1996 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Encyclopedia
The 1996 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League
(NHL), began in April, 1996
. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the conference champions played a best-of-7 series for the Stanley Cup
. These playoffs are noted as being the first playoffs in which all Canadian teams are eliminated after the first round. The New Jersey Devils, who had won the cup the year before, missed these playoffs. All 3 California based teams, The San Jose Sharks, Los Angeles Kings, and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim missed the playoffs.
The playoffs ended in June with the Colorado Avalanche
sweeping the Florida Panthers
in both team's first ever Finals appearance. It was Colorado's first ever Stanley Cup championship, in their inaugural season. In the previous years, they were known as the Quebec Nordiques
and played in Quebec City
. Joe Sakic
was named playoff MVP, and awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy
.
The 1996 playoffs is the most recent year that every Original Six
team has advanced to the playoffs in the same year. Since current playoff format was implemented in 1994, this has only happened twice: in 1994 and 1996.
* Last NHL playoff game in Winnipeg
† Last Playoff game at Maple Leaf Gardens
* Last Flyers game at the Spectrum
best-of-seven playoff series between the Pittsburgh Penguins
and Florida Panthers
. The Florida Panthers
won the series in seven games, and represented the NHL Eastern Conference
in the 1996 Stanley Cup Finals
.
were coming off a dominating 5-game series win over the New York Rangers
, while the Panthers
had just completed an unlikely upset
of the top-seeded Philadelphia Flyers
. The Penguins were looking to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals
for the first time since 1992, while the Panthers were playing in their first-ever Conference Finals.
made 32 saves
and Florida forward Tom Fitzgerald
scored twice.
The Penguins, wanting to avoid going down 2–0 against the Panthers, came out with a better game two and won 3–2.
In game three at the Miami Arena
, the Panthers fired an incredible 61 shots on Penguins goaltender Tom Barrasso
and it paid off as the Panthers won 5–2 to take a two-games-to-one series lead. Florida forward Stu Barnes
scored twice.
Then, trailing 1–0 in game four, Pittsburgh tied the score on Brad Lauer
's goal with 11:03 remaining in regulation. Bryan Smolinski
scored the go-ahead goal with 3:31 to go to give the Penguins a 2–1 lead. This turned out to be the game-winner, as Pittsburgh hung on to win the game 2–1 and tie the series at two games apiece.
In game five back at the Civic Arena
in Pittsburgh, the Penguins shut out the Panthers 3–0. Tom Barrasso
stopped all 28 Florida shots he faced.
Leading the series three games to two, Pittsburgh looked to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals in game six on Thursday, May 30 at the Miami Arena. The Penguins led 2–1 in the second period, but the Panthers scored three of the next four goals and edged the Penguins 4–3 to tie the series at 3–3.
The pivotal game seven on Saturday, June 1 at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena, Florida got a 1–0 lead on Mike Hough
's goal at 13:13 of the first period. After a scoreless second period, Pittsburgh tied the game on Petr Nedved
's power-play goal at 1:23 of the third period. However, the Panthers regained the lead on Tom Fitzgerald's bizarre 58-foot slapshot at 6:18 and got an insurance goal from Johan Garpenlöv
at 17:23. Florida hung on to win the game 3–1 and the series four games to three. John Vanbiesbrouck
made 39 saves in the victory.
best-of-seven playoff series between the Detroit Red Wings
and Colorado Avalanche
. The Colorado Avalanche
won the series in six games, and represented the NHL Western Conference
in the 1996 Stanley Cup Finals
.
had just finished a seven-game series win against the St. Louis Blues, while the Avalanche
were coming off a six-game series win against the Chicago Blackhawks
. Detroit had the league's best regular-season record and were hoping to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals
for the second consecutive year. As a franchise, the Avalanche had not been in a Conference Finals since 1985, when they were the Quebec Nordiques
and a member of the Prince of Wales Conference (now the NHL Eastern Conference
), and were looking to advance to the Cup Finals for the first time ever.
in Detroit was a hard-fought battle. The score was tied 2–2 in the first overtime period when Mike Keane
scored at 17:31 to give Colorado a 3–2 win.
The Avalanche won game two as well, 3–0. Colorado goaltender Patrick Roy
stopped all 35 shots he faced.
Down two games to none, the Red Wings played solidly in game three at McNichols Sports Arena
in Denver. Detroit defensemen Nicklas Lidstrom
and Vladimir Konstantinov
combined to score three goals (including a shorthanded goal by Konstantinov) and Detroit won 6–4.
In Game 4, the Red Wings outshot the Avalanche 31–17. However, Colorado won the game 4–2, thanks in part to 29 saves made by goaltender Patrick Roy
. The Avalanche now had a three-games-to-one lead in the series.
Detroit played with desperation and determination in Game 5 at the Joe Louis Arena on Monday, May 27. Inspired by Vladimir Konstantinov
's big body check on Avalanche forward Claude Lemieux, the Red Wings went on to win 5–2. The series now stood at three games to two in favor of Colorado.
Game 6 at McNichols Sports Arena
on Wednesday, May 29, became famous in the history of the Red Wings-Avalanche rivalry. At one moment during that game, Detroit forward Kris Draper
was along the boards at center ice, off balance, when Colorado forward Claude Lemieux
checked Draper into the boards. The hit sent Draper to the hospital with a broken jaw and a shattered cheek and orbital bone, which required surgery and stitches. Draper did not return to play until the middle of the 1996–97 season. While Lemieux was assessed a five minute major penalty and a game misconduct match penalty for the hit, the Avalanche went on to win the game 4–1, and the series four games to two. The controversial hit on Draper by Lemieux started the Detroit-Colorado rivalry that lasted for years.
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 in April, 1996
1996 in sports
1996 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Lasse Kjus, Norway** Women's overall season champion: Katja Seizinger, Germany-American football:...
. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for 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...
. These playoffs are noted as being the first playoffs in which all Canadian teams are eliminated after the first round. The New Jersey Devils, who had won the cup the year before, missed these playoffs. All 3 California based teams, The San Jose Sharks, Los Angeles Kings, and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim missed the playoffs.
The playoffs ended in June with the Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
sweeping the Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
in both team's first ever Finals appearance. It was Colorado's first ever Stanley Cup championship, in their inaugural season. In the previous years, they were known as 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...
and played in Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
. Joe Sakic
Joe Sakic
Joseph Steven "Joe" Sakic is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player and current hockey executive. He played his entire National Hockey League career with the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche franchise. In his 20-year tenure, Sakic won the Stanley Cup twice, captured numerous NHL...
was named playoff MVP, and awarded 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...
.
The 1996 playoffs is the most recent year that every Original Six
Original Six
The Original Six is a term for the group of six teams that composed the National Hockey League for the 25 seasons between the 1942–43 season and the 1967 NHL Expansion. These six teams are the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and the...
team has advanced to the playoffs in the same year. Since current playoff format was implemented in 1994, this has only happened twice: in 1994 and 1996.
Playoff bracket
Eastern Conference
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Western Conference
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
† Last Playoff game at Maple Leaf Gardens
Conference semi-finals
|
|
||
|
|
||
Eastern Conference Final
The 1996 Eastern Conference Final was the National Hockey LeagueNational 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...
best-of-seven playoff series between 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...
and Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
. The Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
won the series in seven games, and represented the NHL Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (NHL)
The Eastern Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Western Conference....
in the 1996 Stanley Cup Finals
1996 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1996 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by two teams that had not existed three seasons before, the Colorado Avalanche and the Florida Panthers. The Avalanche won the Cup in a four game sweep to win the franchise's first Stanley Cup, in their first season in Denver since...
.
Series background
The PenguinsPittsburgh 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...
were coming off a dominating 5-game series win over the 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 Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
had just completed an unlikely upset
Upset
An upset occurs in a competition, frequently in electoral politics or sports, when the party popularly expected to win , is defeated by an underdog whom the majority expects to lose, defying the conventional wisdom...
of the top-seeded 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...
. The Penguins were looking to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals
Stanley Cup Finals
The Stanley Cup Finals is the championship series to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup, emblematic of the professional club championship of ice hockey. Although the Cup itself has existed since 1893, an annual championship series between professional teams was not established until 1913...
for the first time since 1992, while the Panthers were playing in their first-ever Conference Finals.
Series game recaps
Despite being outshot 33–25 in game one at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena, the Panthers came out on top with an impressive 5–1 win. Florida goaltender John VanbiesbrouckJohn Vanbiesbrouck
John "Beezer" Vanbiesbrouck is a retired professional ice hockey goaltender, who was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007. He played in the National Hockey League for the New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders, and New Jersey Devils...
made 32 saves
Save (ice hockey)
In several sports with goalkeepers or goaltenders protecting nets, or goals, a save is credited to a goaltender that stops the playing object from entering the goal. These sports include football, ice hockey, and lacrosse, among others....
and Florida forward Tom Fitzgerald
Tom Fitzgerald (hockey)
Thomas James Fitzgerald is a retired American professional ice hockey player who played seventeen seasons in the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League. He currently serves as assistant to the general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins...
scored twice.
The Penguins, wanting to avoid going down 2–0 against the Panthers, came out with a better game two and won 3–2.
In game three at the Miami Arena
Miami Arena
The Miami Arena was an indoor arena in Miami, Florida.-History:Completed in 1988, at a cost of $52.5 million, its opening took business away from the Hollywood Sportatorium and eventually led to its demise...
, the Panthers fired an incredible 61 shots on Penguins goaltender Tom Barrasso
Tom Barrasso
Thomas Patrick Barrasso is a retired American professional ice hockey goaltender who played 18 seasons for the Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators, Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs, and St...
and it paid off as the Panthers won 5–2 to take a two-games-to-one series lead. Florida forward Stu Barnes
Stu Barnes
Stuart Barnes is an assistant coach with the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League . He played 16 seasons at centre in the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, and Dallas Stars....
scored twice.
Then, trailing 1–0 in game four, Pittsburgh tied the score on Brad Lauer
Brad Lauer
Brad R. Lauer is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former professional ice hockey player. Lauer was drafted 34th overall in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Islanders and played in the National Hockey League for the Islanders, Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators, and Pittsburgh...
's goal with 11:03 remaining in regulation. Bryan Smolinski
Bryan Smolinski
Bryan Anthony Smolinski is an American professional ice hockey center. The Boston Bruins drafted him 21st overall in 1990. He has played in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Islanders, Los Angeles Kings, Ottawa Senators, Chicago Blackhawks, Vancouver Canucks and...
scored the go-ahead goal with 3:31 to go to give the Penguins a 2–1 lead. This turned out to be the game-winner, as Pittsburgh hung on to win the game 2–1 and tie the series at two games apiece.
In game five back at the Civic Arena
Mellon Arena
Civic Arena is an indoor arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that is currently undergoing demolition. It was the first retractable roof major sports venue in the world, covering 170,000 sq. feet and constructed with just shy of 3,000 tons of Pittsburgh steel...
in Pittsburgh, the Penguins shut out the Panthers 3–0. Tom Barrasso
Tom Barrasso
Thomas Patrick Barrasso is a retired American professional ice hockey goaltender who played 18 seasons for the Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators, Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs, and St...
stopped all 28 Florida shots he faced.
Leading the series three games to two, Pittsburgh looked to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals in game six on Thursday, May 30 at the Miami Arena. The Penguins led 2–1 in the second period, but the Panthers scored three of the next four goals and edged the Penguins 4–3 to tie the series at 3–3.
The pivotal game seven on Saturday, June 1 at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena, Florida got a 1–0 lead on Mike Hough
Mike Hough
Michael Lloyd Hough is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played thirteen seasons in the National Hockey League from 1986–87 until 1998–99....
's goal at 13:13 of the first period. After a scoreless second period, Pittsburgh tied the game on Petr Nedved
Petr Nedved
Petr Nedvěd is a Czech Canadian professional ice hockey player who spent 15 seasons in the National Hockey League. He currently plays centre for HC Bílí Tygři Liberec of the Czech Extraliga.- Biography :...
's power-play goal at 1:23 of the third period. However, the Panthers regained the lead on Tom Fitzgerald's bizarre 58-foot slapshot at 6:18 and got an insurance goal from Johan Garpenlöv
Johan Garpenlov
Johan Garpenlöv is a Swedish former ice hockey left winger. He also starred for several years in his native Sweden. He was drafted in the fifth round, 85th overall, by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft....
at 17:23. Florida hung on to win the game 3–1 and the series four games to three. John Vanbiesbrouck
John Vanbiesbrouck
John "Beezer" Vanbiesbrouck is a retired professional ice hockey goaltender, who was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007. He played in the National Hockey League for the New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders, and New Jersey Devils...
made 39 saves in the victory.
Series results
|
|||
Western Conference Final
The 1996 Western Conference Final was the National Hockey LeagueNational 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...
best-of-seven playoff series between 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 Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
. The Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
won the series in six games, and represented the NHL Western Conference
Western Conference (NHL)
The Western Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Eastern Conference....
in the 1996 Stanley Cup Finals
1996 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1996 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by two teams that had not existed three seasons before, the Colorado Avalanche and the Florida Panthers. The Avalanche won the Cup in a four game sweep to win the franchise's first Stanley Cup, in their first season in Denver since...
.
Series background
The Red WingsDetroit 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...
had just finished a seven-game series win against the St. Louis Blues, while the Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
were coming off a six-game series win against the 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...
. Detroit had the league's best regular-season record and were hoping to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals
Stanley Cup Finals
The Stanley Cup Finals is the championship series to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup, emblematic of the professional club championship of ice hockey. Although the Cup itself has existed since 1893, an annual championship series between professional teams was not established until 1913...
for the second consecutive year. As a franchise, the Avalanche had not been in a Conference Finals since 1985, when they were 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...
and a member of the Prince of Wales Conference (now the NHL Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (NHL)
The Eastern Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Western Conference....
), and were looking to advance to the Cup Finals for the first time ever.
Series game recaps
As expected, game one at the Joe Louis ArenaJoe 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 was a hard-fought battle. The score was tied 2–2 in the first overtime period when Mike Keane
Mike Keane
Michael John Keane is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey winger. Undrafted, Keane played over 1100 games in the National Hockey League from 1988 until 2004, and then played five seasons for his hometown Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League until he retired in 2010...
scored at 17:31 to give Colorado a 3–2 win.
The Avalanche won game two as well, 3–0. Colorado goaltender 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...
stopped all 35 shots he faced.
Down two games to none, the Red Wings played solidly in game three at McNichols Sports Arena
McNichols Sports Arena
McNichols Sports Arena was an indoor arena, in Denver, Colorado, USA, adjacent to Mile High Stadium. Completed in 1975, at a cost of $10 million, it seated 16,061, for hockey games, 17,171, for basketball games and contained 27 luxury suites, which were installed as part of the 1986 renovation. It...
in Denver. Detroit defensemen 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...
and 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...
combined to score three goals (including a shorthanded goal by Konstantinov) and Detroit won 6–4.
In Game 4, the Red Wings outshot the Avalanche 31–17. However, Colorado won the game 4–2, thanks in part to 29 saves made by goaltender 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...
. The Avalanche now had a three-games-to-one lead in the series.
Detroit played with desperation and determination in Game 5 at the Joe Louis Arena on Monday, May 27. Inspired by 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...
's big body check on Avalanche forward Claude Lemieux, the Red Wings went on to win 5–2. The series now stood at three games to two in favor of Colorado.
Game 6 at McNichols Sports Arena
McNichols Sports Arena
McNichols Sports Arena was an indoor arena, in Denver, Colorado, USA, adjacent to Mile High Stadium. Completed in 1975, at a cost of $10 million, it seated 16,061, for hockey games, 17,171, for basketball games and contained 27 luxury suites, which were installed as part of the 1986 renovation. It...
on Wednesday, May 29, became famous in the history of the Red Wings-Avalanche rivalry. At one moment during that game, Detroit forward 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...
was along the boards at center ice, off balance, when Colorado 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...
checked Draper into the boards. The hit sent Draper to the hospital with a broken jaw and a shattered cheek and orbital bone, which required surgery and stitches. Draper did not return to play until the middle of the 1996–97 season. While Lemieux was assessed a five minute major penalty and a game misconduct match penalty for the hit, the Avalanche went on to win the game 4–1, and the series four games to two. The controversial hit on Draper by Lemieux started the Detroit-Colorado rivalry that lasted for years.
Series results
|
|||
Stanley Cup Final
As of 2011, this is the last Stanley Cup in which both teams made their first appearance. The Florida Panthers had made it to the Final on their defensive strategy, but the Colorado Avalanche overcame the tight checking to win the series in a sweep.| Colorado vs. Florida | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
| June 4 | Florida | 1 | Colorado | 3 | |
| June 6 | Florida | 1 | Colorado | 8 | |
| June 8 | Colorado | 3 | Florida | 2 | |
| June 10 | Colorado | 1 | Florida | 0 | 3OT |
| Colorado 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... |
|||||
| Joe Sakic Joe Sakic Joseph Steven "Joe" Sakic is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player and current hockey executive. He played his entire National Hockey League career with the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche franchise. In his 20-year tenure, Sakic won the Stanley Cup twice, captured numerous NHL... (Colorado) 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
- 1995–96 NHL season
- Red Wings-Avalanche brawl 1997Red Wings-Avalanche brawl 1997The Red Wings–Avalanche brawl was a large-scale on-ice melee that occurred March 26, 1997, at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan, United States, between two National Hockey League rivals, the Detroit Red Wings and the Colorado Avalanche...