NHL playoffs in pictures: conference quarter-finals

Wednesday 11 April: The playoffs open with an astonishing comeback win for the Philadelphia Flyers against the fancied Pittsburgh Penguins. Here Jakub Voracek celebrates his overtime goal to seal a 4-3 victory after trailing 0-3. Photograph: Gene J. Puskar/AP Nashville left wing Gabriel Bourque celebrates his second goal of the game with teammate Nick Spaling as the Predators take a one-game advantage over the Detroit Red Wings Photograph: M. J. Masotti Jr./Reuters The Canucks entered the playoffs with the best regular season record in all of the NHL. But here Los Angeles center Jarret Stoll watches teammate Willie Mitchell's shot get past Vancouver Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo as the Kings win game one 4-2 in Vancouver. Photograph: Andy Clark/Reuters Thursday 12 April: A classic US vs Canada matchup allows politicians the chance to show their loyalty: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton holds a New York Rangers jersey as Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird holds an Ottawa Senators jersey following a meeting of the G8 foreign ministers at Blair House in Washington. New York won game one 4-2. Photograph: J. Scott Applewhite/AP The Boston Bruins and the Washington Capitals warm up before Game 1 of their NHL Eastern Conference quarter-final. The Bruins won 1-0 in overtime. Photograph: Brian Snyder/Reuters San Jose Sharks right wing Martin Havlat celebrates his game winning double-overtime goal against the St. Louis Blues with teammate Dan Boyle Photograph: Sarah Conard/Reuters Phoenix Coyotes' celebrate Taylor Pyatt's goal during a 3-2 overtime win against the Chicago Blackhawks. Photograph: Ross D. Franklin/AP Friday 13 April: Which team is at home? New Jersey fans celebrate during their game one victory over the Panthers in Florida Photograph: Rhona Wise/Reuters Pittsburgh goalie Marc-Andre Fleury lets in a goal by Philadelphia Flyers' Sean Couturier as the Penguins lose game two 8-5 Photograph: Jason Cohn/Reuters Detroit Red Wings defenseman Brad Stuart and Nashville Predators right wing Patric Hornqvist, of Sweden, sprawl on the ice after Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard blocked a shot. The Red Wings won 3-2 and tied the series Photograph: Mark Humphrey/AP Vancouver head coach Alain Vigneault feels the pressure as the fancied Canucks go 2-0 down in the series against the LA Kings Photograph: Andy Clark/Reuters Saturday 14 April: Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin dives for a puck ahead of Boston Bruins Dennis Seidenberg as the Capitals level the series with a 2-1 overtime win Photograph: Jessica Rinaldi/Reuters In game one of the series, Brian Boyle roughed up Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson after a whistle. Ottawa took their revenge in an early melee in Game two. The Senators went on to tie the series with a 3-2 overtime win. Photograph: Ray Stubblebine/Reuters St. Louis Blues' Vladimir Sobotka goes flying into the goal over San Jose Sharks goalie Antti Niemi. The Blues tied the series with a 3-0 win. Photograph: Jeff Roberson/AP Chicago Blackhawks left wing Bryan Bickell celebrates his overtime game winner against the Phoenix Coyotes. The series is tied 1-1 after Chicago's 4-3 victory. Photograph: Darryl Webb/Reuters Sunday 15 April: Detroit Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard and defenseman Niklas Kronwall defend their net against Nashville Predators center Mike Fisher. The Predators won 3-2 to take a 2-1 series lead. Photograph: Rebecca Cook/Reuters Fans of the Philadelphia Flyers feel confident in orange for Game 3 of their NHL Eastern Conference quarterfinal playoff hockey series against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Philadelphia. Photograph: Tim Shaffer/Reuters With Pittsburgh already two games down, tensions were running high and even Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby was drawn into the fighting, here tangling with Philadelphia Flyers' Claude Giroux. The Flyers won 8-4 to take a 3-0 series lead. Photograph: Tim Shaffer/Reuters Victory rats cover the ice following the Florida Panthers win against the New Jersey in their NHL Eastern conference quarterfinal playoff hockey game two in Sunrise, Florida. The Panthers won 4-2 to tie the series Photograph: Rhona Wise/Reuters Los Angeles right wing Dustin Brown scores a third period goal against Vancouver Canucks goalie Cory Schneider to give the Kings a 1-0 win and a 3-0 series lead. Photograph: DANNY MOLOSHOK/REUTERS Monday 16 April: Brian Boyle has been a key player for New York in the playoff series against the Ottawa Senators: he scored and fought in game one, scored and fought in game two, and then scored the only goal of game three. Rangers lead the series 2-1. Photograph: Blair Gable/Reuters Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas waits while arena staff replaces rink glass during Game 3 of the NHL Eastern Conference Hockey playoff quarter-finals against the Capitals in Washington. The Bruins won 4-3 and now lead the series 2-1. Thomas was taunted by home fans over his refusal to come to the White House earlier this season . Photograph: Larry Downing/Reuters St. Louis Blues goalie Brian Elliott is congratulated by teammates after defeating the Sharks 4-3 in Game 3 in San Jose. The Blues lead 2-1. Photograph: Robert Galbraith/Reuters Tuesday 17 April: Chicago Blackhawks' Marian Hossa is checked by Phoenix Coyotes' Raffi Torres and had to be taken from the ice on stretcher. Hossa was later released from hospital. For the third straight playoff between these teams overtime was needed. The Coyotes won 3-2 and lead the series 2-1. Photograph: Jim Young/Reuters Nashville Predators leftwing Gabriel Bourque scores against Detroit Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard. The Predators won 3-1 and lead the series 3-1. Photograph: Rebecca Cook/Reuters The Florida Panthers rallied from three goals down to beat the New Jersey Devils 4-3. Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur was replaced after the Panthers' third goal. Photograph: GARY HERSHORN/REUTERS Wednesday April 18: Pittsburgh stormed back into the series with a 10-3 victory. Here Jordan Staal scores a first period goal against Ilya Bryzgalov. Two Philadelphia Flyers goalies - Bryzgalov and replacement Sergei Bobrovzki - conceded five goals apiece. Back to Pittsburgh with the series now 3-1 to the Flyers. Photograph: Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images Ottawa' Chris Neil checks New York Rangers' Dan Girardi into the board as the Senators win again in overtime to tie the series 2-2. Photograph: Blair Gable/Reuters Vancouver center Maxim Lapierre cuts around the net to make a play on Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick as the Canucks finally win and give themselves hope. LA lead the series 3-1. Photograph: Danny Moloshok/Reuters Chris Kunitz upends Braydon Coburn as the Penguins keep their hopes alive in Game 5 Photograph: Jason Cohn/Reuters Nashville Predators players swarm round goaltender Pekka Rinne after clinching a 4-1 series victory over the Detroit Red WIngs and a place in the conference semi-finals Photograph: Mark Humphrey/AP The Washington Capitals' Troy Brouwer celebrates with teammate Marcus Johansson in Game 5. The Capitals lead the Bruins 3-2 Photograph: Brian Snyder/Reuters More of those hockey rats. Florida Panthers' Tomas Kopecky congratulates goalie Jose Theodore on his shutout against the Devils in Game 5 Photograph: Rhona Wise/Reuters Ottawa' Jason Spezza beats Henrik Lundqvist as the Senatprs beat the Rangers 2-0 in Game 5 and take a 3-2 series lead Photograph: Ray Stubblebine/Reuters St Louis Blues players celebrate their playoff series victory over the San Jose Sharks Photograph: Sarah Conard/Reuters Chicago Blackhawks left wing Bryan Bickell celebrates teammate Jonathan Toews' game-winning goal to take their playoff series against the Phoenix Coyotes to a sixth game. The Coyotes lead 3-2 Photograph: Darryl Webb/Reuters Sidney Crosby looks forlorn after the Penguins lost 5-1 to the Flyers in Game 6 and were eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs Photograph: Tim Shaffer/Reuters The Boston Bruins celebrate with Tyler Seguins after his game-winning goal in overtime against the Capitals on Sunday. On to game seven Photograph: Jason Reed/Reuters A lone Vancouver Canucks fan contemplates his team's playoff defeat against the LA Kings. Vancouver won the Presidents' Trophy but went out 4-1 in the first round Photograph: Andy Clark/Reuters The Ottawa Senators' Chris Neil fights Brandon Prust of the Rangers in Game 6 in the Canadian capital. The Rangers won 3-1 to take their playoff series to a seventh-game decider at Madison Square Garden Photograph: Chris Wattie/Reuters Phoenix goalie Mike Smith celebrates with Oliver Ekman-Larsson after beating the Chicago Blackhawks in their playoff series – the Coyotes' first playoff series win since moving from Winnipeg Photograph: Jim Young/Reuters Tuesday 24 April: New Jersey Devils' Ilya Kovalchuk scores against Panthers goalie Scott Clemmensen. The Devils won 3-2 in OT to force a game 7 in Florida Photograph: Ray Stubblebine/Reuters The Washington Capitals celebrate Joel Ward's overtime goal in game seven against the Bruins, giving the Caps a 4-3 playoff win and knocking the holders out Photograph: Brian Snyder/Reuters Thursday 26 April: The New York Rangers celebrate defeating the Ottawa Senators in Game 7 of their NHL Eastern Conference quarter-final playoff hockey series Photograph: Gary Hershorn/Reuters New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur shakes hands with Florida's Tomas Kopecky after the Devils defeated the Panthers in double overtime in Game 7 Photograph: Rhona Wise/Reuters