In the division semifinals, the fourth
seeded team in each division played against the division winner from their division. The other series matched the second and third place teams from the divisions. The two winning teams from each division's semifinals then met in the division finals. The two division winners of each conference then played in the conference finals. The two conference winners then advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Home-ice advantage during the first two rounds was awarded to the team that had the better regular season record. Home-ice advantage for the conference finals had been determined by
coin flips prior to the start of the previous season. That event determined that home-ice advantage were granted to champions of the
Adams and
Smythe divisions this season. Similarly, a puck flip determined that home-ice advantage for the Stanley Cup finals would be granted to
Campbell Conference champion this season. Each division semifinals series was competed in a
best-of-five playoff following a 2–2–1 format (scores in the bracket indicate the number of games won in each series), with the team with home ice advantage playing at home for games one and two (and game five, if necessary), and the other team playing at home for game three (and game four, if necessary). In the other three rounds, each series was competed in a
best-of-seven playoff following a 2–2–1–1–1 format, with the team with home ice advantage playing at home for games one and two (and games five and seven, if necessary), and the other team playing at home for games three and four (and game six, if necessary). == Division semifinals ==