1993 Stanley Cup playoffs
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | April 18–June 9, 1993 |
| Teams | 16 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Montreal Canadiens |
| Runner-up | Los Angeles Kings |
| Semifinalists | |
|
← 1992
1994 →
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The 1993 Stanley Cup playoffs the championship of the National Hockey League (NHL) began after the conclusion of the 1992–93 NHL season on April 18 and ended with the Montreal Canadiens defeating the Los Angeles Kings four games to one to win the Stanley Cup on June 9. These playoffs featured an NHL record 28 overtime games, of which the Canadiens set a playoff record for most overtime games won in one year with 10. The Canadiens also won 11 consecutive games during the playoffs (tying an NHL record).
The Presidents' Trophy-winning Pittsburgh Penguins, who had won the Stanley Cup the previous two years were the favourite to repeat. However, both conferences saw numerous upsets as the third place team in every division reached their respective conference finals. This was the first time since the 1979 NHL-WHA merger that the Edmonton Oilers had missed the playoffs. It was also the first time that longtime Oilers and then-New York Rangers captain Mark Messier had missed the playoffs in his career. This was the only year between 1984 and 1994 that the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens did not face each other in the playoffs. This was the last time that the New York Islanders won a playoff round before 2016.
This marked the final season of the NHL's then-playoff format which saw the top four teams in each division qualify for the playoffs automatically. Under the rules in place, the following teams qualified for the playoffs:
Although Boston had entered the playoffs with the second best record in the entire NHL and the Sabres had the second lowest point total of any playoff team, Buffalo upset the Bruins by sweeping the heavily favored Boston squad. The fourth game saw Brad May's game-winning goal in overtime, which has become famous in NHL lore thanks to Rick Jeanneret's "May day!" call. This was the first playoff series between the teams since the 1992 Adams Division Semifinals.
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