Schedule and 2007 Results
Regular Season Records: Vancouver 49-26-7=105pts, Dallas 50-25-7=107pts
Game 1 on Wednesday, 11 April: Dallas loses at Vancouver, 5-goals-4 (4OT)
Game 2 on Friday, 13 April: Dallas wins at Vancouver, 2-goals-nil
Game 3 on Sunday, 15 April: Vancouver wins at Dallas, 2-goals-1 (OT)
Game 4 on Tuesday, 17 April: Vancouver wins at Dallas, 2-goals-1
Game 5 on Thursday, 19 April: Dallas wins at Vancouver, 1-goal-nil
Game 6 on Saturday, 21 April: Vancouver loses at Dallas, 2-goals-nil
Game 7 on Monday, 23 April: Dallas loses at Vancouver, 4-goals-1

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 7: In what has become the third-longest best-of-7 NHL playoff series ever in terms of minutes and seconds actually played, the Vancouver Canucks hosted and defeated the Dallas Stars 4-goals-1 to win best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 996 in seven games. With the series 996 win, the Vancouver Canucks improve their best-of-7 NHL playoff series record to 10-13 overall and 6-6 in the Preliminary round. With the series 996 loss, the Dallas Stars see their best-of-7 NHL playoff series record fall to 12-10 overall and 6-5 in the Preliminary round. The win order by the victorious Vancouver Canucks was WLWWLLW: Series 996 thus becomes the second NHL Preliminary-round series, the sixth NHL series (all rounds), and the 12th MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow such a win order. The total time of series 996 was 512 minutes 15 seconds, making it the third-longest best-of-7 NHL playoff series ever, behind series 32 (Boston Bruins vs. New York Rangers in the 1939 NHL Semifinals - the first full-fledged best-of-7 NHL playoff series) at 553 minutes 8 seconds, and series 876 (Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Philadelphia Flyers in the 2003 NHL Preliminary round) at 532 minutes 5 seconds.

After Game 6: The Dallas Stars shut out the Vancouver Canucks 2-goals-nil to knot best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 996 at 3-games-all. The Game 7 record for the Dallas Stars is 2-1, while that for the Vancouver Canucks is 4-4. Thrice before in best-of-7 NHL playoff series from 1939 through 2006 had teams (such as Dallas) trailed 3-games-1 but won Games 5-6 by shutout: Such teams sport a 1-2 Game 7 record.

After Game 5: Scoring the game's only goal 6:22 into the first overtime period, the visiting Dallas Stars defeated the Vancouver Canucks 1-goal-nil, thereby narrowing the Vancouver best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 996 lead to 3-games-2. When leading a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Vancouver Canucks have a series record of 2-1 and a Game 6 record of 1-2. When trailing a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Dallas Stars have a series record of 1-4 and a Game 6 record of 2-3. Series 996 Game 5 thus becomes the 28th best-of-7 format NHL game to end 1-goal-nil in overtime, and the 13th such game to end with the visiting team tallying the goal. Once before had the Dallas Stars won a best-of-7 format NHL playoff game 1-goal-nil on road ice, in series 812 Game 5 in New Jersey vs. the Devils in the 2000 NHL Finals (New Jersey then won Game 6 and the 2000 NHL championship).

After Game 4: The Vancouver Canucks visited and defeated the Dallas Stars 2-goals-1 to take a 3-games-1 lead in best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 996. When leading a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 3-games-1, the Vancouver Canucks have a series record of 5-1 and a Game 5 record of 4-2. When trailing a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 3-games-1, the Dallas Stars have a series record of 0-7 and a Game 5 record of 3-4. The sole series loss by Vancouver upon having led 3-games-1 occurred in series 884, when the Minnesota Wild achieved a comeback victory in their 2003 NHL Quarterfinals series: Minnesota, in which Dallas played as the Minnesota North Stars before moving to Texas, thus offers a favorable precedent for the Stars that is completely lacking in Dallas Stars history.

After Game 3: Texas is the site for Games 3-4 of best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 996, but it was the visiting Vancouver Canucks vanquishing the host Dallas Stars 2-goals-1 in Game 3, air-freighting in the winning goal at 7:47 into overtime. When leading a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Vancouver Canucks have a 6-4 series record (albeit with a three-series losing streak) and a 6-4 Game 4 record. When trailing 2-games-1, the Dallas Stars have a 2-6 series record and a 3-5 Game 4 record. The last three Vancouver series losses incurred upon the Canucks' taking a 2-games-1 series lead: series 852 (to the Detroit Red Wings in the 2002 NHL Preliminary round); series 884 (to the Minnesota Wild in the 2003 NHL Quarterfinals -- Vancouver had led that series 3-games-1); series 912 (to the Calgary Flames in the 2004 NHL Preliminary round).

After Game 2: Rebounding from their quadruple-overtime Game 1 loss on road ice, the Dallas Stars shut out the Canucks in Vancouver 2-goals-nil to even best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 996 at 1-game-all. When tied 1-game-all in a best-of-7 NHL playoff series, the Vancouver Canucks have a series record of 7-9 with an active two-series losing streak, and a Game 3 record of 7-9, while the Dallas Stars have a series record of 6-3 with a two-series winning streak, and a Game 3 record of 4-5. Series 996 Game 2 was the first best-of-7 format NHL playoff game in which the first goal occurred in the first minute of the first period, and the second goal occurred in the first minute of the second period. Only once before in a best-of-7 NHL playoff series had a team (such as the Dallas Stars in series 996) lost Game 1 in the second overtime or beyond, but won Game 2 by a shutout: In series 663 in the 1994 NHL Semifinals (the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals), the New York Rangers lost Game 1 to the New Jersey Devils 15:23 into the second overtime, but shut out the Devils 4-goals-nil in Game 2 -- New York would go on to win series 663 in seven games and to defeat the Vancouver Canucks for the 1994 NHL championship.

After Game 1: The Vancouver Canucks hosted and defeated the Dallas Stars 5-goals-4 to take a 1-game-nil lead in best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 996. When leading a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Vancouver Canucks have a 5-7 series record (with an active 4-series losing streak) and a 3-9 Game 2 record. When trailing a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Dallas Stars have a 4-8 series record (with an active 3-series losing streak) and a 6-6 Game 2 record. The Dallas Stars are now 0-6 in Game 1 of their last six NHL playoff series. The Vancouver Canucks scored the winning goal of Game 1 at 18:06 into the fourth overtime -- that is the latest goal ever scored by a home team in a best-of-7 NHL playoff game. Series 996 Game 1 was the fourth-longest best-of-7 NHL playoff game played to date.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2006-07 regular season, Vancouver finished two points behind Dallas. From 1905 through the 2006 MLB Finals, when NHL teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by two regular-season points irrespective of Game 1 site, they have posted an 11-9 (.550) best-of-7 series record in those series against those opponents. Best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 996 is the 22nd best-of-7 playoff series for Dallas, and the 23rd for Vancouver. In best-of-7 playoff series, Dallas has a 12-9 series record (with an active three-series losing streak), a 6-4 Prelim-round series record, and a 9-12 Game 1 record (with an active five-Game 1 losing streak), while Vancouver has a 9-13 series record, a 5-6 Prelim-round record, and a 12-10 Game 1 record. Series 996 is the second best-of-7 meeting between Dallas and Vancouver: In best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 662, Vancouver defeated Dallas in the 1994 NHL Quarterfinals.