Every 1990-91 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.
Pittsburgh Penguins won the 1990-91 title from a regular season record of 41-33-6. 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 | Minnesota North Stars | 4-2 in games | Chicago Blackhawks | April 4 to April 14, 1991 |
| Division Semifinals | St. Louis Blues | 4-3 in games | Detroit Red Wings | April 4 to April 16, 1991 |
| Division Semifinals | Los Angeles Kings | 4-2 in games | Vancouver Canucks | April 4 to April 14, 1991 |
| Division Semifinals | Boston Bruins | 4-2 in games | Hartford Whalers | April 3 to April 13, 1991 |
| Division Semifinals | Edmonton Oilers | 4-3 in games | Calgary Flames | April 4 to April 16, 1991 |
| Division Semifinals | Montréal Canadiens | 4-2 in games | Buffalo Sabres | April 3 to April 13, 1991 |
| Division Semifinals | Pittsburgh Penguins | 4-3 in games | New Jersey Devils | April 3 to April 15, 1991 |
| Division Semifinals | Washington Capitals | 4-2 in games | New York Rangers | April 3 to April 13, 1991 |
| Division Finals | Minnesota North Stars | 4-2 in games | St. Louis Blues | April 18 to April 28, 1991 |
| Division Finals | Edmonton Oilers | 4-2 in games | Los Angeles Kings | April 18 to April 28, 1991 |
| Division Finals | Boston Bruins | 4-3 in games | Montréal Canadiens | April 17 to April 29, 1991 |
| Division Finals | Pittsburgh Penguins | 4-1 in games | Washington Capitals | April 17 to April 25, 1991 |
| Conference Finals | Pittsburgh Penguins | 4-2 in games | Boston Bruins | May 1 to May 11, 1991 |
| Conference Finals | Minnesota North Stars | 4-1 in games | Edmonton Oilers | May 2 to May 10, 1991 |
| Stanley Cup Final | Pittsburgh Penguins | 4-2 in games | Minnesota North Stars | May 15 to May 25, 1991 |
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