1985 Stanley Cup playoffs

The 1985 Stanley Cup playoffs, the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League (NHL) began on April 10, after the conclusion of the 1984–85 NHL season. The playoffs concluded on May 30 with the champion Edmonton Oilers defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 8–3 to win the Final series four games to one and win the Stanley Cup.

1985 Stanley Cup playoffs
Tournament details
DatesApril 10–May 30, 1985
Teams16
Defending championsEdmonton Oilers
Final positions
ChampionsEdmonton Oilers
Runner-upPhiladelphia Flyers
Semifinalists
Tournament statistics
Scoring leader(s)Wayne Gretzky (Oilers)
(47 points)
MVPWayne Gretzky (Oilers)
1984
1986

Playoff seeds

The following teams qualified for the playoffs:

Adams Division

  1. Montreal Canadiens, Adams Division champions – 94 points
  2. Quebec Nordiques – 91 points
  3. Buffalo Sabres – 90 points
  4. Boston Bruins – 82 points

Patrick Division

  1. Philadelphia Flyers, Patrick Division champions, Prince of Wales Conference regular season champions – 113 points
  2. Washington Capitals – 101 points
  3. New York Islanders – 86 points
  4. New York Rangers – 62 points

Norris Division

  1. St. Louis Blues, Norris Division champions – 86 points
  2. Chicago Black Hawks – 83 points
  3. Detroit Red Wings – 66 points
  4. Minnesota North Stars – 62 points

Smythe Division

  1. Edmonton Oilers, Smythe Division champions, Clarence Campbell Conference regular season champions – 109 points
  2. Winnipeg Jets – 96 points
  3. Calgary Flames – 94 points
  4. Los Angeles Kings – 82 points

Playoff bracket

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

Division Semifinals

(A1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (A4) Boston Bruins

This was the 20th playoff series between these two teams. Montreal lead 17–2 in previous playoff series meetings. This was a rematch of last year's Adams Division Semifinals, in which Montreal won in a three-game sweep.

In the series finale, the Canadiens got the only goal when Mats Naslund scored with just 51 seconds remaining in regulation. Steve Penney stopped all 20 shots to register the shutout.[1]

Montreal won series 3–2

(A2) Quebec Nordiques vs. (A3) Buffalo Sabres

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

In the final game, Buffalo led 5–3 with just nine minutes remaining but allowed the Nordiques to score two goals in a span of 64 seconds to tie it at 12:06. The Nordiques' Brent Ashton then got the winner with only 69 seconds left.[2]

Quebec won series 3–2

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

This was the sixth playoff series between these two teams. New York won three of the previous five meetings. Their last meeting was won by New York in a three-game sweep in the 1983 Patrick Division Semifinals.

Philadelphia won series 3–0

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

This was the third playoff series meeting between these two teams. New York won both previous series over the past two seasons, including last year's Patrick Division Finals in five games.

The series comeback by the Islanders is the only instance in NHL history a team has overcome a 2–0 series deficit to win a best-of-five series.

New York won series 3–2

(N1) St. Louis Blues vs. (N4) Minnesota North Stars

This was the sixth playoff series meeting between these two teams. St. Louis won three of the previous five series. This was a rematch of last year's Norris Division Finals in which Minnesota won in seven games.

Minnesota won series 3–0

(N2) Chicago Black Hawks vs. (N3) Detroit Red Wings

This was the 10th playoff series meeting between these two teams. Chicago has won five of the previous nine series. Their most recent meeting was in the 1970 Stanley Cup Quarterfinals in a four-game sweep.

Chicago won series 3-0

(S1) Edmonton Oilers vs. (S4) Los Angeles Kings

This was the second playoff series between these two teams. Los Angeles won their only previous meeting in a stunning upset 3–2 in the 1982 Smythe Division Semifinals.

Edmonton won series 3–0

(S2) Winnipeg Jets vs. (S3) Calgary Flames

This was the first playoff series between these two teams.

Winnipeg won series 3–1

Division Finals

(A1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (A2) Quebec Nordiques

This was the third playoff series meeting between these two teams. Both teams split their prior two meetings. This was a rematch of last year's Adams Division Finals in which Montreal won in six games.

The Quebec Nordiques and Montreal Canadiens battled in a seven-game series. Bitter rivals from the province of Quebec, the Nords shocked the Habs in 1982, only to see a fourth-place Montreal club upset Quebec two years later. In the deciding seventh game at the Montreal Forum, Peter Stastny scored the game and series winning goal, giving Quebec an improbable 3–2 overtime win and berth in the Wales Conference Finals. The franchise did not get to the conference finals again until 1996, their first year as the Colorado Avalanche. They would go on to win the Stanley Cup.

Quebec won series 4–3

(P1) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (P3) New York Islanders

This was the third playoff series meeting between these two teams. Both teams split their previous two meetings. New York won the most recent meeting in six games in the 1980 Stanley Cup Finals.

The Philadelphia Flyers ended the New York Islanders' string of five straight seasons in the Stanley Cup Final by dispatching the club four games to one. Flyers goaltender Pelle Lindbergh registered a pair of shutouts, one in the first game and the other in the clinching fifth game, by a 1–0 score.

Philadelphia won series 4–1

(N2) Chicago Black Hawks vs. (N4) Minnesota North Stars

This was the fourth playoff series meeting between these two teams. Chicago won two of the previous three meetings over the past three seasons. Minnesota won last season's Norris Division Semifinals 3–2.

The Chicago Black Hawks simply outscored the Minnesota North Stars in an offensive-minded six-game series that featured 62 total goals.

Chicago won series 4–2

(S1) Edmonton Oilers vs. (S2) Winnipeg Jets

This was the third playoff series meeting between these two teams. Edmonton won the previous two meetings over the past two seasons, including last year's Smythe Division Semifinals in a three-game sweep.

Defending Cup champion Edmonton was too much for the Winnipeg Jets, sweeping them in four straight games and doubling their goal total.

Edmonton won series 4–0

Conference Finals

(P1) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (A2) Quebec Nordiques

This was the second playoff series meeting between these two teams. Philadelphia won the only previous meeting 3–2 in the 1981 Preliminary Round.

Although the Flyers held the best record in the NHL with 53 wins and 113 points, the Adams Division held a better record against the Patrick Division, so the Wales finals began in Quebec City. Philadelphia and Quebec split the first four games of the series, then the Flyers edged the Nordiques, 2–1 in game five. Game six in Philadelphia was a tour-de-force for the Flyers, outshooting Quebec 36–15, and winning 3–0. Flyers captain Dave Poulin's shorthanded goal early in the second period was the deciding factor in the contest. The team returned to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1980. The win came at a high cost for the Flyers as both 54-goal forward Tim Kerr and defenceman Brad McCrimmon would be lost for the remainder of the playoffs with injuries.

Philadelphia won series 4–2

(S1) Edmonton Oilers vs. (N2) Chicago Black Hawks

This was the second playoff series meeting between these two teams. Edmonton won the only previous meeting in a four-game sweep in the 1983 Clarence Campbell Conference Final.

The Oilers defeated the Black Hawks in a six-game series which broke all sorts of records for total offense. Edmonton won the first two games at home by 11–2 and 7–3 scores, only to see Chicago strike back at home with 5–2 and 8–6 victories. However, Edmonton rebounded to blast the Hawks in the final two games, 10–5 and 8–2 to earn their third trip to the Cup Finals in as many years. Edmonton set all-time playoff marks with most goals in one series, most goals in a six-game series, and both clubs set records with most total goals in a semifinal series and most total goals in one six-game series. Oilers' Jari Kurri scored three hat tricks in the series, setting a still-standing NHL record.

Edmonton won series 4–2

Stanley Cup Finals

This was the second playoff series (and first Finals) meeting between these two teams. Philadelphia won the only previous meeting in a three-game sweep in the 1980 Preliminary Round.

Edmonton would lose the first game to the Flyers but would then take the next four to win their second straight Stanley Cup. Wayne Gretzky was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs' most valuable player.

Edmonton won series 4–1

Player statistics

Skaters

These are the top ten skaters based on points.[3]

Player Team GP G A Pts +/– PIM
Wayne GretzkyEdmonton Oilers18173047+274
Paul CoffeyEdmonton Oilers18122537+2344
Jari KurriEdmonton Oilers18191231+236
Denis SavardChicago Black Hawks1592029+420
Glenn AndersonEdmonton Oilers18101626+1138
Mark MessierEdmonton Oilers18121325+1412
Peter StastnyQuebec Nordiques1841923+224
Steve LarmerChicago Black Hawks1591322+114
Michel GouletQuebec Nordiques17111021017
Charlie HuddyEdmonton Oilers1831720+2117

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.[4]

Player Team GP W L SA GA GAA SV% SO TOI
Pelle LindberghPhiladelphia Flyers18126487422.50.9143 1006:43
Mario GosselinQuebec Nordiques1798471543.07.8850 1056:07
Grant FuhrEdmonton Oilers18153520553.10.8940 1063:15
Steve PenneyMontreal Canadiens1266300403.28.8671 732:08
Murray BannermanChicago Black Hawks1596544724.79.8680 902:34

See also

References

  1. K.P. Wee (October 2015). The End of the Montreal Jinx: Boston's Short-Lived Glory in the Historic Bruins-Canadiens Rivalry, 1988-1994. p. 18. ISBN 978-1517362911.
  2. K.P. Wee (October 2015). The End of the Montreal Jinx: Boston's Short-Lived Glory in the Historic Bruins-Canadiens Rivalry, 1988-1994. p. 186. ISBN 978-1517362911.
  3. NHL.com - Skater Stats
  4. 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
1984 Stanley Cup playoffs
Stanley Cup playoffs Succeeded by
1986 Stanley Cup playoffs
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