Conn Smythe winner Mike Vernon allowed two goals or fewer in 17 of his 20 playoff games. |
The Detroit Red Wings won their first Stanley Cup title since 1955 with a four-game final-series sweep of the Philadelphia Flyers. The series opened at the CoreStates Center in Philadelphia in front of 20,291 fans, the largest crowd ever to witness a hockey game in the state of Pennsylvania. Goaltender Mike Vernon made 26 saves in a 4-2 Detroit win as unheralded Red Wings Kirk Maltby and Joe Kocur gave Detroit a 2-1 lead after the first period. Sergei Fedorov tallied the game-winner just after the midway point of the second. Maltby scored again in game two, breaking a 2-2 tie in the second period with what would prove to be the game-winning goal. Rod Brind'Amour scored both of the Flyers' goals in the game, connecting for two power-play markers 1:09 apart late in the first period.
The Red Wings returned home to a vocal and supportive home crowd for game three at Joe Louis Arena and responded with a 6-1 win to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the series. The Flyers opened the scoring on a first-period goal by John LeClair, but Detroit replied with three unanswered goals before the period ended. The win snapped Detroit's eight-game and 33-year home-ice losing streak in the Stanley Cup finals. Sergei Fedorov and Martin Lapointe each tallied twice to pace the Red Wings.
The Red Wings completed the series sweep by defeating the Flyers 2-1 in game four. Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom's goal late in the first period gave Detroit a lead it would not relinquish and Darren McCarty scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal on a spectacular individual effort at 13:02 of the second period. Goaltender Mike Vernon was named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as the MVP of the playoffs, finishing the postseason with a 16-4 record and 1.76 goals-against average. He allowed two goals or fewer in 17 of his 20 playoff games.
CONN SMYTHE TROPHY
Mike Vernon - Goaltender - Detroit Red Wings
1996-97 - Detroit Red Wings - Steve Yzerman (Captain), Doug Brown, Mathieu Dandenault, Kris Draper, Sergei Fedorov, Viacheslav Fetisov, Kevin Hodson, Tomas Holmstrom, Joe Kocur, Vladimir Konstantinov, Vyacheslav Kozlov, Martin Lapointe, Igor Larionov, Nicklas Lidstrom, Kirk Maltby, Darren McCarty, Larry Murphy, Chris Osgood, Jamie Pushor, Bob Rouse, Tomas Sandstrom, Brendan Shanahan, Tim Taylor, Mike Vernon, Aaron Ward, Mike Ilitch (Owner/Chairman), Marian Ilitch (Owner), Atanas Ilitch (Vice President), Christopher Ilitch (Vice President), Denise Ilitch Lites, Ronald Ilitch, Michael Ilitch, Jr., Lisa Ilitch Murray, Carole Ilitch Trepeck, Jim Devellano (Senior Vice President), Scotty Bowman (Head Coach/Director of Player Personnel), Ken Holland (Assistant General Manager), Barry Smith (Associate Coach), Dave Lewis (Associate Coach), Mike Krushelnyski (Assistant Coach), Jim Nill (Director of Player Development), Dan Belisle (Pro Scout), Mark Howe (Pro Scout), Hakan Andersson (Director of European Scouting), John Wharton (Athletic Trainer), Paul Boyer (Equipment Manager), Tim Abbott (Assistant Equipment Manager), Sergei Mnatsakanov (Masseur).
ROUND-BY-ROUND RESULTS
CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS | |||||
Apr. 17 | Montreal | 2 | at New Jersey | 5 | |
Apr. 19 | Montreal | 1 | at New Jersey | 4 | |
Apr. 22 | New Jersey | 6 | at Montreal | 4 | |
Apr. 24 | New Jersey | 3 | at Montreal | 4 3OT | |
Apr. 26 | Montreal | 0 | at New Jersey | 4 | |
New Jersey won best-of-seven series 4-1 | |||||
Apr. 17 | Ottawa | 1 | at Buffalo | 3 | |
Apr. 19 | Ottawa | 3 | at Buffalo | 1 | |
Apr. 21 | Buffalo | 3 | at Ottawa | 2 | |
Apr. 23 | Buffalo | 0 | at Ottawa | 1 OT | |
Apr. 25 | Ottawa | 4 | at Buffalo | 1 | |
Apr. 27 | Buffalo | 3 | at Ottawa | 0 | |
Apr. 29 | Ottawa | 2 | at Buffalo | 3 OT | |
Buffalo won best-of-seven series 4-3 | |||||
Apr. 17 | Pittsburgh | 1 | at Philadelphia | 5 | |
Apr. 19 | Pittsburgh | 2 | at Philadelphia | 3 | |
Apr. 21 | Philadelphia | 5 | at Pittsburgh | 3 | |
Apr. 23 | Philadelphia | 1 | at Pittsburgh | 4 | |
Apr. 26 | Pittsburgh | 3 | at Philadelphia | 6 | |
Philadelphia won best-of-seven series 4-1 | |||||
Apr. 17 | NY Rangers | 0 | at Florida | 3 | |
Apr. 20 | NY Rangers | 3 | at Florida | 0 | |
Apr. 22 | Florida | 3 | at NY Rangers | 4 OT | |
Apr. 23 | Florida | 2 | at NY Rangers | 3 | |
Apr. 25 | NY Rangers | 3 | at Florida | 2 OT | |
NY Rangers won best-of-seven series 4-1 | |||||
Apr. 16 | Chicago | 0 | at Colorado | 6 | |
Apr. 18 | Chicago | 1 | at Colorado | 3 | |
Apr. 20 | Colorado | 3 | at Chicago | 4 2 OT | |
Apr. 22 | Colorado | 3 | at Chicago | 6 | |
Apr. 24 | Chicago | 0 | at Colorado | 7 | |
Apr. 26 | Colorado | 6 | at Chicago | 3 | |
Colorado won best-of-seven series 4-2 | |||||
Apr. 16 | Edmonton | 3 | at Dallas | 5 | |
Apr. 18 | Edmonton | 4 | at Dallas | 0 | |
Apr. 20 | Dallas | 3 | at Edmonton | 4 OT | |
Apr. 22 | Dallas | 4 | at Edmonton | 3 | |
Apr. 25 | Edmonton | 1 | at Dallas | 0 2OT | |
Apr. 27 | Dallas | 3 | at Edmonton | 2 | |
Apr. 29 | Edmonton | 4 | at Dallas | 3 OT | |
Edmonton won best-of-seven series 4-3 | |||||
Apr. 16 | St. Louis | 2 | at Detroit | 0 | |
Apr. 18 | St. Louis | 1 | at Detroit | 2 | |
Apr. 20 | Detroit | 3 | at St. Louis | 2 | |
Apr. 22 | Detroit | 0 | at St. Louis | 4 | |
Apr. 25 | St. Louis | 2 | at Detroit | 5 | |
Apr. 27 | Detroit | 3 | at St. Louis | 1 | |
Detroit won best-of-seven series 4-2 | |||||
Apr. 16 | Phoenix | 2 | at Anaheim | 4 | |
Apr. 18 | Phoenix | 2 | at Anaheim | 4 | |
Apr. 20 | Anaheim | 1 | at Phoenix | 4 | |
Apr. 22 | Anaheim | 0 | at Phoenix | 2 | |
Apr. 24 | Phoenix | 5 | at Anaheim | 2 | |
Apr. 27 | Anaheim | 3 | at Phoenix | 2 OT | |
Apr. 29 | Phoenix | 0 | at Anaheim | 3 | |
Anaheim won best-of-seven series 4-3 | |||||
CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS | |||||
May 2 | NY Rangers | 0 | at New Jersey | 2 | |
May 4 | NY Rangers | 2 | at New Jersey | 0 | |
May 6 | New Jersey | 2 | at NY Rangers | 3 | |
May 8 | New Jersey | 0 | at NY Rangers | 3 | |
May 11 | NY Rangers | 2 | at New Jersey | 1 OT | |
NY Rangers won best-of-seven series 4-1 | |||||
May 3 | Philadelphia | 5 | at Buffalo | 3 | |
May 5 | Philadelphia | 2 | at Buffalo | 1 | |
May 7 | Buffalo | 1 | at Philadelphia | 4 | |
May 9 | Buffalo | 5 | at Philadelphia | 4 OT | |
May 11 | Philadelphia | 6 | at Buffalo | 3 | |
Philadelphia won best-of-seven series 4-1 | |||||
May 2 | Edmonton | 1 | at Colorado | 5 | |
May 4 | Edmonton | 1 | at Colorado | 4 | |
May 7 | Colorado | 3 | at Edmonton | 4 | |
May 9 | Colorado | 3 | at Edmonton | 2 OT | |
May 11 | Edmonton | 3 | at Colorado | 4 | |
Colorado won best-of-seven series 4-1 | |||||
May 2 | Anaheim | 1 | at Detroit | 2 OT | |
May 4 | Anaheim | 2 | at Detroit | 3 3OT | |
May 6 | Detroit | 5 | at Anaheim | 3 | |
May 8 | Detroit | 3 | at Anaheim | 2 2OT | |
Detroit won best-of-seven series 4-0 | |||||
CONFERENCE FINALS | |||||
May 16 | NY Rangers | 1 | at Philadelphia | 3 | |
May 18 | NY Rangers | 5 | at Philadelphia | 4 | |
May 20 | Philadelphia | 6 | at NY Rangers | 3 | |
May 23 | Philadelphia | 3 | at NY Rangers | 2 | |
May 25 | NY Rangers | 2 | at Philadelphia | 4 | |
Philadelphia won best-of-seven series 4-1 | |||||
May 15 | Detroit | 1 | at Colorado | 2 | |
May 17 | Detroit | 4 | at Colorado | 2 | |
May 19 | Colorado | 1 | at Detroit | 2 | |
May 22 | Colorado | 0 | at Detroit | 6 | |
May 24 | Detroit | 0 | at Colorado | 6 | |
May 26 | Colorado | 1 | at Detroit | 3 | |
Detroit won best-of-seven series 4-2 | |||||
FINALS | |||||
May 31 | Detroit | 4 | at Philadelphia | 2 | |
June 3 | Detroit | 4 | at Philadelphia | 2 | |
June 5 | Philadelphia | 1 | at Detroit | 6 | |
June 7 | Philadelphia | 1 | at Detroit | 2 | |
Detroit won best-of-seven series 4-0 |