Every 1987-88 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.
Edmonton Oilers won the 1987-88 title from a regular season record of 44-25-11. 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 | Calgary Flames | 4-1 in games | Los Angeles Kings | April 6 to April 12, 1988 |
| Division Semifinals | Montréal Canadiens | 4-2 in games | Hartford Whalers | April 6 to April 14, 1988 |
| Division Semifinals | Edmonton Oilers | 4-1 in games | Winnipeg Jets (1979) | April 6 to April 12, 1988 |
| Division Semifinals | Boston Bruins | 4-2 in games | Buffalo Sabres | April 6 to April 14, 1988 |
| Division Semifinals | Detroit Red Wings | 4-2 in games | Toronto Maple Leafs | April 6 to April 14, 1988 |
| Division Semifinals | New Jersey Devils | 4-2 in games | New York Islanders | April 6 to April 14, 1988 |
| Division Semifinals | Washington Capitals | 4-3 in games | Philadelphia Flyers | April 6 to April 16, 1988 |
| Division Semifinals | St. Louis Blues | 4-1 in games | Chicago Blackhawks | April 6 to April 12, 1988 |
| Division Finals | Edmonton Oilers | 4-0 in games | Calgary Flames | April 19 to April 25, 1988 |
| Division Finals | Boston Bruins | 4-1 in games | Montréal Canadiens | April 18 to April 26, 1988 |
| Division Finals | Detroit Red Wings | 4-1 in games | St. Louis Blues | April 19 to April 27, 1988 |
| Division Finals | New Jersey Devils | 4-3 in games | Washington Capitals | April 18 to April 30, 1988 |
| Conference Finals | Edmonton Oilers | 4-1 in games | Detroit Red Wings | May 3 to May 11, 1988 |
| Conference Finals | Boston Bruins | 4-3 in games | New Jersey Devils | May 2 to May 14, 1988 |
| Stanley Cup Final | Edmonton Oilers | 4-0 in games | Boston Bruins | May 18 to May 26, 1988 |
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