Playoff Bracket
| Conference Quarterfinals | Conference Semifinals | Conference Finals | Stanley Cup Finals | |||||||||||||||
| 1 | Boston Bruins | 4 | 1 | Boston Bruins | 3 | |||||||||||||
| 8 | Montreal Canadiens | 0 | 6 | Carolina Hurricanes | 4 |
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| 2 | Washington Capitals | 4 | Eastern Conference | |||||||||||||||
| 7 | New York Rangers | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Carolina Hurricanes | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 | New Jersey Devils | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Carolina Hurricanes | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 4 | 2 | Washington Capitals | 3 | |||||||||||||
| 5 | Philadelphia Flyers | 2 | 4 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 4 |
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| E4 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| W2 | Detroit Red Wings | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 | San Jose Sharks | 2 | 2 | Detroit Red Wings | 4 | |||||||||||||
| 8 | Anaheim Ducks | 4 | 8 | Anaheim Ducks | 3 | |||||||||||||
| 2 | Detroit Red Wings | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Columbus Blue Jackets | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Detroit Red Wings | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Chicago Blackhawks | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Vancouver Canucks | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| 6 | St. Louis Blues | 0 | Western Conference | |||||||||||||||
| 4 | Chicago Blackhawks | 4 | 3 | Vancouver Canucks | 2 | |||||||||||||
| 5 | Calgary Flames | 2 | 4 | Chicago Blackhawks | 4 | |||||||||||||
- During the first three rounds home ice is determined by seeding number, not position on the bracket. In the Finals the team with the better regular season record has home ice.
In each round, the highest remaining seed in each conference is matched against the lowest remaining seed. The higher-seeded team is awarded home ice advantage, which gives them a possible maximum of four games on their home ice, with the lower-seeded team getting a possible maximum of three. In the Stanley Cup Finals, home ice is determined based on regular season points. Thus, the Detroit Red Wings had home ice advantage in the Stanley Cup Finals. Each best-of-seven series followed a 2–2–1–1–1 format. This means that the higher-seeded team had home ice for games one and two and if necessary, five and seven, while the lower-seeded team had home ice for games three, four, and if necessary, game six.
Read more about this topic: 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs