The 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs for the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
began on April 7, 2004, following the
2003–04 regular season. The playoffs ended with the
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play th ...
winning the
Stanley Cup with a seven-game series win over the
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...
on June 7. It was Tampa Bay's first Stanley Cup championship. It was the Flames' third final appearance, losing to the Montreal Canadiens in and beating the Canadiens in the rematch. These playoffs ended up being the last playoff tournament until
2006 due to the
2004–05 NHL lockout that resulted in the cancellation of the following season. The 16 qualified teams, eight from each conference, played
best-of-seven games for Conference Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Finals. The winner of each conference proceeded to the
Stanley Cup Finals. The format was identical to the one introduced for the
1999 playoffs.
These playoffs marked the first time the
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators (commonly referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and ha ...
qualified, being in their sixth season in the NHL. This would be the last time that all eastern Canadian teams would make the playoffs together until
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...
. This was the last time until
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
that both
Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban a ...
teams,
the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks, missed the playoffs.
The Flames tied the
1987 Philadelphia Flyers for the most games played (26) in one playoff year (later matched by the
2014 Los Angeles Kings,
2015 Tampa Bay Lightning, and
2019 St. Louis Blues). The record was subsequently broken by the Dallas Stars during the
2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, albeit due to a change in the playoff format.
Playoff seeds
Eastern Conference
#
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play th ...
, Southeast Division champions, Eastern Conference regular season champions – 106 points
#
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...
, Northeast Division champions – 104 points
#
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Well ...
, Atlantic Division champions – 101 points
#
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...
– 103 points
#
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a membe ...
– 102 points
#
New Jersey Devils – 100 points
#
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
– 93 points
#
New York Islanders – 91 points
Western Conference
#
Detroit Red Wings, Central Division champions, Western Conference regular season champions, Presidents' Trophy winners – 109 points
#
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are owned by San Jose Sports & Entertainm ...
, Pacific Division champions – 104 points
#
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...
, Northwest Division champions – 101 points
#
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The Avalanche play thei ...
– 100 points
#
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and were founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minne ...
– 97 points
#
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...
– 94 points
#
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the ...
– 91 points (39 wins)
#
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators (commonly referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and ha ...
– 91 points (38 wins)
Playoff bracket
Conference Quarterfinals
Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
(1) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (8) New York Islanders
The Tampa Bay Lightning entered the playoffs as the Eastern Conference regular season and Southeast Division champions with 106 points. New York qualified as the eighth seed earning 91 points during the regular season. This was the first playoff series between these two teams. The Islanders won three of the four games in this year's regular season series.
Tampa Bay defeated the Islanders in five games. Games one and two saw goaltenders
Nikolai Khabibulin
Nikolai Alexandrovich Khabibulin (; rus, Николай Александрович Хабибулин, p=xəbʲɪˈbulʲɪn, born January 13, 1973) is a Russian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Known by the nickname "The Bulin Wall", h ...
of the Lightning and
Rick DiPietro
Richard W. DiPietro Jr. (born September 19, 1981) is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender and current co-host of ESPN 98.7 FM's "DiPietro and Rothenberg" with Dave Rothenberg. He is also an analyst on National Hockey League (NH ...
of the Islanders trade 3–0 shutouts, with Tampa Bay winning game one and New York winning game two. In games three and four, Khabibulin shut-out the Islanders winning both games by a score of 3–0. In game five,
Martin St. Louis scored the game-winner four minutes into overtime.
(2) Boston Bruins vs. (7) Montreal Canadiens
The Boston Bruins entered the playoffs as the Northeast Division champions, earning the second seed in the Eastern Conference with 104 points. Montreal qualified as the seventh seed, earning 93 points during the regular season. This was the thirtieth playoff series between these two
rivals
A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...
, with Montreal winning twenty-two of the twenty-nine previous series. They last met in the
2002 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, where Montreal won in six games. Boston won the season series earning seven of ten points during this year's five game regular season series.
The Canadiens overcame a 3–1 series deficit to eliminate the Bruins in seven games. In game one, the Bruins won a low scoring game 3–0, behind a 31-save shutout from goaltender
Andrew Raycroft
Andrew Joseph Ernest Raycroft (born May 4, 1980) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Originally drafted by the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL) 135th overall in 1998, he won the Calder Memorial Trophy wi ...
. In game two, Raycroft allowed one goal and Boston won the game 2–1. Montreal won game three, 3–2. The Canadiens were pushed to the brink of elimination with a 4–3 double-overtime loss in game four. Montreal won game five by a score of 5–1, scoring three third period goals to break open a close game. Montreal forced a seventh game with a 5–2 victory in game six. Montreal completed the comeback with a 2–0 victory in game seven, as goaltender
Jose Theodore
Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. The name was popular during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods.
* Jose ben Abin
* Jose ben Akabya
*Jose the Galile ...
shut-out the Bruins making 32 saves.
(3) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (6) New Jersey Devils
The Philadelphia Flyers entered the playoffs as the Atlantic Division champions, earning the third seed in the Eastern Conference with 101 points. New Jersey qualified as the sixth seed earning 100 points during the regular season. This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams with New Jersey winning two of the three previous series. They last met in the
2000 Eastern Conference Final where New Jersey won in seven games. Philadelphia won the season series earning seven of twelve points during this year's six game regular season series.
Philadelphia defeated New Jersey in five games.
Keith Primeau
Keith David Primeau (born November 24, 1971) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Detroit Red Wings, Hartford Whalers, Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers.
...
scored the game-winning goal in game one as the Flyers hung on to win by a score of 3–2. In game two
Mark Recchi
Mark Louis Recchi (; born February 1, 1968) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former assistant coach. Recchi played 22 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL), playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, ...
gave the Flyers the lead on a power-play goal in the first period, the teams traded goals in the final two periods as Philadelphia won again 3–2. New Jersey scored three times on the power-play in game three as they won the game 4–2. Goaltender
Robert Esche
Robert L. Esche (born January 22, 1978) is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender who is the current president of the Utica Comets of the American Hockey League (AHL) and the Utica City FC of the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL). ...
stopped 35 shots in game four to earn a 3–0 shutout victory for the Flyers.
Danny Markov
Daniil Yevgenyevich Markov (russian: Даниил Евгеньевич Марков; born 30 July 1976) is a Russian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played a nine-year career in the National Hockey League. He also played 11 seasons ...
scored the series winning goal at 14:37 of the third period in game five as the Flyers defeated the Devils with a 3–1 victory.
(4) Toronto Maple Leafs vs. (5) Ottawa Senators
The Toronto Maple Leafs entered the playoffs as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference with 103 points. Ottawa qualified as the fifth seed earning 102 points during the regular season. This was the fourth playoff series in five years between these two teams, and the fourth series overall, Toronto won all three previous meetings. They last met in the
2002 Eastern Conference Semifinals where Toronto won in seven games. Toronto won this year's six game regular season series earning nine of twelve points during the season.
The Maple Leafs eliminated the Senators in seven games. In game one Ottawa scored two power-play goals 38 seconds apart in the second period to pull out a 4–2 victory. The Maple Leafs came through with 2–0 win on the strength of a 31-save shutout by
Ed Belfour
Edward John Belfour (born April 21, 1965) is a Canadian former 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 ...
in game two. Toronto won game three 2–0 as Ed Belfour shutout Ottawa again. Ottawa finally scored late in the first period of game four and they would add three more goals to win the game 4–1.
Tie Domi
Tahir "Tie" Domi (born November 1, 1969) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Known as an enforcer, he played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers and Winnipeg Jets over a 16-year NHL career. He is the Maple Leafs' all ti ...
scored the game-winning goal in game five and Ed Belfour posted his third shutout of the series in yet another 2–0 Toronto victory. Ottawa won game six 2–1 in double-overtime as
Mike Fisher scored at 1:47. In game seven, Ottawa goaltender
Patrick Lalime gave up two goals to
Joe Nieuwendyk
Joseph Nieuwendyk ( ; born September 10, 1966) is a Canadian former National Hockey League (NHL) player. He was a second round selection of the Calgary Flames, 27th overall, at the 1985 NHL Entry Draft and played 20 seasons for the Flames, Dall ...
before being pulled after the first period and replaced by backup
Martin Prusek
Martin Prusek (born December 11, 1975) is a Czech ice hockey coach and former professional ice hockey goaltender. During his playing career, Prusek appeared in 57 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Ottawa Senators and Columbus Blu ...
, as Toronto earned a series-clinching 4–1 win. This remains to date the Maple Leafs’ last postseason series win.
Western Conference Quarterfinals
(1) Detroit Red Wings vs. (8) Nashville Predators
The Detroit Red Wings entered the playoffs as the Presidents' Trophy winners, the Western Conference regular season and Central Division champions, with 109 points. Nashville qualified as the eighth seed earning 91 points (losing the tiebreaker to St. Louis by having fewer wins) during the regular season. This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. The Predators qualified for the playoffs for the first time since entering the league in the
1998–99 season. Nashville won the season series earning seven of twelve points during this year's six game regular season series.
Detroit defeated Nashville in six games. In game one the Red Wings scored three times in the third period and posted a 3–1 victory.
Mathieu Schneider
Mathieu David Schneider (born June 12, 1969) is an American former professional ice hockey player. Considered an offensive defenseman, Schneider played 1,289 games in the National Hockey League with ten different teams, scoring 233 goals and tot ...
scored the game-winning goal late in third period on the power-play in game two. Nashville struck twice in the first period of game three and
Tomas Vokoun Tomas may refer to:
People
* Tomás (given name), a Spanish, Portuguese, and Gaelic given name
* Tomas (given name), a Swedish, Dutch, and Lithuanian given name
* Tomáš, a Czech and Slovak given name
* Tomas (surname), a French and Croatian surna ...
made 41 saves in the Predators first playoff victory in franchise history. Detroit heavily out-shot Nashville in game four as Predators' goaltender Tomas Vokoun posted a 41 save shutout in a 3–0 Nashville win. In game five,
Curtis Joseph
Curtis Shayne Joseph (né Munro; born April 29, 1967) is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former professional player. Nicknamed "Cujo", Joseph was immediately recognizable on the ice for his masks featuring a snarling dog, drawing inspiration fro ...
started in goal for the Red Wings, and
Henrik Zetterberg
Henrik Zetterberg (; born 9 October 1980) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey forward. He played his entire National Hockey League career with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL), for whom he would serve as capt ...
scored a goal and an assist in the first six minutes of the game as the Red Wings dominated the Predators, winning 4–1. Detroit scored two goals 30 seconds apart in game six and Curtis Joseph posted a shutout as the Red Wings closed out the series with a 2–0 win.
(2) San Jose Sharks vs. (7) St. Louis Blues
San Jose entered the playoffs as the Pacific Division champions, earning the second seed in the Western Conference with 104 points. St. Louis qualified as the seventh seed earning 91 points (winning the tiebreaker over Nashville by having more wins) during the regular season. This was the third playoff series between these two teams; they split the two previous meetings. They last met in the
2001 Western Conference Quarterfinals where St. Louis won in six games. San Jose won this year's four game regular season series earning five of eight points during the season.
San Jose defeated the Blues in five games. Game one saw a defensive battle with San Jose winning the game 1–0, on the strength of a 26-save shutout from
Evgeni Nabokov
Yevgeni Viktorovich Nabokov (russian: Евге́ний Ви́кторович Набо́ков; born July 25, 1975) is a Kazakhstani-Russian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the San Jose Sharks, New York Islanders, and Ta ...
.
Chris Osgood
Christopher John Osgood (born November 26, 1972) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently a Detroit Red Wings studio analyst and part-time color commentator for Bally Sports Detroit. He won three Stanley Cup champi ...
was equally strong in net for the Blues, but allowed a goal to
Niko Dimitrakos in the first overtime. Nabokov gave up only one goal in game two, a 3–1 Sharks victory highlighted by
Patrick Marleau
Patrick Denis Marleau (born September 15, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward. With 1,779 NHL games played, he is the all-time leader in games played in league history. He passed the record previously held by Gordie Howe ...
's hat-trick. In game three the Blues used home-ice advantage to post a 4–1 victory getting a hat-trick from
Mike Sillinger
Michael John Sillinger (born June 29, 1971) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 17 seasons. Sillinger played for twelve different teams and was traded nine times during his NHL c ...
. The next night, in game four, saw a back-and-forth game that ultimately went to San Jose 4–3. With a chance to knock out the Blues at home in game five the Sharks did just that, winning 3–1.
Shortly after the series, St. Louis left winger
Mike Danton
Michael Sage Danton ('' né'' Jefferson, October 21, 1980) is a Canadian-Polish former professional ice hockey player who last played for Rivière-du-Loup 3L in the LNAH.
Danton played for the New Jersey Devils and St. Louis Blues of the Natio ...
, was arrested, charged and convicted in a conspiracy to murder his agent,
David Frost. It was later revealed the hitman he hired was meant for his father.
(3) Vancouver Canucks vs. (6) Calgary Flames
The Vancouver Canucks entered the playoffs as the Northwest Division champions, earning the third seed in the Western Conference with 101 points. Calgary qualified as the sixth seed earning 94 points during the regular season. This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two
rivals
A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...
with Calgary winning three of the five previous series, they last met in the
1994 Western Conference Quarterfinals, with the Canucks winning in seven games. The Flames qualified for the playoffs for the first time since
1996. Vancouver won the season series earning seven of twelve points during this year's six game regular season series.
The Flames eliminated the Canucks in seven games and won their first playoff series since winning the Stanley Cup in
1989
File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxon Valdez oil tanker runs ...
. Vancouver scored four times on the power-play in game one as they took the opening game 5–3. Calgary scored two goals 50 seconds apart in the first period of game two in a 2–1 victory. In game three
Dan Cloutier was injured in the first period and backup
Johan Hedberg
Johan "Moose" Hedberg (born 5 May 1973) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey goaltender. During a career that lasted from 1993 to 2014 he played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks, Dallas Stars, Atlanta Thrashers, and New Jer ...
replaced him,
Matt Cooke scored early in the third period as Vancouver won the game 2–1. Calgary goaltender
Miikka Kiprusoff recorded a shutout in game four as the Flames won 4–0. In game five
Alexander Auld became the third goaltender to play for Vancouver in the series, the Canucks lost the game 2–1. Vancouver stormed out to a 4–0 lead only to see the Flames come back to tie the game in the third period,
Brendan Morrison scored 2:28 into the third overtime period in a 5–4 Vancouver victory.
Jarome Iginla
Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis Iginla (; born July 1, 1977) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger. He played over 1500 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Calgary Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Br ...
and
Matt Cooke each scored twice in regulation in game seven,
Martin Gelinas scored 1:25 into overtime as Calgary won the game 3–2.
(4) Colorado Avalanche vs. (5) Dallas Stars
The Colorado Avalanche entered the playoffs as the fourth seed in the Western Conference with 100 points. Dallas qualified as the fifth seed earning 97 points during the regular season. This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with Dallas having won both previous series. They last met in the
2000 Western Conference Final where Dallas won in seven games. Colorado won three of the four games during this year's regular season series.
The Avalanche defeated Dallas in five games.
David Aebischer
David Aebischer (born February 7, 1978) is a Swiss former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League with the Colorado Avalanche, Montreal Canadiens and the Phoenix Coyotes. He was a member of the 2001 Stanley C ...
made 37 saves in a 3–1 Colorado victory in game one. The Avalanche scored three times on the power-play in game two winning the game by a score of 5–2. Dallas came back from a two-goal deficit in game three and won the game 4–3 in overtime on a goal by
Steve Ott to climb back into the series. Dallas heavily out-shot the Avalanche in game four, but
Marek Svatos won the game for Colorado 5:18 into the second overtime. After allowing the first goal in game five Colorado scored five unanswered goals to eliminate the Stars with a 5–1 victory.
Conference Semifinals
Eastern Conference Semifinals
(1) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (7) Montreal Canadiens
This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. The teams split this year's four game regular season series.
The Lightning swept the Canadiens in four games. Lightning goaltender
Nikolai Khabibulin
Nikolai Alexandrovich Khabibulin (; rus, Николай Александрович Хабибулин, p=xəbʲɪˈbulʲɪn, born January 13, 1973) is a Russian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Known by the nickname "The Bulin Wall", h ...
recorded his fourth shutout of the post-season in a 4–0 game one victory.
Vincent Lecavalier
Vincent "Vinny" Lecavalier (born April 21, 1980) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who is currently a special advisor to hockey operations for the Montreal Canadiens. Lecavalier, played seventeen seasons in the National Hockey ...
scored twice in game two as Tampa Bay won the game by a score of 3–1. Montreal was unable to hang on to a late lead in game three as Vincent Lecavalier tied the game in the final minute of regulation and
Brad Richards
Bradley Glen Richards (born May 2, 1980) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. Richards was drafted in the third round, 64th overall, by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft and played for the Lightning, New York R ...
scored 65 seconds into overtime as the Lightning won 4–3. Brad Richards scored his second game-winning goal of the series in the second period of game four as the Lightning closed out the Canadiens with a 3–1 victory.
(3) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (4) Toronto Maple Leafs
This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams with Philadelphia winning four of the five previous series. They last met in the
previous year's Eastern Conference Quarterfinals where Philadelphia won in seven games. Philadelphia won three of the four games in this year's regular season series.
The Flyers defeated Toronto in six games.
Marcus Ragnarsson broke the tie in the second period of game one as the Flyers eventually won the game 3–1. Philadelphia scored twice with the man advantage in game two as the Flyers held on for a 2–1 victory. Toronto used three second period goals to earn a 4–1 victory in game three. Maple Leafs captain
Mats Sundin
Mats Johan Sundin (; born 13 February 1971) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey player who played the majority of his career in the National Hockey League (NHL), retiring in 2009. Originally drafted first overall in 1989, Sundin played ...
scored twice in game four as Toronto won 3–1.
Keith Primeau
Keith David Primeau (born November 24, 1971) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Detroit Red Wings, Hartford Whalers, Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers.
...
recorded a hat trick and added an assist in a dominating 7–2 Flyers victory in game five. Philadelphia goaltender
Robert Esche
Robert L. Esche (born January 22, 1978) is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender who is the current president of the Utica Comets of the American Hockey League (AHL) and the Utica City FC of the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL). ...
made just one save in the game while earning the victory, he was replaced by
Sean Burke
Sean Burke (born January 29, 1967) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender and the current director of goaltending for the Vegas Golden Knights. He played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New Jersey Devils, H ...
at the start of the second period due to injury. Toronto overcame a 2–0 third period deficit to force overtime in game six, however the comeback came up short as
Jeremy Roenick
Jeremy Shaffer Roenick
( ; born January 17, 1970) is an American former professional ice hockey player who played the majority of his career in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted 8th overall in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft by the Chica ...
scored the series-winning goal at 7:39 of the first overtime period.
Western Conference Semifinals
(1) Detroit Red Wings vs. (6) Calgary Flames
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams with Detroit winning the only previous series. They last met in the
1978 Preliminary Round where Detroit won in two games against the
Atlanta Flames
The Atlanta Flames were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta from 1972 until 1980. They played home games in the Omni Coliseum and were members of the West and later Patrick divisions of the National Hockey League (NHL). Along with t ...
. Detroit won three of the four games during this year's regular season series.
The Flames defeated the Red Wings in six games.
Miikka Kiprusoff made 28 saves and
Marcus Nilson
Marcus Rolf Börje Nilson (born March 1, 1978) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey player, who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Florida Panthers and Calgary Flames.
Playing career
Nilson was drafted in the first round, ...
scored the game-winning goal 2:39 into overtime as the Flames took the opening game of the series 2–1. The Red Wings bounced back with a 5–2 victory in game two led by
Steve Yzerman's two goals in the second period.
Jiri Fischer tied the game halfway through the second period of game three, however Flames forward
Shean Donovan scored just 40 seconds later and put the Flames up for good as Calgary registered a 3–2 victory.
Mathieu Dandenault broke the tie in the third period of game four as Detroit bounced back with a 4–2 victory. During the second period of game five a shot by Red Wings defenceman Mathieu Schneider deflected off a stick and struck Red Wings captain
Steve Yzerman in the left eye. Yzerman was attended to for several minutes and then helped off the ice holding a towel to his face, Yzerman did not return to the series. Calgary goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff shutout the Red Wings with a 31-save performance in a 1–0 victory. In game six, Miikka Kiprusoff continued his shutout streak against the Red Wings. With just 47 seconds left in the first overtime Flames forward Martin Gelinas scored on
Curtis Joseph
Curtis Shayne Joseph (né Munro; born April 29, 1967) is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former professional player. Nicknamed "Cujo", Joseph was immediately recognizable on the ice for his masks featuring a snarling dog, drawing inspiration fro ...
and Calgary won their second-straight 1–0 game. This was the Flames' second-straight overtime victory to clinch a series in this playoff year.
(2) San Jose Sharks vs. (4) Colorado Avalanche
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams with Colorado winning both previous series. They last met in the
2002 Western Conference Semifinals where Colorado won in seven games. Colorado won the season series earning five of eight points during this year's four game regular season series.
San Jose defeated Colorado in six games as the Sharks advanced to the Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history.
Patrick Marleau
Patrick Denis Marleau (born September 15, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward. With 1,779 NHL games played, he is the all-time leader in games played in league history. He passed the record previously held by Gordie Howe ...
scored a hat-trick in a 5–2 Sharks victory in game one. In game two, Marleau scored late in the second period to put the Sharks up for good as they defeated the Avalanche in a 4–1 victory. San Jose goaltender
Evgeni Nabokov
Yevgeni Viktorovich Nabokov (russian: Евге́ний Ви́кторович Набо́ков; born July 25, 1975) is a Kazakhstani-Russian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the San Jose Sharks, New York Islanders, and Ta ...
posted a 33-save shutout in game three and
Vincent Damphousse
Vincent François Damphousse (born December 17, 1967) is a Canadian former professional hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for eighteen seasons. He played centre for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Cana ...
scored the only goal in a 1–0 San Jose victory.
Joe Sakic
Joseph Steven Sakic (; born July 7, 1969) is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player. He played his entire 21-year National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche franchise. Named captain ...
scored the lone goal of the game 5:15 into the first overtime period in game four as Colorado extended the series with a 1–0 victory. For the second consecutive game overtime was required in game five and Joe Sakic scored the game-winning goal 1:54 into the first overtime, giving Colorado a 2–1 victory. With his second goal in game five, Joe Sakic equaled
Maurice Richard for the most career playoff overtime goals with six. San Jose scored three times in just over ten minutes in the second period of game six to eliminate the Avalanche in a 3–1 win.
Conference Finals
Eastern Conference Final
(1) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (3) Philadelphia Flyers
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams with Philadelphia winning the only previous series. They last met in the
1996 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals where Philadelphia won in six games. Tampa Bay made their first appearance in a Conference Final since entering the league in the
1992–93 season, while the Flyers last made it to the Conference Finals in
2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...
, losing in seven games to the New Jersey Devils. Tampa Bay won all four games in this year's regular season series.
Tampa Bay won their first conference championship defeating the Flyers in seven games. Lightning goaltender
Nikolai Khabibulin
Nikolai Alexandrovich Khabibulin (; rus, Николай Александрович Хабибулин, p=xəbʲɪˈbulʲɪn, born January 13, 1973) is a Russian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Known by the nickname "The Bulin Wall", h ...
made 19 saves in a 3–1 Lightning win in game one. The Flyers scored the first six goals in game two as they won easily 6–2. Tampa Bay jumped out to an early two-goal lead in game three and eventually won by a score of 4–1.
Keith Primeau
Keith David Primeau (born November 24, 1971) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Detroit Red Wings, Hartford Whalers, Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers.
...
scored the game-winning goal shorthanded in game four as the Flyers claimed a 3–2 victory that tied the series. The Lightning scored three times on the power-play in game five as won the game 4–2. The Flyers tied the game in the dying minutes of game six on a goal by Keith Primeau that forced overtime.
Simon Gagne scored at 18:18 of the first overtime period as the Flyers gained a 5–4 victory.
Fredrik Modin
Jan Fredrik "Freddy" Modin (born 8 October 1974) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey left winger who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) and most notably won the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2003–04 ...
gave the Lightning a two-goal lead in game seven and they hung on to win the game 2–1.
Western Conference Final
(2) San Jose Sharks vs. (6) Calgary Flames
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams with San Jose winning the only previous series. They last met in the
1995 Western Conference Quarterfinals where San Jose won in seven games. San Jose made their first appearance in a Conference Final since entering the league in the
1991–92 season, while the Flames last made it to the Conference Finals in
1989
File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxon Valdez oil tanker runs ...
, defeating the Chicago Blackhawks in five games. The teams split this year's four game regular season series.
The Flames eliminated the Sharks in six games and they became the first Canadian team to qualify for the Stanley Cup Finals in a decade. Calgary goaltender
Miikka Kiprusoff made 49 saves and
Steve Montador won game one for the Flames with a goal at 18:43 of the first overtime period, giving them a 4–3 victory. In game two Calgary scored two first-period goals and never looked back in a 4–1 victory. Sharks goaltender
Evgeni Nabokov
Yevgeni Viktorovich Nabokov (russian: Евге́ний Ви́кторович Набо́ков; born July 25, 1975) is a Kazakhstani-Russian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the San Jose Sharks, New York Islanders, and Ta ...
posted a 34 save shutout and
Alex Korolyuk scored two goals late in third period in a 3–0 win in game three. The Sharks exploded for four goals in the second period of game four as they evened the series at two games apiece with a 4–2 victory. Miikka Kiprusoff shutout the Sharks in game five as the Flames won 3–0.
Martin Gelinas scored his third consecutive series-winning goal for the Flames in game six giving Calgary a 3–1 victory.
Stanley Cup Finals
This was the first playoff series between these two teams. Tampa Bay made their first Finals appearance, in their twelfth season, while Calgary made their third Finals appearance. The Flames won their last appearance in the Finals defeating Montreal in six games in
1989
File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxon Valdez oil tanker runs ...
. Tampa Bay won the only game of this year's regular season series.
Player statistics
Skaters
These are the top ten skaters based on points, following the conclusion of games played on June 7.
''GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/– = Plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes''
Goaltending
These are the top five goaltenders based on either
goals against average
Goals against average (GAA) also known as "average goals against" or "AGA" is a statistic used in field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, and water polo that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender or goalkeeper (depending ...
or
save percentage
Save percentage (often known by such symbols as SV%, SVS%, SVP, PCT) is a statistic in various goal-scoring sports that track saves as a statistic.
In ice hockey and lacrosse, it is a statistic that represents the percentage of shots on goal ...
with at least four games played.
''GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; SA = Shots against; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average''; TOI = Time On Ice (minutes:seconds); Sv% = Save percentage; SO = Shutouts
See also
*
2003–04 NHL season
The 2003–04 NHL season was the 87th regular season of the National Hockey League. The Stanley Cup champions were the Tampa Bay Lightning, who won the best of seven series four games to three against the Calgary Flames.
For the fourth time in ...
*
List of NHL seasons
This is a list of seasons of the National Hockey League (NHL), a professional ice hockey league, since its inception in 1917. The list also includes the seasons of the National Hockey Association (NHA), the predecessor organization of the NHL, wh ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:2004 Stanley Cup Playoffs
playoffs
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eit ...
Stanley Cup playoffs