NHL Playoff Scoring Records: Most Points in a Playoff Series

The record for most points in an NHL playoff series belongs to a player who, aside from when he set the mark in 1982-83, wasn’t especially prolific in the postseason. 

Most Points in a Playoff Series

NHL odds wouldn’t have favored Rick Middleton to set the benchmark for most points in a playoff series. 

He scored 19 points in seven games against the Buffalo Sabres in 1982-83, a record that has withstood the test of time. Leon Draisaitl came close to breaking the record against Calgary in the 2021-22 playoffs but fell two points shy in two fewer games. 

Here are the five players who scored the most points in a playoff series. 

5. Doug Gilmour – Toronto Maple Leafs

Season: 1993-94

Opponent: San Jose Sharks

Playoff Round: Conference Semifinals 

Points: 16

Doug Gilmour came to life in the second round of the 1993-94 playoffs, scoring 16 points in seven games to ensure the Maple Leafs got past the San Jose Sharks and advanced to the Conference final. 

Gilmour scored at least a point in each game of the series and exploded for five in the Maple Leafs’ 8-3 win at the Shark Tank in Game 4. He only scored three goals but added 13 assists for a 2.29 points per game rate in the seven-game series. 

Gilmour contributed to each of Toronto’s goals in Game 6, which the Maple Leafs won 3-2 in overtime. It was one of the best playoff performances of Gilmour’s career, in which he notched 188 points in 182 playoff games. 

4. Leon Draisaitl – Edmonton Oilers

Season: 2021-22

Opponent: Calgary Flames

Playoff Round: Conference Semifinals 

Points: 17

Draisaitl dismantled the Calgary Flames in the second round of the 2021-22 playoffs, scoring 17 points in five games. Not only did Draisaitl notch the most points per game in a playoff series (3.4), but he managed to pull off the heroics with an injured ankle.

The Oilers’ superstar scored three points in Games 1, 2, and 4 and did one better in Games 3 and 5. He also assisted Connor McDavid on the series-ending goal in overtime of Game 5 in Calgary. He finished the series with two goals and 15 assists. 

Had Calgary extended the series, Draisaitl would have almost certainly scored the most points in a playoff series. He finished the 2021-22 postseason with 32 points in 16 games.

3. Mario Lemieux – Pittsburgh Penguins

Season: 1991-92

Opponent: Washington Capitals

Playoff Round: First Round

Points: 17 

Mario Lemieux quickly and ruthlessly showed his intent for the 1991-92 postseason, scoring 17 points in the first-round triumph over the Washington Capitals. 

Lemieux scored six points (three goals and three assists) in the 6-4 Pens’ Game 3 win and followed that outburst with a five-point Game 6 performance. 

Pittsburgh fell behind 3-1 in the series before Lemieux spearheaded the revival. Lemieux didn’t play in Game 1 but came back with a vengeance, notching 17 points in six games to see the Pens into the second round. 

The Pens went on to win the Stanley Cup thanks to Lemieux’s otherworldly postseason, in which he scored 34 points in 15 games. Le Magnifique won his second Conn Smythe in as many seasons, lifting the Pens to consecutive Stanley Cups. 

2. Wayne Gretzky – Edmonton Oilers 

Season: 1984-85

Opponent: Chicago Blackhawks

Playoff Round: Conference Final

Points: 18

Considering he won the Conn Smythe and scored the most points per game (2.6) in the 1984-85 playoffs, it makes sense that Wayne Gretzky notched 18 points against the Chicago Blackhawks in the Conference final. 

The Great One was kept off the scoresheet in Game 3 but was otherwise unstoppable. Gretzky scored three points in Games 2 and 4 and bagged four in Games 1, 5, and 6. Finishing the series with 18 points, Gretzky scored four goals and added 14 assists.

He scored 47 points in 18 playoff games, leading the Oilers to their second straight Stanley Cup. The 1984-85 season marked the only time Gretzky won the Hart Trophy and Conn Smythe in the same season. 

1. Rick Middleton – Boston Bruins

Season: 1982-83

Opponent: Buffalo Sabres

Playoff Round: Second Round 

Points: 19

Rick Middleton enjoyed an uncharacteristically outstanding 1982-83 playoffs, leading the Bruins to the Conference final thanks to a 19-point outburst against the Sabres.

Game 6 was his only scoreless outing, as he tallied six points in Game 3 and four in Game 4 to overcome the Sabres in seven games. 

Middleton’s five goals and 14 assists set the benchmark for most points in a playoff series, a record that still stands 40 years later. 

Middleton scored 33 points in 17 games during the 1982-83 playoffs, 18 points more than his second-best postseason total.