2011 Stanley Cup playoffs
 |
|
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | April 13 – June 15, 2011 |
| Teams | 16 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Boston Bruins |
| Runner-up | Vancouver Canucks |
| Semifinalists | |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Scoring leader(s) |
David Krejci (Boston) (23 points) |
| MVP | Tim Thomas (Boston) |
|
← 2010
2012 →
|
|
The 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League (NHL) began on April 13, 2011, after the conclusion of the 2010–11 NHL regular season. The first game of the Finals was held on June 1, while the deciding seventh game was held on June 15.
The Boston Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks in seven games in the Finals to capture their first Stanley Cup championship since 1972, their sixth overall Stanley Cup win. Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player during the playoffs. Bruins forward David Krejci lead all playoff scorers with 23 points in 25 games.
After the regular season, the standard 16 teams qualified for the playoffs. The Vancouver Canucks were the Western Conference regular season champions and the Presidents' Trophy winners with the best record in the NHL at 117 points. The Washington Capitals earned the top seed in the Eastern Conference with 107 points. This is the first time in sports history that all California teams have made the playoffs in the same year. It also marked the first year since 1996 that the New Jersey Devils missed the playoffs, ending a 13-year playoff streak.
In each round, the highest remaining seed in each conference is matched against the lowest remaining seed. The higher-seeded team is awarded home ice advantage. In the Stanley Cup Finals, home ice is determined based on regular season points. Thus, the Vancouver Canucks have home ice advantage in this year's Finals. Each best-of-seven series follows a 2–2–1–1–1 format: the higher-seeded team plays at home for Games 1 and 2 (and Game 5 and 7, if necessary), and the lower-seeded team is at home for Games 3 and 4 (and Game 6, if necessary).
...
Wikipedia