The 2010 NHL Playoffs determined the champion of the National Hockey League for the 2009-10 season. The top eight teams from the NHL's Western Conference and top eight teams from the NHL's Eastern Conference competed in the tournament. After the first three rounds, all but two teams, the Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers, were be eliminated, with the final two teams, one each from each conference, competing for the championship in the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals. The Chicago Blackhawks won the 2010 Stanley Cup, defeating the Philadelphia Flyers in six games.http://www.nhl.com/cup/formats.html
The 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs began with first-round action on April 14, 2010. In the East, the Washington Capitals were upset by the Montreal Canadiens, the Buffalo Sabres fell to the Boston Bruins, the New Jersey Devils were eliminated by the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Ottawa Senators. In the West, the San Jose Sharks topped the Colorado Avalanche, the Chicago Blackhawks outed the Nashville Predators, the Vancouver Canucks dropped the Los Angeles Kings and the Phoenix Coyotes were downed by the Detroit Red Wings.http://www.nhl.com/ice/standings.htm?type=pla#&navid=nav-stn-plyfs
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2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The first and rounds were televised on local stations, with some featured games appearing on NBC and CBC. The conference finals and Stanley Cup Finals, which were played in May and June 2010, aired on NBC and CBC exclusively.http://www.nhl.com/ice/standings.htm?type=pla#&navid=nav-stn-plyfs
2010 NHL Playoff Brackets
NHL Western Conference Bracket 2010
- Teams were re-seeded after the first round
| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals | |||||||||||
| 1 | San Jose | 4 | |||||||||||
| 8 | Colorado | 2 | |||||||||||
| 1 | San Jose | 4 | |||||||||||
| 5 | Detroit | 1 | |||||||||||
| 4 | Phoenix | 3 | |||||||||||
| 5 | Detroit | 4 | |||||||||||
| 1 | San Jose | 0 | |||||||||||
| 2 | Chicago | 4 | |||||||||||
| 3 | Vancouver | 4 | |||||||||||
| 6 | Los Angeles | 2 | |||||||||||
| 3 | Vancouver | 2 | |||||||||||
| 2 | Chicago | 4 | |||||||||||
| 2 | Chicago | 4 | |||||||||||
| 7 | Nashville | 2 | |||||||||||
NHL Eastern Conference Bracket 2010
- Teams were re-seeded after the first round
| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals | |||||||||||
| 4 | Pittsburgh | 4 | |||||||||||
| 5 | Ottawa | 2 | |||||||||||
| 4 | Pittsburgh | 3 | |||||||||||
| 8 | Montreal | 4 | |||||||||||
| 1 | Washington | 3 | |||||||||||
| 8 | Montreal | 4 | |||||||||||
| 8 | Montreal | 1 | |||||||||||
| 7 | Philadelphia | 4 | |||||||||||
| 3 | Buffalo | 2 | |||||||||||
| 6 | Boston | 4 | |||||||||||
| 6 | Boston | 3 | |||||||||||
| 7 | Philadelphia | 4 | |||||||||||
| 2 | New Jersey | 1 | |||||||||||
| 7 | Philadelphia | 4 | |||||||||||
Background and History
The Stanley Cup Playoffs have been contested for decades, including for the first time in the 1917-18 season. As the league grew, the playoff format changed as well, taking its current format in the 1998-99 season including the top eight teams from each conference. Teams are seeded in two separate brackets based on their regular-season performance, with the higher-seeded team in each round receiving home-ice advantage. Each round is played in a best-of-seven games format, with four wins needed in each round to advance. The winners of the Eastern and Western Conference brackets continue on to play in the finals for the elusive Stanley Cup.http://espn.go.com/nhl/standings
References
Fast Facts
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Date
April to June 2010
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Stadium/Arena
Various; higher-seeded team has home-ice advantage
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First played
1917
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Television coverage
Local stations, NBC, TSN and CBC
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Fact:
Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 2009, Detroit Red Wings in 2008
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Fact:
Montreal Canadiens lead all other teams in Stanley Cup Championships
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Fact:
Each round is a best-of-seven-games series
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Fact:
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