The 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 15, 2009, after the 2008–09 regular season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference (the winner of each of the three divisions plus the five teams with highest point totals from the teams remaining), play a best-of-seven series for the conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the conference champions will play a best-of-seven series for the Stanley Cup. The Columbus Blue Jackets made their first appearance in the playoffs in their nine-year history. Previously they had been the only franchise to have not made the playoffs. Also, home teams set a record by going 13-2 in the openers of all the series combined. There were no playoff games played in the Province of Ontario as this was the first time that the modern Ottawa Senators and the Toronto Maple Leafs both missed the playoffs in the same year.
The Finals ended on June 12, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Penguins defeating the Detroit Red Wings four games to three to win the championship. They became just the second team, after the 1971 Montreal Canadiens, to win the championship after losing the first two games of the series on the road.
Read more about 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Playoff Seeds, Playoff Bracket, Conference Semi-finals, Stanley Cup Finals, See Also
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