1983 Stanley Cup playoffs

The 1983 Stanley Cup playoffs, the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League (NHL) began on April 5, after the conclusion of the 1982–83 NHL season. The playoffs concluded on May 17 with the champion New York Islanders defeating the Edmonton Oilers 4–0 to win the Final series four games to none and win the Stanley Cup for the fourth consecutive season.

1983 Stanley Cup playoffs
Tournament details
DatesApril 5–May 17, 1983
Teams16
Defending championsNew York Islanders
Final positions
ChampionsNew York Islanders
Runner-upEdmonton Oilers
Semifinalists
Tournament statistics
Scoring leader(s)Wayne Gretzky (Oilers)
(38 points)
MVPBilly Smith (Islanders)
1982
1984

The 1983 Playoffs marked the first time that seven NHL teams based in Canada (Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Quebec, Winnipeg, and Calgary) all qualified for the playoffs in the same season. Since the 1967–68 expansion, all the Canadian teams have qualified for the playoffs on five other occasions – 1969 (Montreal and Toronto), 1975, 1976 and 1979 (Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver), and 1986 (the same seven as in 1983), the last time to date (as of 2020) that all active Canadian teams qualified. This is also the most recent time that the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Detroit Red Wings missed the playoffs in the same season.

In the Wales Conference, the Patrick Division champion Philadelphia Flyers were upset by the New York Rangers in the first round. The defending champion Islanders had qualified second in the Patrick Division, and defeated the Washington Capitals in the first round, and defeated the Rangers to qualify for the Conference Final. In the Adams Division, the first-place Boston Bruins defeated the Quebec Nordiques and the Buffalo Sabres (who swept the Canadiens in their opening round series) to advance to the Conference Final. In the Conference Final, the Islanders defeated Boston in six games to qualify for their fourth consecutive Cup Finals appearance.

In the Campbell Conference, the Smythe Division first seed Edmonton Oilers swept the Winnipeg Jets in the opening round, and defeated the Calgary Flames (who defeated the Vancouver Canucks three games to one in the opening round) in the Smythe Final. The Norris Champion Chicago Black Hawks defeated the St. Louis Blues three games to one and the Minnesota North Stars (who defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs three games to one in the opening round) in the Norris Final four games to one. Edmonton defeated the Norris Division champion Chicago Black Hawks in a four-game sweep in the Conference Final to advance to the Cup Final.

Playoff seeds

The 1983 playoffs followed the format introduced in the previous season. The four teams with the best regular-season records from each of the four divisions would secure playoff berths. The division semi-finals would see the first-place club against the fourth-place team, while the second- and third-place teams faced off. The winning clubs would then meet in the division final. Home-ice advantage for these first two rounds of the playoffs would be granted to the team with the better regular-season record. Division winners would then face one another in the conference finals.

Home-ice advantage for the conference finals had been determined by coin flips[1] prior to the start of the previous season. That event determined that home-ice advantage would be granted to champions of the Adams and Smythe divisions this season. Similarly, a puck flip determined that home-ice advantage for the Stanley Cup finals would be granted to Campbell Conference champion this season.

The following teams qualified for the playoffs:

Adams Division

  1. Boston Bruins, Adams Division champions, Prince of Wales Conference regular season champions – 110 points
  2. Montreal Canadiens – 98 points
  3. Buffalo Sabres – 89 points
  4. Quebec Nordiques – 80 points

Patrick Division

  1. Philadelphia Flyers, Patrick Division champions – 106 points
  2. New York Islanders – 96 points
  3. Washington Capitals – 94 points
  4. New York Rangers – 80 points

Norris Division

  1. Chicago Black Hawks, Norris Division champions – 104 points
  2. Minnesota North Stars – 96 points
  3. Toronto Maple Leafs – 68 points
  4. St. Louis Blues – 65 points

Smythe Division

  1. Edmonton Oilers, Smythe Division champions, Clarence Campbell Conference regular season champions – 106 points
  2. Calgary Flames – 78 points
  3. Vancouver Canucks – 75 points
  4. Winnipeg Jets – 74 points

Playoff bracket

  Division Semifinals Division Finals Conference Finals Stanley Cup Finals
                                     
A1 Boston 3  
A4 Quebec 1  
  A1 Boston 4  
 
  A3 Buffalo 3  
A2 Montreal 0
A3 Buffalo 3  
  A1 Boston 2  
Prince of Wales Conference
  P2 NY Islanders 4  
P1 Philadelphia 0  
P4 NY Rangers 3  
  P4 NY Rangers 2
 
  P2 NY Islanders 4  
P2 NY Islanders 3
P3 Washington 1  
  P2 NY Islanders 4
  S1 Edmonton 0
N1 Chicago 3  
N4 St. Louis 1  
  N1 Chicago 4
 
  N2 Minnesota 1  
N2 Minnesota 3
N3 Toronto 1  
  N1 Chicago 0
Clarence Campbell Conference
  S1 Edmonton 4  
S1 Edmonton 3  
S4 Winnipeg 0  
  S1 Edmonton 4
 
  S2 Calgary 1  
S2 Calgary 3
S3 Vancouver 1  

Division Semifinals

(A1) Boston Bruins vs. (A4) Quebec Nordiques

This was the second playoff series meeting between these two teams. This was a rematch of the previous year's Adams Division Finals, in which Quebec won in seven games.

Boston won series 3–1

(A2) Montreal Canadiens vs. (A3) Buffalo Sabres

This was the third playoff series meeting between these two teams. Both teams split their previous two meetings. They last met in the 1975 Stanley Cup Semifinals, in which Buffalo won in six games.

Buffalo won series 3–0

(P1) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (P4) New York Rangers

This was the fifth playoff series meeting between these two teams. Both teams have split their previous four meetings. This was a rematch of last year's Patrick Division Semifinals, in which New York won 3–1.

New York won series 3–0

(P2) New York Islanders vs. (P3) Washington Capitals

This was the first playoff series meeting between these two teams.

New York won series 3–1

(N1) Chicago Black Hawks vs. (N4) St. Louis Blues

This was the fourth playoff series meeting between these two teams. Chicago won all three previous meetings. This was a rematch of last year's Norris Division Finals, in which Chicago won in six games.

Chicago won series 3–1

(N2) Minnesota North Stars vs. (N3) Toronto Maple Leafs

This was the second playoff series meeting between these two teams. Minnesota won the only previous meeting in the 1980 Preliminary Round in a three-game sweep.

Minnesota won series 3–1

(S1) Edmonton Oilers vs. (S4) Winnipeg Jets

This was the first playoff series meeting between these two teams.

Edmonton won series 3–0

(S2) Calgary Flames vs. (S3) Vancouver Canucks

This was the second playoff series meeting between these two teams. This was a rematch of last year's Smythe Division Semifinals, in which Vancouver won in a three-game sweep.

Calgary won series 3–1

Division Finals

(A1) Boston Bruins vs. (A3) Buffalo Sabres

This was the second playoff series meeting between the two teams. This was a rematch of last year's Adams Division Semifinals, in which Boston won 3–1.

Brad Park scored the game-winner in game seven on a slapshot off a rebound of his own shot just seconds earlier.

Boston won series 4–3

(P2) New York Islanders vs. (P4) New York Rangers

This was the fifth playoff series meeting between these two teams. The Islanders won three of the previous four series, including both over the past two seasons. The latter of which the Islanders won in six games in the last year's Patrick Division Finals.

New York Islanders won series 4–2

(N1) Chicago Black Hawks vs. (N2) Minnesota North Stars

This was the second playoff series meeting between these two teams. This was a rematch of last year's Norris Division Semifinals, in which Chicago won in an upset 3–1.

Chicago won series 4–1

(S1) Edmonton Oilers vs. (S2) Calgary Flames

This was the first playoff series meeting between these two teams.

Edmonton won series 4–1

Conference Finals

(A1) Boston Bruins vs. (P2) New York Islanders

This was the second playoff series meeting between these two teams. New York won the only previous meeting in five games in the 1980 Stanley Cup Quarterfinals.

New York won series 4–2

(S1) Edmonton Oilers vs. (N1) Chicago Black Hawks

This was the first playoff series meeting between these two teams.

Edmonton won series 4–0

Stanley Cup Finals

This was the second playoff series (and first Finals) meeting between these two teams. New York won the only previous meeting in six games in the 1981 Stanley Cup Quarterfinals.

The rising Edmonton Oilers qualified for their first final but more than met their match in the veteran Islanders. The Islanders won the series in a four-game sweep.

New York won series 4–0

Player statistics

Skaters

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

Player Team GP G A Pts +/– PIM
Wayne GretzkyEdmonton Oilers16122638+204
Rick MiddletonBoston Bruins17112233+136
Barry PedersonBoston Bruins17141832+1021
Bob BourneNew York Islanders2082028+1914
Mike BossyNew York Islanders1917926+710
Jari KurriEdmonton Oilers1681523+168
Ray BourqueBoston Bruins1781523+1510
Mark MessierEdmonton Oilers1515621+1114
Brent SutterNew York Islanders20101121+1826
Duane SutterNew York Islanders2091221+1643

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
Billy SmithNew York Islanders17133494432.69.9132 960:02
Andy MoogEdmonton Oilers16115461483.04.8960 946:16
Bob SauveBuffalo Sabres1064234283.08.8802 545:06
Pete PeetersBoston Bruins1798481613.58.8731 1022:10
Murray BannermanChicago Black Hawks844238324.01.8660 479:04


See also

References

  1. "Wales at Home". The Leader-Post. Regina, Saskatchewan. Canadian Press. 17 September 1981. p. B4. Retrieved 20 April 2020 via Newspapers.com.
  2. NHL.com - Skater Stats
  3. NHL.com - Goalie Stats
  • Diamond, Dan, ed. (2000). Total Stanley Cup. Total Sports Canada. ISBN 1-892129-07-8.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
Preceded by
1982 Stanley Cup playoffs
Stanley Cup playoffs Succeeded by
1984 Stanley Cup playoffs
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