The 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs was the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League (NHL) for the 2012–13 season. They began on April 30, 2013, following the conclusion of the regular season. The regular season was shortened to 48 games and the playoffs were pushed to a later date due to a lockout. The playoffs ended on June 24, 2013, with the Chicago Blackhawks defeating the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup Final in six games to win the Stanley Cup. Patrick Kane won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs MVP, with 19 points (9 goals and 10 assists).
The Blackhawks made the playoffs as the Presidents' Trophy winners with the most points (i.e., best record) during the regular season. The Detroit Red Wings increased their postseason appearance streak to twenty-two seasons, the longest active streak at the time. The Toronto Maple Leafs made the playoffs for the first time since 2004, breaking the longest active drought at the time. The 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs marked the first time since 1996 that every Original Six team (Boston, Chicago, the Detroit Red Wings, the Montreal Canadiens, the New York Rangers, and Toronto) advanced to the playoffs in the same year. Additionally, four Canadian teams qualified for the playoffs (Montreal, the Ottawa Senators, Toronto, and the Vancouver Canucks), the most since 2006, three of those teams are from Eastern Canada. The first-round series between Montreal and Ottawa was the first playoff series between two Canadian teams since 2004. For the second time in three years, all three teams from California (the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks) made the playoffs. The New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers missed the playoffs this year, marking the first time this happened since the Devils relocated from Colorado in 1982.
For the first time since 1945, the four semifinalists were the previous four Stanley Cup champions: the Pittsburgh Penguins (2009), Chicago (2010), Boston (2011), and Los Angeles (2012). In fact, Detroit, the 2008 Stanley Cup champion, was the last team to be eliminated in the conference semifinals, so the last five teams remaining were the previous five champions. The 2013 Stanley Cup Final was contested between the Blackhawks and Bruins, the first meeting in the Finals between the two teams, and the first time that two Original Six teams competed in the Finals since Montreal defeated the New York Rangers in the 1979 Stanley Cup Final. It is also the most recent Stanley Cup Final to feature two Original Six teams.
The Blackhawks also became the first Presidents' Trophy winners to win the Stanley Cup since the Red Wings in 2008. To date they are the most recent team to accomplish this feat and most recent Presidents' Trophy winners to even reach the Finals.
These playoffs featured 27 overtime games, the second-most in NHL history behind the 1993 playoffs with 28.
Playoff seeds The top eight teams in each conference qualified for the playoffs. The top three seeds in each conference were awarded to the division winners; while the five remaining spots were awarded to the highest finishers in their respective conferences.
The following teams qualified for the playoffs:
Eastern Conference Pittsburgh Penguins, Atlantic Division champions, Eastern Conference regular season champions – 72 points Montreal Canadiens, Northeast Division champions – 63 points Washington Capitals, Southeast Division champions – 57 points Boston Bruins – 62 points Toronto Maple Leafs – 57 points New York Rangers – 56 points (22 ) Ottawa Senators – 56 points (21 ) New York Islanders – 55 points
Western Conference Chicago Blackhawks, Central Division champions, Western Conference regular season champions, Presidents' Trophy winners – 77 points Anaheim Ducks, Pacific Division champions – 66 points Vancouver Canucks, Northwest Division champions – 59 points St. Louis Blues – 60 points Los Angeles Kings – 59 points San Jose Sharks – 57 points Detroit Red Wings – 56 points Minnesota Wild – 55 points
Playoff bracket In each round, teams competed in a best-of-seven series following a 2–2–1–1–1 format (scores in the bracket indicate the number of games won in each best-of-seven series). The team with home ice advantage played at home for games one and two (and games five and seven, if necessary), and the other team played at home for games three and four (and game six, if necessary). The top eight teams in each conference made the playoffs, with the three division winners seeded 1–3 based on regular season record, and the five remaining teams seeded 4–8.
The NHL used "re-seeding" instead of a fixed bracket playoff system. During the first three rounds, the highest remaining seed in each conference was matched against the lowest remaining seed, the second-highest remaining seed played the second-lowest remaining seed, and so forth. The higher-seeded team was awarded home ice advantage. The two conference winners then advanced to the Stanley Cup Final, where home ice advantage was awarded to the team that had the better regular season record.
Conference quarterfinals
Eastern Conference quarterfinals
(1) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (8) New York Islanders The Pittsburgh Penguins entered the playoffs as the Eastern Conference regular season champions, earning 72 points. The New York Islanders earned 55 points during the regular season to finish eighth overall in the Eastern Conference. This was the fourth playoff meeting for these two teams, with the Islanders having won all three of the previous playoff series. Their most recent meeting was in the 1993 Patrick Division finals, where New York upset first place Pittsburgh in seven games. The Penguins won four of the five games in the regular season series.
The Penguins defeated the Islanders in six games. Pittsburgh goalie Marc-Andre Fleury stopped all 26 New York shots in a 5–0 shutout in game one. The Islanders then took game two, 4–3, as New York's Colin McDonald, Matt Martin, and Kyle Okposo scored three unanswered goals in the second and third periods. In game three, Chris Kunitz scored the winning goal on a power play at 08:44 of overtime to give Pittsburgh a 5–4 victory. New York evened the series with a 6–4 win in game four, with Mark Streit, John Tavares, and Casey Cizikas scoring three unanswered goals in the third period. Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma then replaced Fleury with Tomas Vokoun as starting goalie for game five, who stopped all 31 shots to lead Pittsburgh to a 4–0 win. In the sixth game, the Islanders put up three leads only to have the Penguins tie it up three consecutive times. Brooks Orpik scored at 07:49 of overtime to give Pittsburgh a 4–3 victory and their fourth and final win of the series.
(2) Montreal Canadiens vs. (7) Ottawa Senators The Montreal Canadiens entered the playoffs as the second seed in the Eastern Conference by winning the Northeast Division with 63 points. The Ottawa Senators earned 56 points during the regular season, losing the tiebreaker to the New York Rangers in regulation + overtime wins (22 to 21) to finish seventh overall in the Eastern Conference. This was the first playoff series between these two teams, and the first playoff series between teams from Montreal and Ottawa since 1928, when the Montreal Maroons defeated the original Ottawa Senators in the Canadian Division Quarterfinals. The two teams split their four-game regular season series.
The Senators defeated the Canadiens in five games. Midway through the second period of game one, Senators defenceman Eric Gryba was given a five-minute major penalty, a game misconduct, and later a two-game suspension after delivering a hit on Montreal's Lars Eller that sent the Canadiens' centre to the hospital. Despite Gryba's ejection, the Senators won the game, 4–2, with goalie Craig Anderson stopping 48 out of 50 Montreal shots on goal. The Canadiens took game two, 3–1, led by goalie Carey Price's 29 saves. Emotions between the two division rivals boiled over in game three as the teams combined for 236 penalty minutes, but Ottawa centre Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored a hat trick, leading the Senators to a 6–1 victory. The Canadiens then jumped to a 2–0 lead in the second period of game four, but Ottawa scored twice in the final ten minutes of the game. Mika Zibanejad scored a goal off his skate at 11:55 of the third period, cutting the lead to 2–1, with the goal allowed to stand after a video review determined that he did not kick the puck into the net. Cory Conacher got the tying goal with 22.6 seconds left in regulation, and at intermission Montreal replaced an injured Price with Peter Budaj in goal. Kyle Turris scored the winner at 02:32 of overtime to give Ottawa the 3–2 win. The Senators then eliminated the Canadiens with a 6–1 victory in game five; Montreal was without several players due to injury including Price and captain Brian Gionta.
One of the quirkier story lines of the series was the large number of teeth lost by players, highlighted by Anderson losing one in game one, Price losing one in game two, and Pageau after taking a stick to the mouth from Montreal defenceman P. K. Subban while scoring his first ever NHL playoff goal, and first of three in game three.
(3) Washington Capitals vs. (6) New York Rangers The Washington Capitals entered the playoffs as the third seed in the Eastern Conference by winning the Southeast Division with 57 points. The New York Rangers earned 56 points during the regular season, winning the tiebreaker over Ottawa in regulation + overtime wins (22 to 21) to finish sixth overall in the Eastern Conference. This was the eighth playoff meeting for these two teams, and the fourth in the last five years, with the Capitals having won four of the seven previous series. This was a rematch of the previous year's Eastern Conference semifinals, which the Rangers won in seven games. New York won two of the three games in the regular season series.
The Rangers advanced to the second round after soundly defeating the Capitals in game seven, 5–0. The home team won the first six games before the visiting team won game seven, and it was the first road win in a seventh game in franchise history for the Rangers. Washington scored three unanswered goals in the second period of game one to win, 3–1. In game two, Capitals defenceman Mike Green scored the only goal in the game at 08:00 of overtime. The Rangers then evened the series after recording back-to-back 4–3 victories in games three and four, aided by Derick Brassard's one goal and two assists in the former, and Carl Hagelin's one goal and two assists in the latter. Washington won game five, 2–1 on Mike Ribeiro's goal at 09:24 of overtime, while Brassard's second period goal proved to be the difference in New York's 1–0 win in game six. The Rangers then controlled game seven, winning 5–0, with five different players scoring for New York, and goalie Henrik Lundqvist stopping all 35 Washington shots in his second consecutive shutout.
(4) Boston Bruins vs. (5) Toronto Maple Leafs The Boston Bruins entered the playoffs as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference with 62 points. The Toronto Maple Leafs earned 57 points during the regular season to finish fifth overall in the Eastern Conference. This was the fourteenth playoff series between these two teams, with the Maple Leafs having won eight of the previous thirteen series. Their most recent meeting was the 1974 Stanley Cup quarterfinals, where the Bruins defeated the Maple Leafs in four games. Boston won three of the four games in the regular season series.