Dates April 8–May 31, 1987 | Teams 16 | |
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Semifinalists Detroit Red WingsMontreal Canadiens | ||
The 1987 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League (NHL) began on April 8, after the conclusion of the 1986–87 NHL season. It concluded on May 31, with the Edmonton Oilers defeating the Philadelphia Flyers to win the Stanley Cup. In an attempt to reduce the number of first round upsets, the NHL expanded the best-of-five series in the first round to a best-of-seven series.
Contents
- Playoff seeds
- Adams Division
- Patrick Division
- Norris Division
- Smythe Division
- A1 Hartford Whalers vs A4 Quebec Nordiques
- P2 Washington Capitals vs P3 New York Islanders
- S2 Calgary Flames vs S3 Winnipeg Jets
- Stanley Cup Finals
- References
The 1987 playoffs marked the second consecutive year that all four former WHA teams made the playoffs in the same year. It would not happen again until 1999 by which time 3 of those teams had moved, the Quebec Nordiques to Denver, the Winnipeg Jets to Phoenix, and the Hartford Whalers to Raleigh, North Carolina.
At the time the Philadelphia Flyers set an NHL playoff record by playing in 26 games during the playoffs. This record has since been equaled by three other teams (2004 Calgary Flames, 2014 Los Angeles Kings, and the 2015 Tampa Bay Lightning).
Playoff seeds
The following teams qualified for the playoffs:
Adams Division
- Hartford Whalers, Adams Division champions – 93 points
- Montreal Canadiens – 92 points
- Boston Bruins – 85 points
- Quebec Nordiques – 72 points
Patrick Division
- Philadelphia Flyers, Patrick Division champions, Prince of Wales Conference regular season champions – 100 points
- Washington Capitals – 86 points
- New York Islanders – 82 points
- New York Rangers – 76 points
Norris Division
- St. Louis Blues, Norris Division champions – 79 points
- Detroit Red Wings – 78 points
- Chicago Blackhawks – 72 points
- Toronto Maple Leafs – 70 points
Smythe Division
- Edmonton Oilers, Smythe Division champions, Clarence Campbell Conference regular season champions, Presidents' Trophy winners – 106 points
- Calgary Flames – 95 points
- Winnipeg Jets – 88 points
- Los Angeles Kings – 70 points
(A1) Hartford Whalers vs. (A4) Quebec Nordiques
This was the last series that the Nordiques/Avalanche franchise won in Quebec City, the franchise did not win another playoff series until 1996 when they were the Colorado Avalanche.
(P2) Washington Capitals vs. (P3) New York Islanders
Game seven of this series went four overtimes, and is known as the Easter Epic.
(S2) Calgary Flames vs. (S3) Winnipeg Jets
This was the last series that the Jets/Coyotes franchise won in Winnipeg, the franchise did not win another playoff series until the 2012 Western Conference Quarterfinal.
Stanley Cup Finals
The Oilers and Flyers would meet again in the finals for the second time in three years. This time, Edmonton was the regular season champion with 50 wins and 106 points, and Philadelphia was second with 46 wins and 100 points.
Unlike the 1985 final, this series would go the distance. Edmonton took the first two games at home, then split in Philadelphia. However, the Flyers won the next two games, one in Edmonton and one back in Philadelphia by one goal, to force a deciding seventh game. Edmonton won game seven to earn its third Stanley Cup in four seasons.