoring Third period 19:19 – en – Doug Gilmour (3)
Damian Rhodes 29 saves / 31 shots Goalie stats Martin Brodeur 27 saves / 28 shots
April 26 New Jersey Devils 1–2 OT Ottawa Senators Corel Centre Recap  
No scoring First period No scoring
Bobby Carpenter (1) – 00:36 Second period 04:56 – ppJanne Laukkanen (1)
No scoring Third period No scoring
No scoring First overtime period 02:47 – ppAlexei Yashin (2)
Martin Brodeur 21 saves / 23 shots Goalie stats Damian Rhodes 30 saves / 31 shots
April 28 New Jersey Devils 3–4 Ottawa Senators Corel Centre Recap  
Denis Pederson (1) – sh – 06:33 First period 16:20 – Daniel Alfredsson (1)
No scoring Second period 06:50 – Daniel Alfredsson (2)
16:24 – ppJason York (1)
Scott Stevens (1) – 14:04
Doug Gilmour (4) – pp – 18:41
Third period 05:00 – Daniel Alfredsson (3)
Martin Brodeur 24 saves / 28 shots Goalie stats Damian Rhodes 31 saves / 34 shots
April 30 Ottawa Senators 1–3 New Jersey Devils Continental Airlines Arena Recap  
No scoring First period 11:04 – shBrian Rolston (1)
No scoring Second period 08:33 – ppLyle Odelein (1)
Igor Kravchuk (1) – 10:38 Third period 11:52 – Doug Gilmour (5)
Damian Rhodes 23 saves / 26 shots Goalie stats Martin Brodeur 22 saves / 23 shots
May 2 New Jersey Devils 1–3 Ottawa Senators Corel Centre Recap  
No scoring First period 08:28 – ppAlexei Yashin (3)
Kevin Dean (1) – 05:24 Second period 10:30 – Janne Laukkanen (2)
No scoring Third period 19:10 – enIgor Kravchuk (2)
Martin Brodeur 28 saves / 30 shots Goalie stats Damian Rhodes 21 saves / 22 shots
Ottawa won series 4–2


(2) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (7) Montreal Canadiens[]

This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.


April 23 Montreal Canadiens 3–2 OT Pittsburgh Penguins Civic Arena Recap  
Martin Rucinsky (1) – pp – 12:15 First period No scoring
Peter Popovic (1) – 16:44 Second period 07:21 – shBrad Werenka (1)
No scoring Third period 18:22 – Stu Barnes (1)
Benoit Brunet (1) – 18:43 First overtime period No scoring
Andy Moog 34 saves / 36 shots Goalie stats Tom Barrasso 37 saves / 40 shots
April 25 Montreal Canadiens 1–4 Pittsburgh Penguins Civic Arena Recap  
Vincent Damphousse (1) – pp – 18:29 First period 11:13 – ppEddie Olczyk (1)
No scoring Second period 10:42 – Stu Barnes (2)
No scoring Third period 01:12 – Stu Barnes (3)
19:03 – enRon Francis (1)
Andy Moog 24 saves / 27 shots Goalie stats Tom Barrasso 27 saves / 28 shots
April 27 Pittsburgh Penguins 1–3 Montreal Canadiens Molson Centre Recap  
Jaromir Jagr (1) – 17:10 First period 05:33 – Martin Rucinsky (2)
No scoring Second period 04:47 – ppShayne Corson (1)
No scoring Third period 09:56 – Shayne Corson (2)
Tom Barrasso 19 saves / 22 shots Goalie stats Andy Moog 19 saves / 20 shots
April 29 Pittsburgh Penguins 6–3 Montreal Canadiens Molson Centre Recap  
Rob Brown (1) – pp – 03:19
Kevin Hatcher (1) – pp – 04:43
Jaromir Jagr (2) – pp – 16:53
Eddie Olczyk (2) – sh – 19:25
First period 06:25 – ppVladimir Malakhov (1)
Martin Straka (1) – sh – 02:59 Second period No scoring
Jaromir Jagr (3) – en – 19:48 Third period 01:48 – Marc Bureau (1)
17:30 – Jonas Hoglund (1)
Tom Barrasso 27 saves / 30 shots Goalie stats Andy Moog 4 saves / 9 shots
Jose Theodore 10 saves / 10 shots
May 1 Montreal Canadiens 5–2 Pittsburgh Penguins Civic Arena Recap  
No scoring First period No scoring
Patrice Brisebois (1) – 10:33
Shayne Corson (3) – 12:02
Second period No scoring
Mark Recchi (1) – 01:01
Vincent Damphousse (2) – 18:53
Mark Recchi (2) – en – 19:19
Third period 05:45 – Martin Straka (2)
13:30 – Jaromir Jagr (4)
Andy Moog 32 saves / 34 shots Goalie stats Tom Barrasso 24 saves / 28 shots
May 3 Pittsburgh Penguins 0–3 Montreal Canadiens Molson Centre Recap  
No scoring First period No scoring
No scoring Second period 09:27 – Mark Recchi (3)
14:36 – Jonas Hoglund (2)
No scoring Third period 06:52 – ppSaku Koivu (1)
Tom Barrasso 20 saves / 23 shots Goalie stats Andy Moog 21 saves / 21 shots
Montreal won series 4–2


(3) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (6) Buffalo Sabres[]

This was the second consecutive and fifth overall playoff meeting between these two teams; with Philadelphia winning all four previous series. Philadelphia won last year's Eastern Conference Semifinals in five games.


April 22 Buffalo Sabres 3–2 Philadelphia Flyers CoreStates Center Recap  
Michal Grosek (1) – 16:50 First period No scoring
Wayne Primeau (1) – 18:18 Second period No scoring
Donald Audette (1) – 11:43 Third period 08:29 – Rod Brind'Amour (1)
08:48 – Chris Gratton (1)
Dominik Hasek 22 saves / 24 shots Goalie stats Sean Burke 22 saves / 25 shots
April 24 Buffalo Sabres 2–3 Philadelphia Flyers CoreStates Center Recap  
No scoring First period 05:24 – Eric Lindros (1)
No scoring Second period 04:07 – Chris Gratton (2)
Michal Grosek (2) – pp – 02:33
Dixon Ward (1) – 09:22
Third period 16:28 – ppJohn LeClair (1)
Dominik Hasek 35 saves / 38 shots Goalie stats Sean Burke 25 saves / 27 shots
April 27 Philadelphia Flyers 1–6 Buffalo Sabres Marine Midland Arena Recap  
No scoring First period 02:20 – ppMiroslav Satan (1)
No scoring Second period 09:37 – Michal Grosek (3)
11:29 – pp – Miroslav Satan (2)
14:20 – shDarryl Shannon (1)
15:05 – shBrian Holzinger (1)
Dan McGillis (1) – pp – 13:51 Third period 19:23 – Vaclav Varada (1)
Sean Burke 15 saves / 20 shots
Ron Hextall 7 saves / 8 shots
Goalie stats Dominik Hasek 31 saves / 32 shots
April 29 Philadelphia Flyers 1–4 Buffalo Sabres Marine Midland Arena Recap  
No scoring First period 17:37 – Dixon Ward (2)
19:05 – ppMiroslav Satan (3)
No scoring Second period 01:38 – ppMatthew Barnaby (1)
05:16 – ppBrian Holzinger (2)
Rod Brind'Amour (2) – pp – 05:16 Third period No scoring
Sean Burke 16 saves / 20 shots Goalie stats Dominik Hasek 44 saves / 45 shots
May 1 Buffalo Sabres 3–2 OT Philadelphia Flyers CoreStates Center Recap  
Jason Woolley (1) – pp – 02:29 First period No scoring
No scoring Second period 01:49 – Mike Sillinger (1)
Donald Audette (2) – pp – 08:26 Third period 13:08 – ppDave Babych (1)
Michal Grosek (4) – pp – 05:40 First overtime period No scoring
Dominik Hasek 35 saves / 37 shots Goalie stats Sean Burke 26 saves / 29 shots
Buffalo won series 4–1


(4) Washington Capitals vs. (5) Boston Bruins[]

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams. Their only previous meeting was in the 1990 Prince of Wales Conference Final, where Boston won in a four-game sweep.


April 22 Boston Bruins 1–3 Washington Capitals MCI Center Recap  
No scoring First period 16:40 – Brian Bellows (1)
Dmitri Khristich (1) – pp – 06:53 Second period 02:49 – Sergei Gonchar (1)
No scoring Third period 19:38 – enEsa Tikkanen (1)
Byron Dafoe 25 saves / 27 shots Goalie stats Olaf Kolzig 27 saves / 28 shots
April 24 Boston Bruins 4–3 2OT Washington Capitals MCI Center Recap  
No scoring First period 04:45 – ppEsa Tikkanen (2)
No scoring Second period 03:24 – Calle Johansson (1)
Jason Allison (1) – 00:54
P. J. Axelsson (1) – 06:10
Darren Van Impe (1) – pp – 17:03
Third period 19:23 – Sergei Gonchar (2)
Darren Van Impe (2) – 00:54 Second overtime period No scoring
Byron Dafoe 25 saves / 28 shots Goalie stats Olaf Kolzig 36 saves / 40 shots
April 26 Washington Capitals 3–2 2OT Boston Bruins Fleet Center Recap  
Sergei Gonchar (3) – pp – 18:30 First period No scoring
Sergei Gonchar (4) – 14:15 Second period 19:00 – ppKyle McLaren (1)
No scoring Third period 10:59 – ppDmitri Khristich (2)
Joe Juneau (1) – 06:31 Second overtime period No scoring
Olaf Kolzig 52 saves / 54 shots Goalie stats Byron Dafoe 24 saves / 27 shots
April 28 Washington Capitals 3–0 Boston Bruins Fleet Center Recap  
Adam Oates (1) – 16:10 First period No scoring
Adam Oates (2) – pp – 02:42 Second period No scoring
Ken Klee (1) – 09:14 Third period No scoring
Olaf Kolzig 38 saves / 38 shots Goalie stats Byron Dafoe 15 saves / 18 shots
May 1 Boston Bruins 4–0 Washington Capitals MCI Center Recap  
No scoring First period No scoring
Sergei Samsonov (1) – 02:20
Jason Allison (2) – pp – 08:54
Rob DiMaio (1) – 18:00
Second period No scoring
Ray Bourque (1) – pp – 15:10 Third period No scoring
Byron Dafoe 26 saves / 26 shots Goalie stats Olaf Kolzig 26 saves / 30 shots
May 3 Washington Capitals 3–2 OT Boston Bruins Fleet Center Recap  
Richard Zednik (1) – 06:54 First period No scoring
Adam Oates (3) – 06:04 Second period 05:26 – Sergei Samsonov (2)
No scoring Third period 09:13 – Anson Carter (1)
Brian Bellows (2) – 15:24 First overtime period No scoring
Olaf Kolzig 47 saves / 49 shots Goalie stats Byron Dafoe 30 saves / 33 shots
Washington won series 4–2


Western Conference Quarterfinals[]

(1) Dallas Stars vs. (8) San Jose Sharks[]

This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.


April 22 San Jose Sharks 1–4 Dallas Stars Reunion Arena Recap  
Owen Nolan (1) – pp – 12:40 First period 02:22 – Joe Nieuwendyk (1)
02:59 – Juha Lind (1)
No scoring Second period 03:30 – ppDerian Hatcher (1)
No scoring Third period 19:58 – enMike Modano (1)
Mike Vernon 27 saves / 30 shots Goalie stats Ed Belfour 21 saves / 22 shots
April 24 San Jose Sharks 2–5 Dallas Stars Reunion Arena Recap  
No scoring First period 01:25 – ppJere Lehtinen (1)
19:31 – Derian Hatcher (2)
No scoring Second period 16:29 – ppPat Verbeek (1)
18:26 – ppBenoit Hogue (1)
Bill Houlder (1) – 07:46
Murray Craven (1) – 19:02
Third period 17:05 – pp – Pat Verbeek (2)
Mike Vernon 10 saves / 14 shots
Kelly Hrudey 5 saves / 6 shots
Goalie stats Ed Belfour 18 saves / 20 shots
April 26 Dallas Stars 1–4 San Jose Sharks San Jose Arena Recap  
Sergei Zubov (1) – pp – 04:16 First period No scoring
No scoring Second period 05:06 – John MacLean (1)
06:13 – ppOwen Nolan (2)
No scoring Third period 01:04 – ppAl Iafrate (1)
16:55 – ppMike Rathje (1)
Ed Belfour 21 saves / 25 shots Goalie stats Mike Vernon 13 saves / 14 shots
April 28 Dallas Stars 0–1 OT San Jose Sharks San Jose Arena Recap  
No scoring First period No scoring
No scoring Second period No scoring
No scoring Third period No scoring
No scoring First overtime period 06:31 – Andrei Zyuzin (1)
Ed Belfour 22 saves / 23 shots Goalie stats Mike Vernon 26 saves / 26 shots
April 30 San Jose Sharks 2–3 Dallas Stars Reunion Arena Recap  
No scoring First period 19:57 – ppMike Modano (2)
John MacLean (2) – pp – 11:26
Ron Sutter (1) – 11:34
Second period 16:29 – Juha Lind (2)
No scoring Third period 11:08 – Mike Modano (3)
Mike Vernon 23 saves / 26 shots Goalie stats Ed Belfour 18 saves / 20 shots
May 2 Dallas Stars 3–2 OT San Jose Sharks San Jose Arena Recap  
No scoring First period 16:25 – ppJoe Murphy (1)
Richard Matvichuk (1) – 10:59
Mike Keane (1) – sh – 16:04
Second period 07:51 – Mike Ricci (1)
No scoring Third period No scoring
Mike Keane (2) – 03:43 First overtime period No scoring
Ed Belfour 19 saves / 21 shots Goalie stats Mike Vernon 25 saves / 28 shots
Dallas won series 4–2


(2) Colorado Avalanche vs. (7) Edmonton Oilers[]

This was the second consecutive playoff meeting and second postseason match-up between these two teams. Colorado won last year's Western Conference Semifinals in five games.


April 22 Edmonton Oilers 3–2 Colorado Avalanche McNichols Sports Arena Recap  
No scoring First period No scoring
No scoring Second period 15:31 – ppPeter Forsberg (1)
Bill Guerin (1) – pp – 11:02
Dean McAmmond (1) – 12:22
Boris Mironov (1) – 14:51
Third period 00:17 – Peter Forsberg (2)
Curtis Joseph 25 saves / 27 shots Goalie stats Patrick Roy 31 saves / 34 shots
April 24 Edmonton Oilers 2–5 Colorado Avalanche McNichols Sports Arena Recap  
No scoring First period 01:22 – ppValeri Kamensky (1)
02:54 – Peter Forsberg (3)
Bill Guerin (2) – pp – 10:53 Second period 11:28 – shJoe Sakic (1)
13:23 – pp – Peter Forsberg (4)
Bill Guerin (3) – pp – 15:27 Third period 00:30 – Valeri Kamensky (2)
Curtis Joseph 17 saves / 21 shots
Bob Essensa 10 saves / 11 shots
Goalie stats Patrick Roy 25 saves / 27 shots
April 26 Colorado Avalanche 5–4 OT Edmonton Oilers Edmonton Coliseum Recap  
Adam Deadmarsh (1) – 03:50
Claude Lemieux (1) – pp – 14:19
First period No scoring
Adam Deadmarsh (2) – pp – 09:51 Second period 06:50 – Boris Mironov (2)
16:44 – ppDoug Weight (1)
Claude Lemieux (2) – 02:14 Third period 11:11 – Bill Guerin (4)
12:32 – Kelly Buchberger (1)
Joe Sakic (2) – 15:25 First overtime period No scoring
Patrick Roy 27 saves / 31 shots Goalie stats Curtis Joseph 30 saves / 35 shots
April 28 Colorado Avalanche 3–1 Edmonton Oilers Edmonton Coliseum Recap  
Peter Forsberg (5) – 18:09 First period 17:52 – ppRyan Smyth (1)
No scoring Second period No scoring
Claude Lemieux (3) – 10:59
Peter Forsberg (6) – en – 19:35
Third period No scoring
Patrick Roy 26 saves / 27 shots Goalie stats Curtis Joseph 22 saves / 24 shots
April 30 Edmonton Oilers 3–1 Colorado Avalanche McNichols Sports Arena Recap  
No scoring First period 16:20 – Stephane Yelle (1)
No scoring Second period No scoring
Bill Guerin (5) – pp – 04:25
Mike Grier (1) – 13:11
Mike Grier (2) – en – 19:05
Third period No scoring
Curtis Joseph 30 saves / 31 shots Goalie stats Patrick Roy 30 saves / 32 shots
May 2 Colorado Avalanche 0–2 Edmonton Oilers Edmonton Coliseum Recap  
No scoring First period 03:10 – Drake Berehowsky (1)
No scoring Second period No scoring
No scoring Third period 10:21 – ppBoris Mironov (3)
Patrick Roy 21 saves / 23 shots Goalie stats Curtis Joseph 31 saves / 31 shots
May 4 Edmonton Oilers 4–0 Colorado Avalanche McNichols Sports Arena Recap  
Janne Niinimaa (1) – 04:22
Bill Guerin (6) – 19:22
First period No scoring
Todd Marchant (1) – 08:54 Second period No scoring
Mats Lindgren (1) – 01:45 Third period No scoring
Curtis Joseph 31 saves / 31 shots Goalie stats Patrick Roy 13 saves / 17 shots
Edmonton won series 4–3


(3) Detroit Red Wings vs. (6) Phoenix Coyotes[]

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams. Their only previous meeting was in the 1996 Western Conference Quarterfinals where Detroit defeated the Winnipeg Jets in six games.


April 22 Phoenix Coyotes 3–6 Detroit Red Wings Joe Louis Arena Recap  
Rick Tocchet (1) – 11:27 First period 05:31 – ppNicklas Lidstrom (1)
10:36 – Joey Kocur (1)
12:59 – Sergei Fedorov (1)
No scoring Second period 13:26 – Darren McCarty (1)
16:11 – Joey Kocur (2)
19:50 – Kirk Maltby (1)
Cliff Ronning (1) – 05:15
Bob Corkum (1) – 11:00
Third period No scoring
Nikolai Khabibulin 17 saves / 22 shots
Jimmy Waite 12 saves / 13 shots
Goalie stats Chris Osgood 17 saves / 20 shots
April 24 Phoenix Coyotes 7–4 Detroit Red Wings Joe Louis Arena Recap  
Mike Gartner (1) – pp – 02:34
Keith Tkachuk (1) – 11:00
First period 11:13 – Igor Larionov (1)
Rick Tocchet (2) – 04:39
Jeremy Roenick (1) – sh – 07:13
Jeremy Roenick (2) – sh – 13:24
Keith Tkachuk (2) – 13:51
Second period 13:32 – ppMathieu Dandenault (1)
15:10 – Sergei Fedorov (2)
Rick Tocchet (3) – 01:45 Third period 04:05 – Sergei Fedorov (3)
Nikolai Khabibulin 34 saves / 38 shots Goalie stats Chris Osgood 21 saves / 28 shots
April 26 Detroit Red Wings 2–3 Phoenix Coyotes America West Arena Recap  
Sergei Fedorov (4) – 00:30
Brendan Shanahan (1) – 01:01
First period No scoring
No scoring Second period No scoring
No scoring Third period 00:58 – ppRick Tocchet (4)
02:19 – ppJeremy Roenick (3)
12:47 – Jeremy Roenick (4)
Chris Osgood 29 saves / 32 shots Goalie stats Nikolai Khabibulin 25 saves / 27 shots
April 28 Detroit Red Wings 4–2 Phoenix Coyotes America West Arena Recap  
No scoring First period 10:07 – ppRick Tocchet (5)
Igor Larionov (1) – 03:22
Vyacheslav Kozlov (1) – 06:25
Jamie Macoun (1) – 19:59
Second period No scoring
Nicklas Lidstrom (2) – 13:59 Third period 18:31 – Shane Doan (1)
Chris Osgood 32 saves / 34 shots Goalie stats Nikolai Khabibulin 17 saves / 19 shots
Jimmy Waite 18 saves / 20 shots
April 30 Phoenix Coyotes 1–3 Detroit Red Wings Joe Louis Arena Recap  
Rick Tocchet (6) – pp – 13:18 First period 08:54 – Tomas Holmstrom (1)
17:26 – Vyacheslav Kozlov (2)
No scoring Second period 01:07 – Sergei Fedorov (5)
No scoring Third period No scoring
Jimmy Waite 24 saves / 27 shots Goalie stats Chris Osgood 17 saves / 18 shots
May 3 Detroit Red Wings 5–2 Phoenix Coyotes America West Arena Recap  
Steve Yzerman (1) – pp – 15:28 First period 07:03 – ppJeremy Roenick (5)
Brendan Shanahan (2) – pp – 03:45
Brendan Shanahan – pp – 14:10
Sergei Fedorov (6) – pp – 18:23
Second period 02:02 – Keith Tkachuk (3)
Brent Gilchrist (1) – 12:20 Third period No scoring
Chris Osgood 22 saves / 24 shots Goalie stats Jimmy Waite 32 saves / 37 shots
Detroit won series 4–2


(4) St. Louis Blues vs. (5) Los Angeles Kings[]

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams. Their only previous meeting was in the 1969 Stanley Cup Semifinals, where St. Louis won in a four-game sweep.

Game four was the last playoff game at the Great Western Forum.


April 23 Los Angeles Kings 3–8 St. Louis Blues Kiel Center Recap  
Craig Johnson (1) – 05:00 First period 01:42 – Pavol Demitra (1)
04:42 – ppGeoff Courtnall (1)
No scoring Second period 05:46 – ppPierre Turgeon (1)
09:17 – Jim Campbell (1)
13:41 – pp – Jim Campbell (2)
15:12 – Pierre Turgeon (2)
Glen Murray (1) – 03:19
Luc Robitaille (1) – 07:05
Third period 00:16 – Brett Hull (1)
01:08 – Pavol Demitra (2)
Stephane Fiset 22 saves / 27 shots
Jamie Storr 10 saves / 13 shots
Goalie stats Grant Fuhr 24 saves / 27 shots
April 25 Los Angeles Kings 1–2 St. Louis Blues Kiel Center Recap  
No scoring First period No scoring
Glen Murray (2) – 07:49 Second period 01:43 – Chris Pronger (1)
No scoring Third period 11:37 – ppJim Campbell (3)
Jamie Storr 25 saves / 27 shots Goalie stats Grant Fuhr 26 saves / 27 shots
April 27 St. Louis Blues 4–3 Los Angeles Kings Great Western Forum Recap  
No scoring First period 11:01 – Ian Laperriere (1)
19:51 – ppYanic Perreault (1)
No scoring Second period 11:03 – Sean O'Donnell (1)
Pascal Rheaume (1) – pp – 09:59
Brett Hull (2) – pp – 11:03
Pierre Turgeon (3) – pp – 11:59
Terry Yake (1) – pp – 13:06
Third period No scoring
Grant Fuhr 25 saves / 28 shots Goalie stats Jamie Storr 33 saves / 37 shots
April 29 St. Louis Blues 2–1 Los Angeles Kings Great Western Forum Recap  
No scoring First period No scoring
Pavol Demitra (3) – 08:05 Second period No scoring
Craig Conroy (1) – 03:22 Third period 08:00 – Jozef Stumpel (1)
Grant Fuhr 29 saves / 30 shots Goalie stats Stephane Fiset 32 saves / 34 shots
St. Louis won series 4–0


Conference Semifinals[]

Eastern Conference Semifinals[]

(4) Washington Capitals vs. (8) Ottawa Senators[]

This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.


May 7 Ottawa Senators 2–4 Washington Capitals MCI Center Recap  
Daniel Alfredsson (4) – sh – 12:21 First period 13:17 – Richard Zednik (2)
No scoring Second period 04:03 – Adam Oates (4)
Andreas Dackell (1) – pp – 07:12 Third period 02:39 – Peter Bondra (1)
04:25 – Brian Bellows (3)
Damian Rhodes 12 saves / 16 shots
Ron Tugnutt 7 saves / 7 shots
Goalie stats Olaf Kolzig 36 saves / 38 shots
May 9 Ottawa Senators 1–6 Washington Capitals MCI Center Recap  
No scoring First period No scoring
Alexei Yashin (4) – 10:50 Second period 09:46 – Brendan Witt (1)
11:14 – Joe Juneau (2)
14:59 – Joe Reekie (1)
18:58 – Richard Zednik (3)
No scoring Third period 04:43 – ppBrian Bellows (4)
15:18 – shAdam Oates (5)
Ron Tugnutt 12 saves / 18 shots Goalie stats Olaf Kolzig 30 saves / 31 shots
May 11 Washington Capitals 3–4 Ottawa Senators Corel Centre Recap  
Sergei Gonchar (5) – pp – 10:41 First period 5:24 – ppDaniel Alfredsson (5)
08:17 – Daniel Alfredsson (6)
16:58 – Daniel Alfredsson (7)
Peter Bondra (2) – pp – 01:08
Richard Zednik (4) – 13:49
Second period 10:54 – ppAlexei Yashin (5)
No scoring Third period No scoring
Olaf Kolzig 30 saves / 34 shots Goalie stats Damian Rhodes 14 saves / 17 shots
May 13 Washington Capitals 2–0 Ottawa Senators Corel Centre Recap  
Sergei Gonchar (6) – sh – 18:30 First period No scoring
No scoring Second period No scoring
Mark Tinordi (1) – en – 19:55 Third period No scoring
Olaf Kolzig 36 saves / 36 shots Goalie stats Damian Rhodes 9 saves / 10 shots
May 15 Ottawa Senators 0–3 Washington Capitals MCI Center Recap  
No scoring First period No scoring
No scoring Second period 02:39 – Joe Juneau (3)
No scoring Third period 18:34 – ppSergei Gonchar (7)
19:42 – enCalle Johansson (2)
Damian Rhodes 18 saves / 20 shots Goalie stats Olaf Kolzig 29 saves / 29 shots
Washington won series 4–1


(6) Buffalo Sabres vs. (7) Montreal Canadiens[]

This was the seventh playoff meeting between these two teams; with Montreal winning four of the six previous series. They last met in the 1993 Adams Division Finals, where Montreal won in a four-game sweep.


May 8 Montreal Canadiens 2–3 OT Buffalo Sabres Marine Midland Arena Recap  
No scoring First period 02:52 – Brian Holzinger (3)
09:02 – ppGeoff Sanderson (1)
No scoinrg Second period No scoring
Turner Stevenson (1) – 14:16
Vincent Damphousse (3) – 14:26
Third period No scoring
No scoring First overtime period 02:37 – Geoff Sanderson (2)
Andy Moog 22 saves / 25 shots Goalie stats Dominik Hasek 46 saves / 48 shots
May 10 Montreal Canadiens 3–6 Buffalo Sabres Marine Midland Arena Recap  
Igor Ulanov (1) – 07:18 First period 08:38 – Michal Grosek (5)
Vladimir Malakhov (2) – pp – 04:19
Mark Recchi (4) – 14:44
Second period 02:24 – ppDonald Audette (3)
15:12 – Dixon Ward (3)
18:27 – Matthew Barnaby (2)
No scoring Third period 00:13 – Matthew Barnaby (3)
19:11 – en – Matthew Barnaby (4)
Andy Moog 16 saves / 21 shots
Jocelyn Thibault 3 saves / 3 shots
Goalie stats Dominik Hasek 23 saves / 26 shots
May 12 Buffalo Sabres 5–4 2OT Montreal Canadiens Molson Centre Recap  
Curtis Brown (1) – pp – 04:46
Michael Peca (1) – 11:22
Vaclav Varada (2) – 19:12
First period 04:23 – Turner Stevenson (2)
12:16 – Turner Stevenson (3)
Geoff Sanderson (3) – 04:42 Second period 04:21 – Saku Koivu (2)
16:30 – Vladimir Malakhov (3)
No scoring Third period No scoring
Michael Peca (2) – 01:24 Second overtime period No scoring
Dominik Hasek 42 saves / 46 shots Goalie stats Jocelyn Thibault 9 saves / 13 shots
Jose Theodore 17 saves / 18 shots
May 14 Buffalo Sabres 3–1 Montreal Canadiens Molson Centre Recap  
Matthew Barnaby (5) – pp – 04:53 First period No scoring
Donald Audette (4) – 08:41
Miroslav Satan (4) – pp – 10:31
Second period 13:31 – ppMartin Rucinsky (4)
No scoring Third period No scoring
Dominik Hasek 37 saves / 38 shots Goalie stats Andy Moog 8 saves / 11 shots
Jose Theodore 7 saves / 7 shots
Buffalo won series 4–0


Western Conference Semifinals[]

(1) Dallas Stars vs. (7) Edmonton Oilers[]

This was the second consecutive playoff meeting and the fourth overall playoff match-up between these two teams; with Edmonton winning two of the three previous series. Edmonton won last year's Western Conference Quarterfinals in seven games.


May 7 Edmonton Oilers 1–3 Dallas Stars Reunion Arena Recap  
No scoring First period 03:14 – ppSergei Zubov (2)
08:22 – Sergei Zubov (3)
Valeri Zelepukin (1) – 10:34 Second period No scoring
No scoring Third period 03:32 – Mike Keane (3)
Curtis Joseph 11 saves / 14 shots Goalie stats Ed Belfour 31 saves / 32 shots
May 9 Edmonton Oilers 2–0 Dallas Stars Reunion Arena Recap  
No scoring First period No scoring
Doug Weight (2) – pp – 16:06 Second period No scoring
Rem Murray (1) – en – 19:49 Third period No scoring
Curtis Joseph 15 saves / 15 shots Goalie stats Ed Belfour 19 saves / 20 shots
May 11 Dallas Stars 1–0 OT Edmonton Oilers Edmonton Coliseum Recap  
No scoring First period No scoring
No scoring Second period No scoring
No scoring Third period No scoring
Benoit Hogue (2) – 13:07 First overtime period No scoring
Ed Belfour 28 saves / 28 shots Goalie stats Curtis Joseph 27 saves / 28 shots
May 13 Dallas Stars 3–1 Edmonton Oilers Edmonton Coliseum Recap  
Guy Carbonneau (1) – 08:36 First period 10:13 – Scott Fraser (1)
Benoit Hogue (3) – 13:52 Second period No scoring
Benoit Hogue (4) – 11:45 Third period No scoring
Ed Belfour 23 saves / 24 shots Goalie stats Curtis Joseph 33 saves / 36 shots
May 16 Edmonton Oilers 1–2 Dallas Stars Reunion Arena Recap  
No scoring First period 19:55 – ppDerian Hatcher (3)
No scoring Second period No scoring
Bill Guerin (7) – 19:31 Third period 17:34 – Greg Adams (1)
Curtis Joseph 24 saves / 25 shots Goalie stats Ed Belfour 18 saves / 19 shots
Dallas won series 4–1


(3) Detroit Red Wings vs. (4) St. Louis Blues[]

This was the third consecutive playoff meeting and the sixth overall playoff match-up between these two teams; with Detroit winning three of the five previous series. Detroit won last year's Western Conference Quarterfinals in six games.


May 8 St. Louis Blues 4–2 Detroit Red Wings Joe Louis Arena Recap  
Todd Gill (1) – sh – 03:55 First period No scoring
No scoring Second period 14:33 – Martin Lapointe (1)
Jim Campbell (4) – pp – 00:18
Brett Hull (3) – 03:48
Jim Campbell (5) – 10:28
Third period 16:46 – ppTomas Holmstrom (2)
Grant Fuhr 27 saves / 29 shots Goalie stats Chris Osgood 25 saves / 29 shots
May 10 St. Louis Blues 1–6 Detroit Red Wings Joe Louis Arena Recap  
Terry Yakepp – 09:29 First period 17:13 – ppMartin Lapointe (2)
No scoring Second period 09:01 – Nicklas Lidstrom (3)
12:29 – Tomas Holmstrom (3)
18:47 – Steve Yzerman (2)
No scoring Third period 18:51 – sh-enLarry Murphy (1)
19:33 – Kirk Maltby (2)
Grant Fuhr 28 saves / 33 shots Goalie stats Chris Osgood 24 saves / 25 shots
May 12 Detroit Red Wings 3–2 2OT St. Louis Blues Kiel Center Recap  
Darren McCarty (2) – 03:10 First period 09:15 – ppAl MacInnis (1)
Tomas Holmstrom (4) – 01:36 Second period No scoring
No scoring Third period 19:05 – Al MacInnis (2)
Brendan Shanahan (4) – 11:12 Second overtime period No scoring
Chris Osgood 33 saves / 35 shots Goalie stats Grant Fuhr 42 saves / 45 shots
May 14 Detroit Red Wings 5–2 St. Louis Blues Kiel Center Recap  
Brendan Shanahan (5) – pp – 09:20 First period No scoring
Joey Kocur (3) – 00:54 Second period 01:16 – Jim Campbell (6)
19:53 – Pierre Turgeon (4)
Vyacheslav Kozlov (3) – 01:12
Sergei Fedorov (7) – sh – 08:05
Sergei Fedorov (8) – 19:14
Third period No scoring
Grant Fuhr 19 saves / 23 shots Goalie stats Chris Osgood 26 saves / 28 shots
May 17 St. Louis Blues 3–1 Detroit Red Wings Joe Louis Arena Recap  
No scoring First period No scoring
Geoff Courtnall (2) – 01:44
Mike Eastwood (1) – 02:58
Todd Gill (2) – pp – 09:21
Second period 11:03 – shMartin Lapointe (3)
No scoring Third period No scoring
Grant Fuhr 29 saves / 30 shots Goalie stats Chris Osgood 20 saves / 23 shots
Kevin Hodson 0 saves / 0 shots
May 19 Detroit Red Wings 6–1 St. Louis Blues Kiel Center Recap  
Darren McCarty (3) – 12:08
Doug Brown (1) – pp – 14:29
First period No scoring
Martin Lapointe (4) – pp – 05:03
Martin Lapointe (5) – 07:56
Second period No scoring
Tomas Holmstrom (5) – 05:53
Steve Yzerman (3) – pp – 09:40
Third period 14:35 – ppJim Campbell (7)
Chris Osgood 30 saves / 31 shots Goalie stats Grant Fuhr 20 saves / 25 shots
Jamie McLennan 3 saves / 4 shots
Detroit won series 4–2


Conference Finals[]

Eastern Conference Final[]

(4) Washington Capitals vs. (6) Buffalo Sabres[]

This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. Washington made their second Conference Finals appearance; they last made it to the Conference Finals in 1990 where they lost to the Boston Bruins in a four-game sweep. This was the first conference final for Buffalo since the playoffs went to a conference format starting in 1982. Buffalo last played a semifinal series in 1980 where they lost to the New York Islanders in six games. These teams split their four-game regular season series.


May 23 Buffalo Sabres 2–0 Washington Capitals MCI Center Recap  
No scoring First period No scoring
Michal Grosek (6) – 00:31
Miroslav Satan (5) – 01:55
Second period No scoring
No scoring Third period No scoring
Dominik Hasek 19 saves / 19 shots Goalie stats Olaf Kolzig 18 saves / 20 shots
May 25 Buffalo Sabres 2–3 OT Washington Capitals MCI Center Recap  
Vaclav Varada (3) – 19:02 First period No scoring
No scoring Second period 19:55 – ppPeter Bondra (3)
Matthew Barnaby (6) – pp – 19:03 Third period 14:06 – Joe Juneau (4)
No scoring First overtime period 03:01 – Todd Krygier (1)
Dominik Hasek 36 saves / 39 shots Goalie stats Olaf Kolzig 31 saves / 33 shots
May 28 Washington Capitals 4–3 OT Buffalo Sabres Marine Midland Arena Recap  
Peter Bondra (4) – 04:57
Richard Zednik (5) – pp – 10:27
First period 14:59 – ppDonald Audette (5)
Richard Zednik (6) – pp – 16:17 Second period 02:08 – Matthew Barnaby (7)
12:12 – Brian Holzinger (4)
No scoring Third period No scoring
Peter Bondra (5) – 09:37 First overtime period No scoring
Olaf Kolzig 27 saves / 30 shots Goalie stats Dominik Hasek 26 saves / 30 shots
May 30 Washington Capitals 2–0 Buffalo Sabres Marine Midland Arena Recap  
No scoring First period No scoring
No scoring Second period No scoring
Craig Berube (1) – 02:34
Joe Juneau (5) – sh – 13:38
Third period No scoring
Olaf Kolzig 30 saves / 30 shots Goalie stats Dominik Hasek 17 saves / 19 shots
June 2 Buffalo Sabres 2–1 Washington Capitals MCI Center Recap  
Darryl Shannon (2) – 06:33 First period 16:29 – ppAndrei Nikolishin (1)
No scoring Second period No scoring
Jason Woolley (2) – 15:34 Third period No scoring
Dominik Hasek 34 saves / 35 shots Goalie stats Olaf Kolzig 14 saves / 16 shots
June 4 Washington Capitals 3–2 OT Buffalo Sabres Marine Midland Arena Recap  
No scoring First period No scoring
Esa Tikkanen (3) – 13:26 Second period 13:04 – Michael Peca (3)
Peter Bondra (6) – pp – 14:01 Third period 07:40 – Paul Kruse (1)
Joe Juneau (6) – 06:24 First overtime period No scoring
Olaf Kolzig 39 saves / 41 shots Goalie stats Dominik Hasek 35 saves / 38 shots
Washington won series 4–2


Western Conference Final[]

(1) Dallas Stars vs. (3) Detroit Red Wings[]

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams; with Detroit winning both previous series. They last met in the 1995 Western Conference Quarterfinals, where Detroit won in five games. Dallas made their third appearance in the Conference Finals. They last made it to the Conference Finals in 1991, where the Minnesota North Stars defeated the Edmonton Oilers in five games. Detroit made their fourth consecutive and sixth overall appearance in the Conference Finals; they defeated the Colorado Avalanche in the previous year in six games. Detroit won this year's five-game regular season series earning eight of ten points.


May 24 Detroit Red Wings 2–0 Dallas Stars Reunion Arena Recap  
No scoring First period No scoring
Vyacheslav Kozlov (4) – pp – 00:57
Martin Lapointe (6) – 13:38
Second period No scoring
No scoring Third period No scoring
Chris Osgood 14 saves / 14 shots Goalie stats Ed Belfour 21 saves / 23 shots
May 26 Detroit Red Wings 1–3 Dallas Stars Reunion Arena Recap  
No scoring First period 05:56 – Bob Bassen (1)
Vyacheslav Kozlov (5) – 12:59 Second period 11:12 – Greg Adams (2)
No scoring Third period 19:50 – enGuy Carbonneau (2)
Chris Osgood 20 saves / 22 shots Goalie stats Ed Belfour 27 saves / 28 shots
May 29 Dallas Stars 3–5 Detroit Red Wings Joe Louis Arena Recap  
No scoring First period 05:50 – Brent Gilchrist (2)
12:43 – ppNicklas Lidstrom (4)
Jere Lehtinen (2) – 13:13 Second period 04:13 – Nicklas Lidstrom (5)
05:33 – Jamie Macoun (2)
Jere Lehtinen (3) – 04:39
Mike Modano (4) – 07:34
Third period 15:55 – Martin Lapointe (7)
Ed Belfour 15 saves / 20 shots Goalie stats Chris Osgood 31 saves / 34 shots
May 31 Dallas Stars 2–3 Detroit Red Wings Joe Louis Arena Recap  
No scoring First period 07:02 – shKirk Maltby (3)
12:10 – ppSteve Yzerman (4)
Pat Verbeek (3) – 14:31 Second period No scoring
Sergei Zubov (4) – pp – 00:55 Third period 11:30 – Vyacheslav Kozlov (6)
Ed Belfour 20 saves / 23 shots Goalie stats Chris Osgood 28 saves / 30 shots
June 3 Detroit Red Wings 2–3 OT Dallas Stars Reunion Arena Recap  
Tomas Holmstrom (6) – pp – 19:17 First period 14:16 – Mike Keane (4)
Igor Larionov (3) – 03:40 Second period No scoring
No scoring Third period 18:35 – Guy Carbonneau (3)
No scoring First overtime period 00:46 – Jamie Langenbrunner (1)
Chris Osgood 33 saves / 36 shots Goalie stats Ed Belfour 18 saves / 20 shots
June 5 Dallas Stars 0–2 Detroit Red Wings Joe Louis Arena Recap  
No scoring First period 06:20 – shLarry Murphy (2)
No scoring Second period 01:48 – Sergei Fedorov (9)
No scoring Third period No scoring
Ed Belfour 29 saves / 31 shots Goalie stats Chris Osgood 26 saves / 26 shots
Detroit won series 4–2


Stanley Cup Finals[]

This was the first and to date only playoff meeting between these two teams. Detroit made their twenty-first and second consecutive Finals appearance, while Washington made their first Finals appearance in their twenty-fourth season. Until 2017 this was the last time that the Stanley Cup was successfully defended by the previous year's champion and as of 2021, this is the most recent sweep in the Finals.


June 9 Washington Capitals 1–2 Detroit Red Wings Joe Louis Arena Recap  
No scoring First period 14:04 – Joe Kocur (4)
16:18 – Nicklas Lidstrom (6)
Richard Zednik (7) – 15:57 Second period No scoring
No scoring Third period No scoring
Olaf Kolzig 29 saves / 31 shots Goalie stats Chris Osgood 16 saves / 17 shots
June 11 Washington Capitals 4–5 OT Detroit Red Wings Joe Louis Arena Recap  
No scoring First period 07:49 – Steve Yzerman (5)
Peter Bondra (7) – 01:51
Chris Simon (1) – 06:11
Adam Oates (6) – 11:03
Second period No scoring
Joe Juneau (7) – pp – 07:05 Third period 06:37 – sh – Steve Yzerman (6)
08:08 – Martin Lapointe (8)
15:46 – Doug Brown (2)
No scoring First overtime period 15:24 – Kris Draper (1)
Olaf Kolzig 55 saves / 60 shots Goalie stats Chris Osgood 29 saves / 33 shots
June 13 Detroit Red Wings 2–1 Washington Capitals MCI Center Recap  
Tomas Holmstrom (7) – 00:35 First period No scoring
No scoring Second period No scoring
Sergei Fedorov (10) – 15:09 Third period 10:35 – ppBrian Bellows (5)
Chris Osgood 17 saves / 18 shots Goalie stats Olaf Kolzig 32 saves / 34 shots
June 16 Detroit Red Wings 4–1 Washington Capitals MCI Center Recap  
Doug Brown (3) – pp – 10:30 First period No scoring
Martin Lapointe (9) – 02:26
Larry Murphy (3) – pp – 11:46
Second period 07:49 – Brian Bellows (6)
Doug Brown (4) – pp – 01:32 Third period No scoring
Chris Osgood 30 saves / 31 shots Goalie stats Olaf Kolzig 34 saves / 38 shots
Detroit won series 4–0


Playoff statistics[]

Skaters[]

These are the top ten skaters based on points.[2]

Player Team GP G A Pts +/– PIM
Steve Yzerman Detroit Red Wings 22 6 18 24 +10 22
Sergei Fedorov Detroit Red Wings 22 10 10 20 0 12
Tomas Holmstrom Detroit Red Wings 22 7 12 19 +9 16
Nicklas Lidstrom Detroit Red Wings 22 6 13 19 +12 8
Joe Juneau Washington Capitals 21 7 10 17 +6 8
Adam Oates Washington Capitals 21 6 11 17 +8 8
Martin Lapointe Detroit Red Wings 21 9 6 15 +6 20
Larry Murphy Detroit Red Wings 22 3 12 15 +12 2
Vyacheslav Kozlov Detroit Red Wings 22 6 8 14 +4 10
Mike Modano Dallas Stars 17 4 10 14 +4 12

Goaltenders[]

This is a combined table of the top five goaltenders based on goals against average and the top five goaltenders based on save percentage, with at least 420 minutes played. The table is sorted by GAA, and the criteria for inclusion are bolded.[3]

Player Team GP W L SA GA GAA SV% SO TOI
Ed Belfour Dallas Stars 17 10 7 399 31 1.79 .922 1 1039:02
Curtis Joseph Edmonton Oilers 12 5 7 319 23 1.93 .928 3 715:52
Olaf Kolzig Washington Capitals 21 12 9 740 44 1.95 .941 4 1351:04
Byron Dafoe Boston Bruins 6 2 4 159 14 1.99 .912 1 421:59
Dominik Hasek Buffalo Sabres 15 10 5 514 32 2.03 .938 1 947:55

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Willes, Ed (May 15, 1998). "N.H.L.: PLAYOFFS; Buffalo Completes Sweep". The New York Times. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  2. ^ NHL.com - Skater Stats
  3. ^ NHL.com - Goalie Stats
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