1995 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Encyclopedia
The 1995 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League
was played between May 6 and June 24, 1995. In the Final, the New Jersey Devils
swept the favored Detroit Red Wings
in four games to win their first championship. The Quebec Nordiques played their last ever playoff series during this time. They would move to Denver, Colorado during the summer.
This was the only time Patrick Roy
missed the playoffs in his career.
The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for the conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the conference champions played a best-of-7 series for the Stanley Cup
.
The Philadelphia Flyers
and New Jersey Devils
met in the 1995 Eastern Conference Final. The Flyers were fresh off their surprising four-game sweep of the defending Stanley Cup
-champion New York Rangers
, while the Devils had just completed their unlikely upset of the Pittsburgh Penguins
in five games. The Flyers were looking to get back to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since , while the Devils were hoping to make it to the Cup Finals for the first time in team history.
New Jersey
shocked Philadelphia and their home crowd in game one at the Spectrum, taking a commanding 3–0 lead after the first two periods. They made it 4–0 on Bill Guerin
's second goal of the game, at 2:04 of the third period. Martin Brodeur
's shutout bid was erased, however, as Craig MacTavish
got the Flyers on the board with 1:54 remaining in regulation. The Devils won the game 4–1 to take a 1–0 lead in the series. The Flyers fought back in game two, as Mikael Renberg
's goal at 13:54 of the first period gave his team a 2–1 lead; its first lead in the series. However, Devils forward John MacLean would score with just 12 seconds remaining in the period to tie the game at 2–2. New Jersey
then went on to score three times in the second period, and won the game 5–2. After dominating the first two games at the Spectrum, the Devils headed home for game three, up two games to none in the series. In game three, Philadelphia played with a sense of urgency. Trailing 2–1, the Flyers tied the game on Rod Brind'Amour
's goal with 6:03 to go in regulation. They went on to win the game 3–2 on captain Eric Lindros
' goal at 4:19 of the first overtime period. Playing with their newfound confidence, the Flyers won game four as well, 4–2, despite being outshot 34–19. Flyers goaltender Ron Hextall
made 32 saves. The win tied the series at 2–2 and set up a crucial game five on Sunday, June 11 at the Spectrum. The Devils took a 2–1 lead into the second period, which ended up scoreless. The Flyers tied the game on Kevin Dineen
's second goal of the game at 3:13 of the third period. The Devils almost regained the lead on Stephane Richer
's breakaway shot that hit the crossbar with less than four minutes to go in regulation. Then, with less than a minute remaining, Devils forward Claude Lemieux
picked up the puck on a backcheck in the New Jersey
zone and skated up the ice. Once over the Flyers' blue line, Lemieux fired a slap shot that beat Hextall blocker side. The goal silenced the Spectrum crowd and gave New Jersey
a 3–2 lead with just 44.2 seconds to play. The Devils hung on to win the game 3–2.
The Devils were now in the same situation they had been in during the Eastern Conference Finals the year before
: going back home to the Meadowlands for game six, leading the series 3-2. In game six on June 13, Philadelphia opened the scoring on Jim Montgomery
's goal at 4:05 of the first period. The Devils, however, calmly utilized the neutral-zone trap to shut down the Flyers' offense while their forwards took advantage. Stephane Richer
tied the game with a power-play goal at 10:25 and Brian Rolston
put the Devils up 2–1 with a goal at 18:15. The scored remained 2–1 for New Jersey until midway through the second period. Flyers forward Craig MacTavish
, skating over the Devils' blueline, took a slap shot that was blocked by New Jersey defenceman Shawn Chambers
. At that moment there were four Philadelphia skaters over the blueline. Taking advantage of the situation, New Jersey forward Bobby Holik
picked up the puck after Chambers had blocked the shot and skated up the ice with forward Randy McKay on the right side and Claude Lemieux
as the trailer. A three-on-one ensued, as only defenceman Kevin Haller
was back. Holik, skating down the ice on the left wing, waited for Haller to commit, which he did. As Haller slid backwards along the ice to take away the pass, Holik feathered the puck under Haller's legs and it went right to Randy McKay. Flyers goaltender Ron Hextall
was expecting Holik to shoot, so McKay was able to deflect the puck into the net before Hextall moved across to the right side. The goal came at 11:58 and gave New Jersey a 3–1 lead. They made it 4–1 at 10:11 of the third period when Bobby Carpenter passed the puck past Flyers defenceman Karl Dykhuis
up to Claude Lemieux
at center ice who went in on a breakaway and scored his league-leading 11th goal of the playoffs. He had been tied with Pittsburgh's Jaromir Jagr
, who had scored 10 goals in the Penguins' 12 playoff games of 1995. With the goal, Lemieux also broke his personal record for most goals scored in a playoff year that he had set in 1986 as a member of the Montreal Canadiens
. The Flyers fought back as Mikael Renberg
scored on the power play at 16:29 to cut the Devils' lead to 4–2, but New Jersey held its lead and went on to win the game and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals
for the first time in team history. The Devils defense had held the Flyers to just 16 shots in the game.
The Detroit Red Wings
and Chicago Blackhawks
met in the 1995 Western Conference Finals. The Red Wings had just completed a four-game sweep of the San Jose Sharks
, and the Blackhawks had just completed their sweep of the Vancouver Canucks
. Detroit was having its best playoff since 1988, and was hoping to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since . Chicago
, on the other hand, was back in the Conference Finals for the first time since , when they last made it to the Cup Finals.
Game one of the series at the Joe Louis Arena
in Detroit saw a goaltending battle between Ed Belfour
of Chicago
and Mike Vernon of Detroit. The two teams skated to a 1–1 tie after regulation before Nicklas Lidstrom
scored the game-winning goal for Detroit at 1:01 of the first overtime period. It was the first overtime playoff game that Detroit had won at home since Tuesday, March 29, 1960. In game two, Chicago
led by a score of 2–1 after two periods on goals by Chris Chelios
and Tony Amonte
. However, Detroit kept pressing and eventually tied the game on Doug Brown
's goal. Kris Draper
scored the winner for Detroit with just 1:45 remaining in regulation. In game three of the series at the United Center
in Chicago
, Detroit led 3–2 going into the third period, where Jeff Shantz
scored at 8:33 to tie the game for Chicago. The game went to double overtime where Vladimir Konstantinov
scored the game-winner for Detroit at 9:25. The win gave the Red Wings a commanding three-games-to-none series lead. The Blackhawks responded to the urgency and came out flying in game four. Denis Savard
and Joe Murphy
both scored twice and captain Dirk Graham
had a goal to give Chicago
a dominating 5–0 lead after 40 minutes. Detroit scored twice in the third period on goals by Kris Draper
and Ray Sheppard
, as the Blackhawks went on to win the game 5–2. They now trailed in the series 3 games to 1. In game five in Detroit on Sunday, June 11, Chicago
jumped out to a 1–0 lead on Denis Savard
's power play goal at 10:18 of the first period. Detroit then tied the game on Steve Yzerman
's goal at 11:36 of the second. After a scoreless third period, the game went into double overtime where Vyacheslav Kozlov
scored at 2:25 to give the Red Wings a 2–1 win and a four-games-to-one series win.
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...
was played between May 6 and June 24, 1995. In the Final, the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
swept the favored Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
in four games to win their first championship. The Quebec Nordiques played their last ever playoff series during this time. They would move to Denver, Colorado during the summer.
This was the only time 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...
missed the playoffs in his career.
The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for the conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the conference champions played a best-of-7 series for the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
.
Playoff bracket
Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = PointsPlayer | Team | GP | G | A | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sergei Fedorov Sergei Fedorov Sergei Viktorovich Fedorov is a Russian professional ice hockey forward and occasional defenceman... |
Detroit | 17 | 7 | 17 | 24 |
Stephane Richer Stephane Richer Stéphane Jean-Jacques Richer is a retired professional ice hockey left winger.-Playing career:Richer was drafted 29th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft. He played in 1,054 career NHL games, scoring 421 goals and 398 assists for 819 points. Richer won the Calder Cup in... |
New Jersey | 19 | 6 | 15 | 21 |
Neal Broten Neal Broten Neal LaMoy Broten is a retired American professional ice hockey player who played on the gold medal-winning "Miracle on Ice" hockey team in 1980, and in 1,099 NHL regular season games from 1981 – 1997 with the Minnesota North Stars, Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings... |
New Jersey | 20 | 7 | 12 | 19 |
Ron Francis Ron Francis Ronald Michael Francis, Jr. is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 23 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Hartford Whalers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Carolina Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs... |
Pittsburgh | 12 | 6 | 13 | 19 |
Denis Savard Denis Savard Denis Joseph Savard is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League from 1980 to 1997, and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000... |
Chicago | 16 | 7 | 11 | 18 |
Paul Coffey Paul Coffey Paul Douglas Coffey is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey defenceman in the National Hockey League. Known for his speed and scoring prowess, Coffey ranks second all-time among NHL defencemen in career goals, assists, and points, behind Ray Bourque.-Playing career:Coffey was drafted 6th... |
Detroit | 18 | 6 | 12 | 18 |
John MacLean John MacLean (hockey) John MacLean is a former Canadian ice hockey player, and former head coach of the New Jersey Devils. He is currently an assistant coach with the Carolina Hurricanes... |
New Jersey | 20 | 5 | 13 | 18 |
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... |
New Jersey | 20 | 13 | 3 | 16 |
Vyacheslav Kozlov Vyacheslav Kozlov Vyacheslav Anatolevich 'Slava' Kozlov is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger who plays for Dynamo Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League. He is a two-time Stanley Cup champion from his years playing with the Detroit Red Wings. He has also played for the Buffalo Sabres, Atlanta Thrashers... |
Detroit | 18 | 9 | 7 | 16 |
Nicklas Lidstrom Nicklas Lidström Nicklas Erik Lidström is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenseman who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the Detroit Red Wings, and is their captain... |
Detroit | 18 | 4 | 12 | 16 |
Quebec Nordiques vs. New York Rangers
Quebec vs. NY Rangers | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date | Away | Home | |
May 6 | NY Rangers 4 | 5 Quebec | |
May 8 | NY Rangers 8 | 3 Quebec | |
May 10 | Quebec 3 | 4 NY Rangers | |
May 12 | Quebec 2 | 3 NY Rangers | OT |
May 14 | NY Rangers 2 | 4 Quebec | |
May 16 | Quebec 2 | 4 NY Rangers | |
NY Rangers wins series 4–2 |
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Washington Capitals
Pittsburgh vs. Washington | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date | Away | Home | |
May 6 | Washington 5 | 4 Pittsburgh | |
May 8 | Washington 3 | 5 Pittsburgh | |
May 10 | Pittsburgh 2 | 6 Washington | |
May 12 | Pittsburgh 2 | 6 Washington | |
May 14 | Washington 5 | 6 Pittsburgh | OT |
May 16 | Pittsburgh 7 | 1 Washington | |
May 18 | Washington 0 | 3 Pittsburgh | |
Pittsburgh wins series 4–3 |
Philadelphia Flyers vs. Buffalo Sabres
Philadelphia vs. Buffalo | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date | Away | Home | |
May 7 | Buffalo 3 | 4 Philadelphia | OT |
May 8 | Buffalo 1 | 3 Philadelphia | |
May 10 | Philadelphia 1 | 3 Buffalo | |
May 12 | Philadelphia 4 | 2 Buffalo | |
May 14 | Buffalo 4 | 6 Philadelphia | |
Philadelphia wins series 4–1 |
Boston Bruins vs. New Jersey Devils
Boston vs. New Jersey | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date | Away | Home | |
May 7 | New Jersey 5 | 0 Boston | |
May 8 | New Jersey 3 | 0 Boston | |
May 10 | Boston 3 | 2 New Jersey | |
May 12 | Boston 0 | 1 New Jersey | OT |
May 14 | New Jersey 3 | 2 Boston | |
New Jersey wins series 4–1 |
- Game 5 would be the last game ever played in the Boston GardenBoston GardenThe Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928 as "Boston Madison Square Garden" and outlived its original namesake by some 30 years...
.
Detroit Red Wings vs. Dallas Stars
Detroit vs. Dallas | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date | Away | Home | |
May 7 | Dallas 3 | 4 Detroit | |
May 9 | Dallas 1 | 4 Detroit | |
May 11 | Detroit 5 | 1 Dallas | |
May 14 | Detroit 1 | 4 Dallas | |
May 15 | Dallas 1 | 3 Detroit | |
Detroit wins series 4–1 |
St. Louis Blues vs. Vancouver Canucks
St. Louis vs. Vancouver | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date | Away | Home | |
May 7 | Vancouver 1 | 2 St. Louis | |
May 9 | Vancouver 5 | 3 St. Louis | |
May 11 | St. Louis 1 | 6 Vancouver | |
May 13 | St. Louis 5 | 2 Vancouver | |
May 15 | Vancouver 6 | 5 St. Louis | OT |
May 17 | St. Louis 8 | 2 Vancouver | |
May 19 | Vancouver 5 | 3 St. Louis | |
Vancouver wins series 4–3 |
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
Chicago vs. Toronto | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date | Away | Home | |
May 7 | Toronto 5 | 3 Chicago | |
May 9 | Toronto 3 | 0 Chicago | |
May 11 | Chicago 3 | 2 Toronto | |
May 13 | Chicago 3 | 1 Toronto | |
May 15 | Toronto 2 | 4 Chicago | |
May 17 | Chicago 4 | 5 Toronto | OT |
May 19 | Toronto 2 | 5 Chicago | |
Chicago wins series 4–3 |
Calgary Flames vs. San Jose Sharks
Calgary vs. San Jose | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date | Away | Home | |
May 7 | San Jose 5 | 4 Calgary | |
May 9 | San Jose 5 | 4 Calgary | OT |
May 11 | Calgary 9 | 2 San Jose | |
May 13 | Calgary 6 | 4 San Jose | |
May 15 | San Jose 0 | 5 Calgary | |
May 17 | Calgary 3 | 5 San Jose | |
May 19 | San Jose 5 | 4 Calgary | 2OT |
San Jose wins series 4–3 |
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. New Jersey Devils
Pittsburgh vs. New Jersey | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date | Away | Home | |
May 20 | New Jersey 2 | 3 Pittsburgh | |
May 22 | New Jersey 4 | 2 Pittsburgh | |
May 24 | Pittsburgh 1 | 5 New Jersey | |
May 26 | Pittsburgh 1 | 2 New Jersey | OT |
May 28 | New Jersey 4 | 1 Pittsburgh | |
New Jersey win series 4–1 |
Philadelphia Flyers vs. New York Rangers
Philadelphia vs. NY Rangers | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date | Away | Home | |
May 21 | NY Rangers 4 | 5 Philadelphia | OT |
May 22 | NY Rangers 3 | 4 Philadelphia | OT |
May 24 | Philadelphia 5 | 2 NY Rangers | |
May 26 | Philadelphia 4 | 1 NY Rangers | |
Philadelphia wins series 4–0 |
Detroit Red Wings vs. San Jose Sharks
Detroit vs. San Jose | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date | Away | Home | |
May 21 | San Jose 0 | 6 Detroit | |
May 23 | San Jose 2 | 6 Detroit | |
May 25 | Detroit 6 | 2 San Jose | |
May 27 | Detroit 6 | 2 San Jose | |
Detroit wins series 4–0 |
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Vancouver Canucks
Chicago vs. Vancouver | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date | Away | Home | |
May 21 | Vancouver 1 | 2 Chicago | OT |
May 23 | Vancouver 0 | 2 Chicago | |
May 25 | Chicago 3 | 2 Vancouver | OT |
May 27 | Chicago 4 | 3 Vancouver | OT |
Chicago wins series 4–0 |
- Game 4 would be the last game ever played in the Pacific ColiseumPacific ColiseumPacific Coliseum is an indoor arena, at Hastings Park, in Vancouver, British Columbia.Completed in 1968, at the former site of the Pacific National Exhibition, the arena currently holds 16,281, for ice hockey, though capacity at its opening was 15,713....
.
Eastern Conference Final
Philadelphia vs. New Jersey | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date | Away | Home | |
June 3 | New Jersey 4 | 1 Philadelphia | |
June 5 | New Jersey 5 | 2 Philadelphia | |
June 7 | Philadelphia 3 | 2 New Jersey | OT |
June 10 | Philadelphia 4 | 2 New Jersey | |
June 11 | New Jersey 3 | 2 Philadelphia | |
June 13 | Philadelphia 2 | 4 New Jersey | |
New Jersey wins series 4–2 and Prince of Wales Trophy Prince of Wales Trophy The Prince of Wales Trophy, also known as the Wales Trophy, is an award presented by the National Hockey League to the Eastern Conference playoff champions, prior to the final series of games for the Stanley Cup... |
The Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
and New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
met in the 1995 Eastern Conference Final. The Flyers were fresh off their surprising four-game sweep of the defending Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
-champion New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
, while the Devils had just completed their unlikely upset of the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
in five games. The Flyers were looking to get back to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since , while the Devils were hoping to make it to the Cup Finals for the first time in team history.
New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
shocked Philadelphia and their home crowd in game one at the Spectrum, taking a commanding 3–0 lead after the first two periods. They made it 4–0 on Bill Guerin
Bill Guerin
William Robert Guerin is an American former professional ice hockey player and current player development coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Guerin played eighteen seasons in the National Hockey League winning two Stanley Cup championships with the New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins teams...
's second goal of the game, at 2:04 of the third period. Martin Brodeur
Martin Brodeur
Martin Pierre Brodeur is a French-Canadian ice hockey goaltender who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the New Jersey Devils. In his 19-year tenure with the Devils, he has won three Stanley Cup championships and has been in the playoffs every year but two...
's shutout bid was erased, however, as Craig MacTavish
Craig MacTavish
Craig "MacT" MacTavish is the current head coach of the American Hockey League Chicago Wolves and a former ice hockey player and coach in the National Hockey League. He played centre for 19 NHL seasons with the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers and St. Louis...
got the Flyers on the board with 1:54 remaining in regulation. The Devils won the game 4–1 to take a 1–0 lead in the series. The Flyers fought back in game two, as Mikael Renberg
Mikael Renberg
Mikael Renberg is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey player, last playing for Skellefteå AIK in Elitserien. He spent ten seasons in the National Hockey League and eight in the Swedish Elitserien.-Playing career:...
's goal at 13:54 of the first period gave his team a 2–1 lead; its first lead in the series. However, Devils forward John MacLean would score with just 12 seconds remaining in the period to tie the game at 2–2. New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
then went on to score three times in the second period, and won the game 5–2. After dominating the first two games at the Spectrum, the Devils headed home for game three, up two games to none in the series. In game three, Philadelphia played with a sense of urgency. Trailing 2–1, the Flyers tied the game on Rod Brind'Amour
Rod Brind'Amour
Roderic Jean Brind'Amour is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League for the St. Louis Blues, Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes. He captained the Hurricanes to the franchise's first Stanley Cup championship in...
's goal with 6:03 to go in regulation. They went on to win the game 3–2 on captain Eric Lindros
Eric Lindros
Eric Bryan Lindros is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. Lindros played junior hockey in the OHL for the Oshawa Generals prior to being selected first overall in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft by the Quebec Nordiques...
' goal at 4:19 of the first overtime period. Playing with their newfound confidence, the Flyers won game four as well, 4–2, despite being outshot 34–19. Flyers goaltender Ron Hextall
Ron Hextall
Ronald Jeffrey Hextall is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 13 National Hockey League seasons for the Philadelphia Flyers, Quebec Nordiques, and New York Islanders...
made 32 saves. The win tied the series at 2–2 and set up a crucial game five on Sunday, June 11 at the Spectrum. The Devils took a 2–1 lead into the second period, which ended up scoreless. The Flyers tied the game on Kevin Dineen
Kevin Dineen
Kevin William Dineen is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who is currently the head coach of the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League.-St. Michael's Buzzers:As a seventeen year old, Dineen played with the St...
's second goal of the game at 3:13 of the third period. The Devils almost regained the lead on Stephane Richer
Stephane Richer
Stéphane Jean-Jacques Richer is a retired professional ice hockey left winger.-Playing career:Richer was drafted 29th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft. He played in 1,054 career NHL games, scoring 421 goals and 398 assists for 819 points. Richer won the Calder Cup in...
's breakaway shot that hit the crossbar with less than four minutes to go in regulation. Then, with less than a minute remaining, Devils forward 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...
picked up the puck on a backcheck in the New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
zone and skated up the ice. Once over the Flyers' blue line, Lemieux fired a slap shot that beat Hextall blocker side. The goal silenced the Spectrum crowd and gave New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
a 3–2 lead with just 44.2 seconds to play. The Devils hung on to win the game 3–2.
The Devils were now in the same situation they had been in during the Eastern Conference Finals the year before
1994 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 1994 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League , began after the conclusion of the 1993–94 NHL season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the...
: going back home to the Meadowlands for game six, leading the series 3-2. In game six on June 13, Philadelphia opened the scoring on Jim Montgomery
Jim Montgomery (ice hockey)
Jim Montgomery is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League with the St...
's goal at 4:05 of the first period. The Devils, however, calmly utilized the neutral-zone trap to shut down the Flyers' offense while their forwards took advantage. Stephane Richer
Stephane Richer
Stéphane Jean-Jacques Richer is a retired professional ice hockey left winger.-Playing career:Richer was drafted 29th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft. He played in 1,054 career NHL games, scoring 421 goals and 398 assists for 819 points. Richer won the Calder Cup in...
tied the game with a power-play goal at 10:25 and Brian Rolston
Brian Rolston
Brian Lee Rolston is a professional ice hockey player and an alternate captain for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League. He has won a Stanley Cup Championship with the New Jersey Devils in 1995, and the World Cup of Hockey in 1996 playing for Team USA...
put the Devils up 2–1 with a goal at 18:15. The scored remained 2–1 for New Jersey until midway through the second period. Flyers forward Craig MacTavish
Craig MacTavish
Craig "MacT" MacTavish is the current head coach of the American Hockey League Chicago Wolves and a former ice hockey player and coach in the National Hockey League. He played centre for 19 NHL seasons with the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers and St. Louis...
, skating over the Devils' blueline, took a slap shot that was blocked by New Jersey defenceman Shawn Chambers
Shawn Chambers
Shawn Randall Chambers is a retired American ice hockey player.A defenceman, Chambers played college hockey at the University of Alaska Fairbanks from 1985-1987...
. At that moment there were four Philadelphia skaters over the blueline. Taking advantage of the situation, New Jersey forward Bobby Holik
Bobby Holik
Robert Holík is a retired Czech-American professional ice hockey center who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League...
picked up the puck after Chambers had blocked the shot and skated up the ice with forward Randy McKay on the right side and 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...
as the trailer. A three-on-one ensued, as only defenceman Kevin Haller
Kevin Haller
Kevin Haller is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
was back. Holik, skating down the ice on the left wing, waited for Haller to commit, which he did. As Haller slid backwards along the ice to take away the pass, Holik feathered the puck under Haller's legs and it went right to Randy McKay. Flyers goaltender Ron Hextall
Ron Hextall
Ronald Jeffrey Hextall is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 13 National Hockey League seasons for the Philadelphia Flyers, Quebec Nordiques, and New York Islanders...
was expecting Holik to shoot, so McKay was able to deflect the puck into the net before Hextall moved across to the right side. The goal came at 11:58 and gave New Jersey a 3–1 lead. They made it 4–1 at 10:11 of the third period when Bobby Carpenter passed the puck past Flyers defenceman Karl Dykhuis
Karl Dykhuis
Karl Dykhuis is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 12 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens....
up to 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...
at center ice who went in on a breakaway and scored his league-leading 11th goal of the playoffs. He had been tied with Pittsburgh's Jaromir Jagr
Jaromir Jagr
Jaromír Jágr is a Czech professional ice hockey right winger who plays for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League . Jágr formerly played with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, and New York Rangers, serving as captain of the Penguins and the Rangers...
, who had scored 10 goals in the Penguins' 12 playoff games of 1995. With the goal, Lemieux also broke his personal record for most goals scored in a playoff year that he had set in 1986 as a member of the 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 ...
. The Flyers fought back as Mikael Renberg
Mikael Renberg
Mikael Renberg is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey player, last playing for Skellefteå AIK in Elitserien. He spent ten seasons in the National Hockey League and eight in the Swedish Elitserien.-Playing career:...
scored on the power play at 16:29 to cut the Devils' lead to 4–2, but New Jersey held its lead and went on to win the game and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals
1995 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1995 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the New Jersey Devils and the Detroit Red Wings. This was the first of nine consecutive finals with American franchises exclusively. New Jersey was making the franchise's first-ever appearance in the Final, while Detroit returned...
for the first time in team history. The Devils defense had held the Flyers to just 16 shots in the game.
Western Conference Final
Detroit vs. Chicago | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date | Away | Home | |
June 1 | Chicago 1 | 2 Detroit | OT |
June 4 | Chicago 2 | 3 Detroit | |
June 6 | Detroit 4 | 3 Chicago | 2OT |
June 8 | Detroit 2 | 5 Chicago | |
June 11 | Chicago 1 | 2 Detroit | 2OT |
Detroit wins series 4–1 and Clarence S. Campbell Bowl Clarence S. Campbell Bowl The Clarence S. Campbell Bowl, or simply the Campbell Bowl, is a National Hockey League trophy awarded to the Western Conference playoff champions. It is named after Clarence S. Campbell, who served as President of the NHL from to . The trophy itself is constructed of sterling silver, crafted in... |
The Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
and Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
met in the 1995 Western Conference Finals. The Red Wings had just completed a four-game sweep of the San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, and the Blackhawks had just completed their sweep of the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
. Detroit was having its best playoff since 1988, and was hoping to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since . Chicago
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
, on the other hand, was back in the Conference Finals for the first time since , when they last made it to the Cup Finals.
Game one of the series at the Joe Louis Arena
Joe Louis Arena
Joe Louis Arena, nicknamed The Joe and JLA is a hockey arena located at 600 Civic Center Drive in Detroit, Michigan. It is the home of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League. Completed in 1979 at a cost of $57 million, Joe Louis Arena is named after boxer and former heavyweight...
in Detroit saw a goaltending battle between Ed Belfour
Ed Belfour
Edward John Belfour is a former Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender.Belfour was born in Carman, Manitoba and grew up playing hockey. He played junior hockey for the Winkler Flyers before going to the University of North Dakota where he helped the school win the NCAA championship in the...
of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and Mike Vernon of Detroit. The two teams skated to a 1–1 tie after regulation before Nicklas Lidstrom
Nicklas Lidström
Nicklas Erik Lidström is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenseman who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the Detroit Red Wings, and is their captain...
scored the game-winning goal for Detroit at 1:01 of the first overtime period. It was the first overtime playoff game that Detroit had won at home since Tuesday, March 29, 1960. In game two, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
led by a score of 2–1 after two periods on goals by Chris Chelios
Chris Chelios
Christos Kostas Tselios is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman. He is currently the Executive Advisor to Ken Holland, the general manager of the Detroit Red Wings, a role that Steve Yzerman held before leaving to become general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning.Chelios played...
and Tony Amonte
Tony Amonte
Anthony Lewis Amonte is a retired American professional ice hockey player. He played right wing for the New York Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks, Phoenix Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers and the Calgary Flames, all of the National Hockey League...
. However, Detroit kept pressing and eventually tied the game on Doug Brown
Doug Brown (ice hockey)
Douglas Brown is a former American ice hockey right winger. After playing four seasons with Boston College, Brown was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New Jersey Devils on August 6, 1986....
's goal. Kris Draper
Kris Draper
Kristopher Draper is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player. Draper is a four-time winner of the Stanley Cup, a Frank J. Selke Trophy winner and scored over 100 goals in the Red Wings uniform. Draper was a member of the famous Grind Line in Detroit, consisting of himself, Kirk Maltby...
scored the winner for Detroit with just 1:45 remaining in regulation. In game three of the series at the United Center
United Center
The United Center is an indoor sports arena located in Chicago. It is named after its corporate sponsor, United Airlines. The United Center is home to both the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Detroit led 3–2 going into the third period, where Jeff Shantz
Jeff Shantz
Jeffrey Shantz is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who last played for the EC KAC in the Austrian Hockey League.-Playing career:...
scored at 8:33 to tie the game for Chicago. The game went to double overtime where Vladimir Konstantinov
Vladimir Konstantinov
Vladimir Nikolaevich Konstantinov is a Russian retired professional ice hockey player who played his entire National Hockey League career with the Detroit Red Wings. Previously, he had played for Soviet club CSKA Moscow...
scored the game-winner for Detroit at 9:25. The win gave the Red Wings a commanding three-games-to-none series lead. The Blackhawks responded to the urgency and came out flying in game four. Denis Savard
Denis Savard
Denis Joseph Savard is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League from 1980 to 1997, and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000...
and Joe Murphy
Joe Murphy (ice hockey)
Joseph Patrick Murphy is a former professional hockey right winger. Murphy grew up and played minor hockey in Newmarket, Ontario. Murphy was on the 1990 Edmonton Oilers when they won the Stanley Cup...
both scored twice and captain Dirk Graham
Dirk Graham
Dirk Milton Graham is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the Chicago Blackhawks and Minnesota North Stars in the National Hockey League. He was honored in 1991 as the Frank J. Selke Trophy winner for outstanding defensive play by a forward...
had a goal to give Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
a dominating 5–0 lead after 40 minutes. Detroit scored twice in the third period on goals by Kris Draper
Kris Draper
Kristopher Draper is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player. Draper is a four-time winner of the Stanley Cup, a Frank J. Selke Trophy winner and scored over 100 goals in the Red Wings uniform. Draper was a member of the famous Grind Line in Detroit, consisting of himself, Kirk Maltby...
and Ray Sheppard
Ray Sheppard
Raymond Sheppard is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played in the NHL from 1987 to 2000.Sheppard was selected 60th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft. He played 817 career NHL games, scoring 357 goals and 300 assists for 657 points...
, as the Blackhawks went on to win the game 5–2. They now trailed in the series 3 games to 1. In game five in Detroit on Sunday, June 11, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
jumped out to a 1–0 lead on Denis Savard
Denis Savard
Denis Joseph Savard is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League from 1980 to 1997, and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000...
's power play goal at 10:18 of the first period. Detroit then tied the game on Steve Yzerman
Steve Yzerman
Stephen Gregory "Steve" Yzerman is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and current general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League...
's goal at 11:36 of the second. After a scoreless third period, the game went into double overtime where Vyacheslav Kozlov
Vyacheslav Kozlov
Vyacheslav Anatolevich 'Slava' Kozlov is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger who plays for Dynamo Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League. He is a two-time Stanley Cup champion from his years playing with the Detroit Red Wings. He has also played for the Buffalo Sabres, Atlanta Thrashers...
scored at 2:25 to give the Red Wings a 2–1 win and a four-games-to-one series win.
Stanley Cup Final
The Red Wings were making their 19th appearance in a Stanley Cup Final, and first since 1966. The Devils were making their first appearance in the final, in their 20th season. The Devils would blanket the Red Wings with defense to win their first Cup title.Detroit Red Wings vs. New Jersey Devils | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
June 17 | New Jersey | 2 | Detroit | 1 | |
June 20 | New Jersey | 4 | Detroit | 2 | |
June 22 | Detroit | 2 | New Jersey | 5 | |
June 24 | Detroit | 2 | New Jersey | 5 | |
New Jersey wins series 4–0 and Stanley Cup Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug... |
|||||
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... (New Jersey) wins 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... |
See also
- 1994–95 NHL season
- List of NHL seasons