The 1986 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League

National Hockey League

The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...

 (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

Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...

 defeating the Calgary Flames

Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...

 4–3 to win the series four games to one and win the Stanley Cup.

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

Patrick Roy

Patrick Edward Armand Roy is a former Canadian ice hockey goaltender. Nicknamed "Saint Patrick," Roy split his professional career between the Montreal Canadiens, whom he played with for 10 years, and the Colorado Avalanche, whom he played with for 8 years, both of the National Hockey League...

. This decision proved to be a good one just like when the Canadiens rode rookie goalie Ken Dryden

Ken Dryden

Kenneth Wayne Dryden, PC, is a Canadian politician, lawyer, businessman, author, and former NHL goaltender. Dryden is married with two children and four grandchildren and is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame...

 to a Stanley Cup championship in 1971. In the Final, the Canadiens beat the Calgary Flames

Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...

, who were also riding a rookie netminder, Mike Vernon. Patrick Roy won the Conn Smythe Trophy

Conn Smythe Trophy

The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 46 times to 40 players since the 1964–65 NHL season...

 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

World Hockey Association

The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...

 teams made the playoffs in the same year. This would happen again the following year

1987 Stanley Cup playoffs

The 1987 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League , began with sixteen teams on April 8, 1987. It concluded on May 31, with the Edmonton Oilers defeating the Philadelphia Flyers to win the Stanley Cup.-Series:...

 and in 1999, by which time 3 of those teams had moved, the Quebec Nordiques

Quebec Nordiques

The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...

 to Denver, the Winnipeg Jets to Phoenix, and the Hartford Whalers

Hartford Whalers

The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...

 to Raleigh, North Carolina.

Playoff bracket

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

Carolina Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...

.

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

Claude Lemieux

Claude Percy Lemieux is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He last played for the San Jose Sharks before announcing his retirement on July 8, 2009. He is one of only ten players in Stanley Cup history to win the Cup with three different teams. His 80 career playoff goals are the...

 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

James Stephen Smith

James Stephen Smith , better known as Steve Smith, is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and current assistant coach of the Edmonton Oilers. He played in the National Hockey League from 1984–85 to 2000–01...

 attempted a cross-ice pass from the side of his own net and the puck struck goaltender Grant Fuhr

Grant Fuhr

Grant Scott Fuhr is a Canadian former ice hockey goaltender in the National Hockey League and currently the goaltending coach for the Phoenix Coyotes. In 2003, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame...

'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

Battle of Alberta

The Battle of Alberta is a term applied to the intense rivalry between the Canadian cities of Edmonton, the capital of the province of Alberta, and Calgary, the province's largest city...

 (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

Doug Wickenheiser

Douglas Peter Wickenheiser was a Canadian ice hockey player. He was drafted first overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft.-Career:Wickenheiser was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada...

. 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