Schedule and 2002 Results
Regular Season Records: Philadelphia 42-27-10-3=97pts, Ottawa 39-27-9-7=94pts
Game 1 on Wednesday, 17 April: Ottawa loses at Philadelphia, 1-goal-nil (OT)
Game 2 on Saturday, 20 April: Ottawa wins at Philadelphia, 3-goals-nil
Game 3 on Monday, 22 April: Philadelphia loses at Ottawa, 3-goals-nil
Game 4 on Wednesday, 24 April: Philadelphia loses at Ottawa, 3-goals-nil
Game 5 on Friday, 26 April: Ottawa wins at Philadelphia, 2-goals-1 (OT)

SERIES NOTES: Post Game 5 and series assessment: Ottawa wins Game 5 vs. Philadelphia 2-goals-1 in OT to eliminate the Flyers, 4-games-1. Ottawa improves its best-of-7 Prelim-round Game 5 record to 2-2 (2-2 on the road), while the Philadelphia best-of-7 Prelim-round Game 5 record becomes 7-4 (6-2 at home). The Ottawa best-of-7 series record is now 2-5 overall (2-4 in the Preliminary round), while that of Philadelphia is now 28-22 overall (6-5 in the Preliminary round). A total of 13 goals were scored in the series, tying a record for fewest goals scored in an NHL best-of-7 playoff series set by Detroit and Montreal in the 1952 NHL Finals, and tied by Toronto and Ottawa in their 2001 Preliminary round series. Philadelphia scored no goals on the road in this series, tying a best-of-7 futility record set by Toronto in the 1952 Semifinals and tied by Montreal in the 1952 Finals, Toronto in the 1969 Quarterfinals, and the New York Islanders in the 1994 Preliminary round. Overall, Philadelphia scored only two goals in the series, tying a 50-year-old best-of-7 series futility mark set by Montreal in 1952. The LWWWW win by Ottawa is the 5th such win in best-of-7 NHL Preliminary round play, the 25th in all best-of-7 NHL play, and the 39th overall. Post Game 4 assessment: Having suffered its third consecutive 3-goals-nil shutout by Ottawa, Philadelphia has two favorable precedents for winning the series (neither of which are from the NHL): In best-of-7 series 227, the NBA Los Angeles Lakers opened its 1970 NBA Qtrs series vs. Phoenix WLLL@HHVV, but won three straight to take the series. In best-of-7 series 721, the MLB Atlanta Braves did the same vs. St. Louis in the 1996 MLB Semis (National League Championship Series). Ottawa's best-of-7 Prelim-round Game 4 record is now 4-2 (4-0 at home, tying the old Minnesota North Stars for an NHL-tops best-of-7 Prelim-round Game 4 record at home), Philadelphia's best-of-7 Prelim-round Game 4 record is now 5-6 (2-6 on the road). When trailing a best-of-7 series 3-games-1, the Philadelphia series record is 0-11; Ottawa is 1-0 (the 1998 Prelim round) when leading a best-of-7 series 3-games-1. Aside from their game-winning OT goal in Game 1, Philadelphia has yet to score or hold a lead in this series. Post Game 3 assessment: With its win in Game 3, Ottawa improves its best-of-7 Prelim-round Game 3 record to 3-3 (3-1 at home), while that of Philadelphia falls to 5-6 (4-4 on the road). Ottawa becomes only the third NHL or MLB team to hold an opponent to only one goal or run through the first three games of a best-of-7 series. The previous two teams to do so were the NHL New Jersey Devils (vs. Carolina in the 2001 Preliminary round) and the NHL New York Rangers (vs. the Islanders in the 1994 Preliminary round). The 1945 Stanley Cup Finals saw Toronto shut out Detroit in the first three games, only to lose to Detroit in Games 4-6 (by shutout in Games 4-5) before finally winning Game 7, the series, and the Cup. This series also becomes only the third best-of-7 series ever (after the 1945 Stanley Cup Finals and the 1905 World Series) in which each of the first three games ended in a shutout. Ottawa is 1-0 when leading a best-of-7 series 2-games-1; Philadelphia is 6-13 when trailing a best-of-7 series 2-games-1. In 441 best-of-7 NHL playoff series from 1939 through 2001, and in 125 best-of-7 MLB playoff series from 1905 through 2001, not once had a team lost Game 1 and then won by shutout in Games 2 and 3. Now, it has happened twice, on back-to-back nights, with St. Louis accomplishing the feat on Sunday 21 April 2002, and with Ottawa accomplishing it tonight. Post Game 2 assessment: Ottawa ends its best-of-7 playoff game losing streak at seven games with its 3-goals-nil shutout of Philadelphia. After two games in this series, Philadelphia has tallied just one goal, but has become the first NHL team ever to score only one goal in its first two games AND win one of the two. Philadelphia's best-of-7 Prelim-round Game 2 record falls to 6-5 (5-3 at home); Ottawa's best-of-7 Prelim-round Game 2 record improves to 2-4 (2-2 on the road). Post Game 1 assessment: Ottawa begins the 2002 playoffs as it began the 2001 playoffs . . . by losing 1-goal-nil in overtime. Last year, the loss was at home against Toronto; this year, the loss is in Philadelphia. Ottawa's 2001 and 2002 Preliminary rounds are the only two best-of-7 NHL playoff series in which Game 1 ended 1-goal-nil in overtime. From 1939 through 2001, NHL teams winning a best-of-7 Game 1 by a 1-goal-nil tally had a 7-1 series record, but the single loss was posted last year by the Washington Capitals in the 2001 Preliminary round. Pre-series assessment: Philadelphia finished 3 points ahead of Ottawa in the 2001-02 regular season standings. From 1939 through 2001, when NHL best-of-7 opponents were separated by 3 regular-season points, the better regular-season team has gone on to post a 9-9 (.500) best-of-7 series record in that series against that opponent.