Every 1986-87 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 1986-87 title from a regular season record of 50-24-6. 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 | Edmonton Oilers | 4-1 in games | Los Angeles Kings | April 8 to April 14, 1987 |
| Division Semifinals | Philadelphia Flyers | 4-2 in games | New York Rangers | April 8 to April 16, 1987 |
| Division Semifinals | Winnipeg Jets (1979) | 4-2 in games | Calgary Flames | April 8 to April 16, 1987 |
| Division Semifinals | Quebec Nordiques | 4-2 in games | Hartford Whalers | April 8 to April 16, 1987 |
| Division Semifinals | Montréal Canadiens | 4-0 in games | Boston Bruins | April 8 to April 12, 1987 |
| Division Semifinals | New York Islanders | 4-3 in games | Washington Capitals | April 8 to April 18, 1987 |
| Division Semifinals | Toronto Maple Leafs | 4-2 in games | St. Louis Blues | April 8 to April 16, 1987 |
| Division Semifinals | Detroit Red Wings | 4-0 in games | Chicago Blackhawks | April 8 to April 12, 1987 |
| Division Finals | Edmonton Oilers | 4-0 in games | Winnipeg Jets (1979) | April 21 to April 27, 1987 |
| Division Finals | Philadelphia Flyers | 4-3 in games | New York Islanders | April 20 to May 2, 1987 |
| Division Finals | Montréal Canadiens | 4-3 in games | Quebec Nordiques | April 20 to May 2, 1987 |
| Division Finals | Detroit Red Wings | 4-3 in games | Toronto Maple Leafs | April 21 to May 3, 1987 |
| Conference Finals | Edmonton Oilers | 4-1 in games | Detroit Red Wings | May 5 to May 13, 1987 |
| Conference Finals | Philadelphia Flyers | 4-2 in games | Montréal Canadiens | May 4 to May 14, 1987 |
| Stanley Cup Final | Edmonton Oilers | 4-3 in games | Philadelphia Flyers | May 17 to May 31, 1987 |
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