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2003 Playoffs |
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<you are here> 2003 Conference Finals (3rd round) <you are here> |
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Playoffs From Previous Years |
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***click here for recaps on all series of the 2002 Stanley Cup Playoffs*** |
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***click here for recaps on all series of the 2001 Stanley Cup Playoffs*** |
"THE FINAL FOUR"
Two teams remain in each conference
TWO EASTERN TEAMS-Ottawa Senators, New Jersey Devils
TWO WESTERN TEAMS-Minnesota Wild, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
The Conference Finals start Saturday with the Devils vs. Senators and Wild vs. Ducks on ESPN and ABC. The Devils are the only team out of the four remaining teams that has ever won the Stanley Cup, they are actually the only team that has ever been to the Conference Finals let alone the Stanley Cup Finals.. They are also the oldest team. The Senators and Ducks came in the 1990s and the Wild entered the league in 2000. In the East Ottawa is the top seeded team and won the Presidents Trophy for best regular season record overall in the NHL. The Devils are the second seeded team and the 2003 Atlantic Division champions. The Ducks and Wild are not at the top two but closer to the bottom two. The Wild are #6 in the West and the Ducks are #7. 2003 is the first time since 1994 that the #1 and #2 team will play each other in the Eastern Conference Finals. In 1994, the #1 New York Rangers defeated the #2 New Jersey Devils in a double OT Game 7. But the last time the Rangers even made the playoffs was 1997 so that doesn't matter.
2003 Playoffs W-L Records for the Final Four (after 1st two rounds of the playoffs)
| Team | Games Played | Wins | Losses |
| New Jersey | 10 | 8 | 2 |
| Anaheim | 10 | 8 | 2 |
| Ottawa | 11 | 8 | 3 |
| Minnesota | 14 | 8 | 6 |
(scroll down for 2003 Conference Finals stats)
Eastern Conference Finals (round 3 of 4)
#1
Ottawa Senators
vs. #2 New Jersey Devils
Devils win series 4-3
Senators regular season record: 52-21-8-1=113 pts. (Northeast Division Champions)
Devils regular season record: 46-20-10-6=108 pts. (Atlantic Division Champions)
Predicted Winner: Devils in seven Final Result: Devils in seven
The Devils are the 2003 Eastern Conference Champions
New Jersey-------Sixth appearance in Conference Final in franchise history. The Devils have lost two of their previous Conference Final series ('88 & '94) and won three of them ('95, '00, & '01). Other than Carolina in 2001, the Devils are the only team to win the Eastern Conference final in the new century and are the only Stanley Cup Champion from the Eastern Conference since 1995. Ottawa will be the Devils first true challenge in the 2003 playoffs as they have gotten off easy with #7 Boston in the first round and #3 Tampa Bay in the second.
-Grant
Marshall scored the Devils' Game 5 triple OT game-winning goal to bring New
Jersey into the Conference Finals for the third time since 2000.
Ottawa----------First Conference Final appearance in franchise history. Finished first overall in the NHL in 2002-03 for the first time ever. Ottawa will have home-ice advantage versus New Jersey and have had a tougher road through the playoffs than the Devils. Defeated #8 New York I. 4-1 in first round and #4 Philadelphia 4-2 in second round.
-The
Senators eliminated the New York Islanders & the powerful Philadelphia
Flyers on their way to their first Eastern Conference Final.
Ottawa/New Jersey---The Devils and Senators have faced each other once in the Stanley Cup Playoffs before. In 1998, the Senators surprised everyone by defeating the top seeded Devils 4-2 as the eighth seed in the first round.
2002-03 Season Series between Senators & Devils |
10/10/02: Devils 2 at Senators 1 12/14/02: Devils 3 at Senators 4 (OT) 12/18/02: Senators 3 at Devils 0 02/19/03: Senators 5 at Devils 3 |
Series Schedule & Scores-Eastern Conference Finals-#1 Ottawa vs. #2 New Jersey
Game
s highlighted in yellow will only be played if necessary| Game | Date | Location | Time (Eastern) | Nat'l TV | Final Score |
| Game 1 | 5/10 | Ottawa | 7:00 | ESPN2 | Senators 3, Devils 2 (OT) |
| Game 2 | 5/13 | Ottawa | 8:00 | ESPN | Devils 4, Senators 1 |
| Game 3 | 5/15 | New Jersey | 7:00 | ESPN | Devils 1, Senators 0 |
| Game 4 | 5/17 | New Jersey | 3:00 | ABC | Devils 5, Senators 2 |
| Game 5 | 5/19 | Ottawa | 7:00 | ESPN | Senators 3, Devils 1 |
| Game 6 | 5/21 | New Jersey | 7:00 | ESPN | Senators 2, Devils 1 (OT) |
| Game 7 | 5/23 | Ottawa | 7:00 | ESPN | Devils 3, Senators 2 |
Western Conference Finals (round 3 of 4)
#6 Minnesota Wild
vs.
#7 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim 
Mighty Ducks win series 4-0
Wild regular season record: 42-29-10-1=95 pts.
Mighty Ducks regular season record: 40-27-9-6=95 pts.
Predicted Winner: Wild in seven Final Result: Ducks in Four
(left) Paul Kariya accepts the Clarence Campbell Bowl, awarded to the Western Conference Champion (right) Ducks celebrate after scoring their game winner in Anaheim to sweep Minnesota
After giving up one goal in the series, the seventh seeded Mighty Ducks who barley made the playoffs completed their second sweep of this playoff year and head to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time ever. The Ducks have a 12-2 record in the 2003 playoffs so far.
Minnesota----The Minnesota Wild are making their first playoff appearance in their three year history. The Wild have trailed each of their two previous series this year 3 games to 1 and have comeback to win both of them, they have become the first team in NHL history to accomplish such a feat twice in the same year. The Wild have been playing excellent all year and with a victory over Anaheim which is very possible, the Wild can become the youngest team to ever make it to the Stanley Cup Finals.
-The
Wild have been playing spectacular in just their third season of existence
Anaheim-------The Mighty Ducks have advanced to the Western Conference Final for the first time in their ten year history. Since the Anaheim started playing in the 1992-93 season they only played in three series and only won just one of those three before this season. The Ducks have proved they are nothing to laugh about as they have come this far as a #7 team. The worst is over for now for Anaheim. Unless they make it to the Stanley Cup Finals, which at this point seems very possible, they have faced their biggest challenge of the playoffs in Detroit and Dallas. A victory in this round would mean they would have just one more huge challenge to face in Ottawa or New Jersey before they shock everyone.
-The
Mighty Ducks celebrate after they upset Dallas in their Western Conference
Semifinal
Series
Minnesota/Anaheim-----Both these teams have overcome huge challenges to get to where they stand today. Neither the Wild or the Ducks were expected to make it past the first round. The Mighty Ducks shocked everyone when they swept the second seeded defending champion Detroit Red Wings in the first round and then eliminated the top seeded Dallas Stars in six games in the second round. This is the furthest that both of these teams have ever made it in the playoffs. The Wild have won two series in their extremely short history (both victories came this year) and the Ducks have won three, two this year and one in 1997.
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2002-03 Season Series between Wild & Mighty Ducks |
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11/10/02: Wild 0 at Ducks 1 12/31/02: Ducks 1 at Wild 4 01/18/03: Ducks 1 at Wild 0 01/20/03: Wild 2 at Ducks 1 (OT) |
Series Scores-Western Conference Finals-#6 Minnesota vs. #7 Anaheim
| Game | Date | Location | Time (Eastern) | Nat'l TV | Final Score |
| Game 1 | 5/10 | Minnesota | 3:00 | ABC | Ducks 1, Wild 0 (2OT) |
| Game 2 | 5/12 | Minnesota | 7:30 | ESPN | Ducks 2, Wild 0 |
| Game 3 | 5/14 | Anaheim | 9:00 | ESPN | Ducks 4, Wild 0 |
| Game 4 | 5/16 | Anaheim | 10:30 | ESPN2 | Ducks 2, Wild 1 |
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Devils Previous Conference Finals Appearances |
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Series |
Year |
Opponent |
Result |
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Eastern Conference Finals |
2003 |
Ottawa Senators |
Devils defeated Ottawa in seven games |
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Eastern Conference Finals |
2001 |
Pittsburgh Penguins |
Devils defeated Pittsburgh in five games |
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Eastern Conference Finals |
2000 |
Philadelphia Flyers |
Devils defeated Flyers in seven games |
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Eastern Conference Finals |
1995 |
Philadelphia Flyers |
Devils defeated Flyers in six games |
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Eastern Conference Finals |
1994 |
New York Rangers |
defeated by Rangers in seven games |
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Wales Conference Finals |
1988 |
Boston Bruins |
defeated by Boston in seven games |
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Senators Previous Conference Finals Appearances |
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Series |
Year |
Opponent |
Result |
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Eastern Conference Finals |
2003 |
New Jersey Devils |
defeated by New Jersey in seven games |
