If the National Hockey League was interested in having a set of fresh faces (i.e., non-playoff teams from 2000) earn playoff berths in 2001 -- for the sake of variety or whatever -- then the set of teams which actually reached the 2001 playoffs had to be a disappointment. Of the sixteen NHL teams earning playoff berths in 2000, fourteen of those sixteen returned in 2001. The only changes from last year are Carolina (in lieu of long-ago eliminated Florida) and Vancouver (Phoenix was eliminated just before the final weekend). Since the NHL went to a best-of-7 Preliminary round format in 1987, the highest number of returning teams from one playoff season to the next was 15, in 1992 -- only Calgary did not return from the 1991 playoffs, and Winnipeg was the sole newcomer. The 14 returnees in 2001 tie the number of returnees in 1988 and 1995 for second place. The fewest number of NHL best-of-7 Preliminary round playoff returnees occurred in 1997 (10), when Buffalo, New Jersey, Ottawa, Dallas, Edmonton, and Anaheim supplanted Tampa Bay, Washington, Boston, Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary in the final sixteen (and in addition: The team that was Winnipeg in the 1996 playoffs became Phoenix in the 1997 playoffs.) With thirty teams now in the NHL, twelve of the fourteen playoff misses from 2000 missed once more in 2001. Of the newcomers, Vancouver had not been in the NHL playoffs since 1996 (when the newly-formed Colorado Avalanche eliminated Vancouver in the 1996 Prelim round), while Carolina had been absent since 1999, when Boston eliminated the Hurricanes in the 1999 Prelim round.

But the high number of returnees to the NHL playoffs is but a secondary reason that 2001 is the year of the rematch. The primary reason is the record number of rematches themselves. In 2001, six of the eight best-of-7 NHL Prelim round playoff series feature combatants who also squared off in the 2000 Prelim round: Toronto vs. Ottawa; Pittsburgh vs. Washington; Buffalo vs. Philadelphia; Los Angeles vs. Detroit; Edmonton vs. Dallas; San Jose vs. St. Louis. The six best-of-7 Prelim rematches in 2001 shatter the previous NHL Prelim round rematch total of three, set in 1989 and tied in 1991 and in 1993. Of course, in 1993 and before, the first two rounds in the NHL playoffs were Division Semifinals and Finals; now, they're Conference Quarterfinals and Semifinals. For context, note that there was but one rematch in the NHL 2000 Prelim round (Dallas vs. Edmonton), none in 1997-1999, one in the 1996 Prelim round (Washington vs. Pittsburgh), and two in the 1995 Prelim round (Toronto vs. Chicago, Washington vs. Pittsburgh).

The observant fan will note that 2001 brings us renewed rivalries such as Washington vs. Pittsburgh and Dallas vs. Edmonton. Less evident, perhaps, is the frequency with which these pairs of teams have played in Prelim round best-of-7 series. The year 2001 marks the fifteenth anniversary of the best-of-7 NHL Prelim round. In 1987-2001, inclusive, 120 best-of-7 Prelim series will have been played by the conclusion of the 2001 Prelim round action. Here are the most frequently occurring match-ups within those 120:
Pittsburgh-Washington, 6 times
Boston-Buffalo, 4 times
Buffalo-Philadelphia, 4 times
Dallas-Edmonton, 4 times
St. Louis-Toronto, 3 times
New Jersey-Pittsburgh, 3 times
Hartford-Montreal, 3 times
Edmonton-Los Angeles, 3 times
Chicago-St. Louis, 3 times
Calgary-Los Angeles, 3 times
19 pairings, 2 times
46 pairings, 1 time

For context, let us note that of the 426 NHL best-of-7 playoff series (any round) from 1939 through 2000, the most frequent match-up has pitted Boston vs. Montreal (22 times). Next are Detroit-Toronto (18 times), Montreal-Toronto (13 times), Chicago-Montreal (12), Chicago-Detroit (11), Montreal-N.Y. Rangers (10), Boston-Toronto (9), Detroit-Montreal (9), Chicago-St. Louis (7), Minnesota North Stars-St. Louis (7). Pittsburgh-Washington joins the Chicago-St. Louis and Minnesota-St. Louis pairings with its match-up in the 2001 NHL best-of-7 Prelim round, since the Penguins and Capitals have squared off six times in a best-of-7 Prelim round and once (1991) in a best-of-7 Qtrs round.

16 April 2001