10 Average Questions about NHL Playoffs 2004

Answer: 5

Five out of the six Canadian teams reached the playoffs: Calgary, Vancouver from the Western Conference, Ottawa, Toronto, and Montreal from the Eastern Conference.

Answer: 3-0

Tampa Bay's goalie, Nikolai Khabibulin tied the league's three shutouts record with his exceptional performances against the Islanders (three 3-0 shutouts). The Islanders also got a clean sheet in the second game of the series, and coincidentally it was also a 3-0 victory.

Answer: 3

The great rivalry between the two Canadian teams only added to the beauty of the show. Toronto's goalie, Ed Belfour, did a marvelous job to deny any goals in three of the series' seven games. Three other games went to the Senators but the final match proved once more that the Senators have a real problem with confronting the Maple Leafs in the playoff (Ottawa lost to Toronto in the playoff series for four times in the last five years).

Answer: Tampa Bay - Montreal

It was a swift victory for Tampa Bay, who showed no respect for the most prolific team in the NHL history. Two home wins (4-0, 3-1)followed by two away wins in Montreal (4-3, 3-1), ensured the Lightning it's appearance in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. They sure couldn't complain about lacking time in preparing for their next series.

Answer: 7

Philadelphia was credited at the beginning of the 2004 playoff as being one of the most offensive teams, and they sure didn't disappoint along the way. Game 5 between the Flyers and the Maple Leafs was a feast, the scoreboard showing an unlikely 7-2 at the end of the game. This game also recorded the playoff's high of most goals scored in one game.

Answer: They never had the lead

Every time the Lightning took the lead, the Flyers responded with the equalizer. The first six games recorded the following scores: game 1: Tam 3, Phi 1; game 2: Phi 6,Tam 2; game 3: Tam 4, Phi 1; game 4: Phi 3, Tam 2; game 5: Tam 4, Phi 2; game 6: Phi 5, Tam 2. So it came to the decisive game 7, but the Lightning didn't break the pattern and won the final clash, two goals to one.

Answer: Calgary and San Jose

The Western Conference Final was definitely a surprise for most hockey experts. Both Calgary and San Jose booked a place for the final after eliminating two teams credited with high chances for winning the Stanley Cup, Detroit and Colorado. Calgary, a team which seemed to play better and better with each new series of the playoff, emerged victorious from the duel with San Jose in six games.

Answer: Martin Gelinas

Martin Gelinas was Calgary's lucky charm as he scored the series-winning goals in three straight Stanley Cup Playoff series. Two dramatic overtime goals scored by him sent out Vancouver and then Detroit. He also secured the final for the Flames after scoring the game-winning goal in game 6 against San Jose.

Answer: Brad Richards

With 12 goals and 14 assists Brad Richards was selected as the most valuable player of the 2004 NHL Playoffs. He led in points, being second in goals (Calgary's Jarome Iginla had 13 goals), and second in assists (teammate Martin St.Louis had 15 assists).

Answer: Lightning - Flames ( 4 - 3)

There was a bitter fight between the two teams up until the last minutes of the Finals. The closest Calgary came to winning the series was after winning game five in overtime. But Tampa Bay managed to pull off an equally dramatic win in game 6, with St.Louis' goal scored in the second overtime. Tampa Bay won their first ever Stanley Cup after prevailing in game 7, beating Calgary 2-1 (Tampa's both goals were scored by Ruslan Fedotenko).