defending Stanley

Despite being underdogs against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Edmonton Oilers in the Smythe Division semifinals, Gretzky led the Kings to a shocking upset of his old squad, spearheading the Kings ' return from a 3 – 1 series deficit to win the series 4 – 3.

The team would now be playing right in the middle of the New York – New Jersey – Connecticut tri-state area, home to the three-time defending Stanley Cup champion New York Islanders, as well as the very popular New York Rangers.

In the third round of the playoffs, the Islanders nearly did it again, rallying from another 3 – 0 deficit to force a seventh game against the defending Stanley Cup champion Philadelphia Flyers before the Flyers took the decisive seventh game at home and went on to win the Stanley Cup.

Though they defeated the defending Stanley Cup Champion Oilers in Game 1 by a score of 4 – 1 at home, Edmonton won the next four games and the series.

The Flyers then defeated the defending Stanley Cup Champion Canadiens in a fiery six game series ( notable for a famous bench-clearing brawl during the Game 6 warmup ) to win the Wales Conference and return to the Stanley Cup Finals.

After dispatching Buffalo in five and sweeping the defending Stanley Cup champion Rangers, the Flyers were upset in the Eastern Conference Finals to the eventual Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils in six games.

Primeau led the Flyers past the defending Stanley Cup Champion Devils in five, and Toronto in six on their way to the Eastern Conference Finals and a match-up with Tampa Bay.

In their fourth season, 1995 – 96, with Bradley still leading the team in scoring, second-year forward Alexander Selivanov scoring a total of 31 goals, and Roman Hamrlik ( the team's first-ever draft choice except those drafted in the expansion draft two days earlier ( Wendel Young being the first ever Lightning ) in 1992 ) having an All-Star year on defense, the Lightning finally qualified for the playoffs, nosing out the defending Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference by a single game.

However, they were swept four games to none by the Mario Lemieux-led defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins ( who, in sweeping the Blackhawks, tied the record Chicago had set only days before ).

The 2007 – 08 season, the club's first full season under Hitchcock, started off well as the Jackets got off to their best start in franchise history, starting with a 4 – 0 shutout of the defending Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks.

They advanced all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals ( losing only once in the process ) before getting swept by defending Stanley Cup Champions the New York Islanders.

In the first round, the Ducks were once again matched up with the Red Wings, the defending Stanley Cup Champions.

The forum was packed with 11, 000 fans, in a building whose capacity was listed at 10, 000, to watch the Canadiens defeat the defending Stanley Cup champions.

It marked the second time in league history that a team eliminated the defending Stanley Cup champion in four straight games in the first round.

The format of the All-Star Game, which remained the same, with two exceptions, until the 1967 – 68 NHL season, called for the defending Stanley Cup champions to play against a selection of players from the other five teams.

He also won his fifth Jennings Trophy and had the third-best GAA in the league, leading his team to back-to-back division wins that included a 6 – 0 regular-season sweep of the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins.

* In his rookie season, Steve Smith, an NHL defenceman, accidentally scored on his own net against the defending Stanley Cup champion Edmonton Oilers in the 1986 NHL Divisional Finals.

Along the way, the Islanders defeated the Washington Capitals and upset the two time defending Stanley Cup champions Pittsburgh Penguins.

Turco recorded 32 wins in the 2007 – 08 season, and helped the Stars to playoff wins over the defending Stanley Cup champions Anaheim Ducks and the San Jose Sharks, before losing in six games to the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference Finals.

After the season, Tippett became a free agent, and on August 25, 1992, he signed a contract with the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions Pittsburgh Penguins.

In the playoffs, Dallas defeated the defending Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks in six games in the first round, followed by another six game series victory over the San Jose Sharks in the second round.

Facing the defending Stanley Cup champions and second-seeded Detroit Red Wings in the opening round, Giguère set an NHL record for most saves by a goaltender in their playoff debut with 63 in the Mighty Ducks ' 2 – 1 triple overtime win in game one ( surpassing Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Jiří Crha's mark by two saves ).

Expectations were high for the defending Stanley Cup champions, but Montreal's other NHL team, the Montreal Maroons, were too strong for Victoria handily beating them three games to one and out scoring them 10 to 3.

However, the team faltered in the postseason and was eliminated in the first round by the defending Stanley Cup champion New York Rangers.

He would continue coaching the 67's until 1984, when he became an assistant coach with the defending Stanley Cup champions, New York Islanders of the NHL.