2011 Stanley Cup playoffs

2011 Stanley Cup playoffs

Tournament details
Dates	April 13 – June 15, 2011
Teams	16
Defending champions	Chicago Blackhawks
Final positions
Champions	Boston Bruins
Runner-up	Vancouver Canucks
Tournament statistics
Scoring leader(s)	David Krejci (Bruins) (23 points)
MVP	Tim Thomas (Bruins)
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The 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs was the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League (NHL) for the 2010–11 season. It began on April 13, 2011, after the conclusion of the regular season.^[1] The first game of the Finals between the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins was held on June 1, and Boston went on to capture their first Stanley Cup championship since 1972 (sixth overall) in the deciding seventh game on June 15.^[2]

The Canucks made the playoffs as the Presidents' Trophy winners with the most points (i.e. best record) during the regular season.^[3] The Detroit Red Wings increased their post-season appearance streak to twenty seasons, the longest active streak at the time. This was the most recent time that the Buffalo Sabres made the playoffs; and to date they hold the all-time record for the longest playoff appearance drought.^[4] This was also the last time that the Florida Panthers missed the playoffs during their 10-season drought, which was previously the all-time longest drought from the tournament. For the first time in NHL history, all three California-based teams, the Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, and Anaheim Ducks, made the playoffs. San Jose went on to the Western Conference Final, marking the fifth time in eight seasons that a California-based team did so.^[5]

This season marked the only time that all six division champions advanced to the second round, as the NHL has since reverted to a four-division alignment. For the first time in the history of major professional sports in North America, two different teams came back from a 3–0 deficit to tie a series, with the Chicago Blackhawks forcing game seven against the Vancouver Canucks in the first round, and the Detroit Red Wings doing the same against the San Jose Sharks in the second round (both lost). Previously, only the 1975 New York Islanders came back from two 3–0 series deficits in the same season (winning one).

By winning game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals, Boston became the first team to win three game sevens in one year, a feat that has since been matched by the 2014 Los Angeles Kings. They also became the second team in three seasons (and only the third team in NHL history) to win the Stanley Cup after losing the first two games of the Finals on the road. Vancouver remained the only team without a Stanley Cup to reach game seven of the Finals, as they also lost game seven of their previous Finals appearance in 1994.

Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player during the playoffs. Bruins forward David Krejci led all playoff scorers with 23 points in 25 games.