Oiler Hockey Blog

A brief history of successful 3-0 series comebacks in the NHL

The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs. The 2004 Boston Red Sox. The 2014 Los Angeles Kings. The 2016 New England Patriots. The 2024 Edmonton Oilers have a chance to etch themselves on the Mount Rushmore of all-time team sports comebacks if they can close out the Florida Panthers tonight in Game 7 after opening the Stanley Cup Final down three games to none.

A Reverse Sweep, a.k.a. winning a series 4-3 after trailing 0-3, has happened just once in Major League Baseball. The Red Sox shocked the New York Yankees in the 2004 American League Championship Series. In 2020, the Houston Astros forced a Game 7 in the ALCS after falling down 3-0, but the Tampa Bay Rays ended up winning Game 7. A Reverse Sweep has never happened in NBA history, and only four times has a team even taken a series to a Game 7 after a 3-0 deficit.

The 3-0 comeback is extremely rare in the NHL, too, but not impossible. The Oilers are the 10th team in league history to bring a series to 3-3 after trailing 3-0. If they win tonight, they’ll be the fifth to pull a Reverse Sweep. More significantly, they’ll be the second ever to do so in the Stanley Cup Final and will have a strong case for pro sports’ greatest comeback if they can pull it off.

Here is a brief history of 3-0 comebacks in the NHL.

UNSUCCESSFUL COMEBACKS

The following teams drew even at 3-3 after falling behind 3-0 only to lose in Game 7:

– 1938-39 New York Rangers, Stanley Cup semifinal (lost to BOS)
– 1944-45 Detroit Red Wings, Stanley Cup Final (lost to TOR)
– 1974-75 New York Islanders, Stanley Cup semifinal (Lost to PHI)
– 2010-11 Chicago Blackhawks, Western Conference quarterfinal (lost to VAN)
– 2010-11 Detroit Red Wings, Western Conference semifinal (lost to SJ)

SUCCESSFUL COMEBACKS

1941-42 Toronto Maple Leafs, Stanley Cup Final

Sometimes, a key momentum shift can completely change the emotional tone of a series. The Red Wings had a chance to close out the series with a sweep on home ice at Olympia Stadium, but the Leafs squeaked out a 4-3 win. Furious with the officiating, Detroit coach Jack Adams punched referee Mel Harwood after the game and earned an indefinite suspension. The Leafs, seemingly in Detroit’s head, won the next game 9-3 and rode the momentum all the way to a Game 7 win at Maple Leaf Gardens.

1974-75 New York Islanders, Stanley Cup quarterfinal

How amazing is it that the Isles rallied from 3-0 deficits in the same year, in back to back series, during their first playoff berth in franchise history? The first attempt was successful. On the back of some great goaltending from Glenn ‘Chico Resch,’ the Isles won seven games in a row when facing elimination before ultimately falling short of their second straight Reverse Sweep in the next round against the eventual champion Philadelphia Flyers.

2009-10 Philadelphia Flyers, Eastern Conference semifinal

The comeback commenced in Game 4, but it unofficially began in Game 3, even though the Bruins won that game. In the first period, Flyers captain Mike Richards caught Bruins center David Krejci with a massive open-ice hit, breaking his wrist and knocking him out of the series. Boston scored on the play and won Game 3, but they weren’t the same team without Krejci, who had tied for their team lead in points that season. Philly stayed alive in Game 4 with an overtime win and in Game 5 got a split shutout between Brian Boucher, who got hurt in that game, and Michael Leighton. They ended up going all the way to the Stanley Cup Final.

2013-14 Los Angeles Kings, Western Conference quarterfinal

It appeared the San Jose Sharks, forever underachievers despite consistently great regular seasons, had finally grown up and slayed the Minotaur. Kings goalie Jonathan Quick was shockingly mortal in Games 1 and 2, surrendering 12 goals, but he rallied to discover the form that helped him win the Conn Smythe Trophy two years earlier. From Games 4 to 7, Quick posted a .963 save percentage. When they completed the Reverse Sweep, Richards and Jeff Carter, having played on the 2010 Flyers, became the first two players to be part of two Reverse Sweeps.

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