2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs

The 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs of the National Hockey League (NHL) began on April 14, 2010, after the 2009–10 NHL regular season and ended on June 9, 2010, with the Chicago Blackhawks defeating the Philadelphia Flyers in six games to win their fourth championship and their first since 1961.

Blackhawks center and team captain Jonathan Toews was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs' most valuable player.

This NHL post-season was noted for the unexpected playoff successes of two teams, the Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens who were the seventh and eighth seeds in their conference and were tied for points.

The Flyers became the third NHL team to win a seven game series after being down 3–0 (the others being the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and the 1975 New York Islanders).

The Flyers went on to play in the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals, losing to Chicago. Meanwhile, the Canadiens became the first eighth-seeded team in NHL history to win a series against the first-seeded team after being down 3–1 in a series, when they beat the Washington Capitals in the first round.

After upsetting the defending Cup champions Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round, the Canadiens became the first eighth-seeded team to compete in the Eastern Conference Finals since the current playoff format was implemented in 1994.

Previously, only the eighth-seeded 2006 Edmonton Oilers had accomplished a similar feat, winning the 2006 Western Conference Finals.

As a result of the Canadiens having the eighth seed, the Flyers became the first seventh-seed to have home-ice advantage in the conference finals since the current playoff format was instituted.

During the 2010 playoffs, 18 games went to overtime.