Every 1988-89 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.
Calgary Flames won the 1988-89 title from a regular season record of 54-17-9. 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 | 4-3 in games | Vancouver Canucks | April 5 to April 15, 1989 |
| Division Semifinals | Montréal Canadiens | 4-0 in games | Hartford Whalers | April 5 to April 9, 1989 |
| Division Semifinals | Philadelphia Flyers | 4-2 in games | Washington Capitals | April 5 to April 13, 1989 |
| Division Semifinals | Los Angeles Kings | 4-3 in games | Edmonton Oilers | April 5 to April 15, 1989 |
| Division Semifinals | Boston Bruins | 4-1 in games | Buffalo Sabres | April 5 to April 11, 1989 |
| Division Semifinals | Pittsburgh Penguins | 4-0 in games | New York Rangers | April 5 to April 9, 1989 |
| Division Semifinals | Chicago Blackhawks | 4-2 in games | Detroit Red Wings | April 5 to April 13, 1989 |
| Division Semifinals | St. Louis Blues | 4-1 in games | Minnesota North Stars | April 5 to April 11, 1989 |
| Division Finals | Calgary Flames | 4-0 in games | Los Angeles Kings | April 18 to April 24, 1989 |
| Division Finals | Montréal Canadiens | 4-1 in games | Boston Bruins | April 17 to April 25, 1989 |
| Division Finals | Philadelphia Flyers | 4-3 in games | Pittsburgh Penguins | April 17 to April 29, 1989 |
| Division Finals | Chicago Blackhawks | 4-1 in games | St. Louis Blues | April 18 to April 26, 1989 |
| Conference Finals | Calgary Flames | 4-1 in games | Chicago Blackhawks | May 2 to May 10, 1989 |
| Conference Finals | Montréal Canadiens | 4-2 in games | Philadelphia Flyers | May 1 to May 11, 1989 |
| Stanley Cup Final | Calgary Flames | 4-2 in games | Montréal Canadiens | May 14 to May 25, 1989 |
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