Every 1985-86 NHL playoff series, three ways: the season race carried on into the postseason, who beat their seeding, and the bracket.
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The same race these clubs ran all season, carried on through the postseason on one scale and on real dates.
Where each club finished the season against how far it went, ranked on record rather than seed.
Who played whom, round by round, which no line chart can say.
Montréal Canadiens won the 1985-86 title from a regular season record of 40-33-7. 16 teams reached the playoffs and the bracket ran 4 rounds. Every series below is taken from the NHL API; nothing on this page is estimated.
| Round | Won by | Result | Opponent | Played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division Semifinals | Edmonton Oilers | 3-0 in games | Vancouver Canucks | April 9 to April 12, 1986 |
| Division Semifinals | New York Rangers | 3-2 in games | Philadelphia Flyers | April 9 to April 15, 1986 |
| Division Semifinals | Washington Capitals | 3-0 in games | New York Islanders | April 9 to April 12, 1986 |
| Division Semifinals | Hartford Whalers | 3-0 in games | Quebec Nordiques | April 9 to April 12, 1986 |
| Division Semifinals | Calgary Flames | 3-0 in games | Winnipeg Jets (1979) | April 9 to April 12, 1986 |
| Division Semifinals | Montréal Canadiens | 3-0 in games | Boston Bruins | April 9 to April 12, 1986 |
| Division Semifinals | Toronto Maple Leafs | 3-0 in games | Chicago Blackhawks | April 9 to April 12, 1986 |
| Division Semifinals | St. Louis Blues | 3-2 in games | Minnesota North Stars | April 9 to April 15, 1986 |
| Division Finals | Calgary Flames | 4-3 in games | Edmonton Oilers | April 18 to April 30, 1986 |
| Division Finals | New York Rangers | 4-2 in games | Washington Capitals | April 17 to April 27, 1986 |
| Division Finals | Montréal Canadiens | 4-3 in games | Hartford Whalers | April 17 to April 29, 1986 |
| Division Finals | St. Louis Blues | 4-3 in games | Toronto Maple Leafs | April 18 to April 30, 1986 |
| Conference Finals | Calgary Flames | 4-3 in games | St. Louis Blues | May 2 to May 14, 1986 |
| Conference Finals | Montréal Canadiens | 4-1 in games | New York Rangers | May 1 to May 9, 1986 |
| Stanley Cup Final | Montréal Canadiens | 4-1 in games | Calgary Flames | May 16 to May 24, 1986 |
The left column ranks this field by regular season record, not by seed number: seeding rules differ by era, so this site uses records everywhere instead. The right column groups clubs by the round they went out in, which is not the same as the number of rounds they won, because a bye carries a club further without it winning anything. The figure beside a name is places moved between the two columns, and part of it is only where a club sat inside its band. Nothing here is a prediction. The data notes carry the whole method.
The races that filled this bracket: Norris Smythe Adams Patrick