Stanley Cup Playoffs: Looking Back at Great Series Comebacks in NHL History
One of the great things about the Stanley Cup playoffs is that anybody can beat anybody. The eighth seed can knock off the top seed, the President's Trophy winners may see that a 100-plus point season doesn't matter once the postseason gets underway or a player comes out of nowhere to make a huge impact and propel his team to an unexpected series win.
Series comebacks have been happening in the NHL playoffs for close to 70 years, and it's likely we will see many more.
This slideshow is dedicated to the teams who, throughout hockey history, have not just thrown in the towel when they go down two games to none, three games to one or even three games to none. They have fought back, believed in themselves and pulled through for a series victory.
Starting in the 1940s and going to the present time, here is a look at some of the best series comebacks in NHL history.
1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, Stanley Cup Finals
1 of 28
Opponent: Detroit Red Wings
Deficit: 3-0
The 1942 Stanley Cup Finals between the Red Wings and Maple Leafs was the first Finals series to go seven games.
After Detroit won the first three games, the Maple Leafs began to come back strong. They especially made a statement in Game 5 with a 9-3 victory and a 3-0 shutout of the Wings in Game 6. On April 18, 1942, they finished their comeback with a 3-1 win to capture their fourth Cup in team history.
The manager of the Maple Leafs team was Conn Smythe, who bought the team in 1927. The playoff MVP trophy awarded after the last game of Stanley Cup Finals is named in his honor.
1966 Montreal Canadiens, Stanley Cup Finals
2 of 28
Opponent: Red Wings
Deficit: 2-0
The Canadiens were a strong team that boasted Norris Trophy winner Jacques Laperriere and Vezina Trophy co-winners Gump Worsley and Charlie Hodge.
However, they found themselves down two games to nothing to start their Finals series against the Wings. After being beat 3-2 and 5-2 in Games 1 and 2, Montreal rolled back to win four straight games to defend its 1965 Cup title. Rocket Richard scored the game-winning goal in overtime of Game 6.
Jean Beliveau was second in the NHL with five goals and fourth with 10 points, while Worsley was first with eight wins and a 1.99 GAA. Toe Blake won his seventh cup as a head coach in 11 years.
But despite the talent on the Habs, Wings goaltender Roger Crozier won the Conn Smythe with a 6-5 record and 2.34 GAA, since he made many key saves throughout the series.
1968 Minnesota North Stars, Quarterfinals
3 of 28
Opponent: Los Angeles Kings
Deficit: 2-0
The Kings, who were in the playoffs as the second seed, jumped out to a two games to none lead thanks in part to a 2-0 shutout of the North Stars in Game 2.
But Minnesota won Game 3 by a 7-5 margin and Game 4 by a tighter 3-2 score. Los Angeles regained the series lead and put the North Stars on the brink in Game 5 with a 3-2 win. Minnesota answered by winning Game 6 4-3 in overtime and then rolled all over L.A. in Game 7 with a 9-4 win.
It was the first playoff appearance and series win for the North Stars franchise.
North Stars leaders included Wayne Connelly and Bill Goldsworthy (eight goals, first in NHL; Goldsworthy also led the league with 15 points) and Cesare Maniago (third with seven wins and fourth with a 2.61 GAA).
.png?w=256 "NHL Mock Draft")
.png?w=256)
1972 St. Louis Blues, Quarterfinals
4 of 28
Opponent: North Stars
Deficit: 2-0
The Blues had previously defeated the North Stars in 1968 to advance to their first Stanley Cup Final, and in 1971, Minnesota had eliminated St. Louis in six games in the quarterfinals. In 1972, the teams were back at it for their fourth playoff series.
After Minnesota shut out St. Louis in Game 1 by a 3-0 score and took a Game 2 6-5 win in overtime, the Blues won three one-goal games in Games 3, 4 and 7 to advance to the semifinals.
Key players for the Blues included Phil Roberto (second in the NHL with seven goals) and Jacques Caron (second with four wins).
Upon upsetting Minnesota, the Blues advanced to the semifinals, but lost to the eventual Cup champion Boston Bruins.
1975 New York Islanders, Quarterfinals
5 of 28
Opponent: Pittsburgh Penguins
Deficit: 3-0
The 1975 Stanley Cup playoffs introduced a new format where 12 teams, or the top three from each division, made the playoffs.
The Islanders completed a near impossible comeback with two four-goal games in Games 5 and 6, which they won 4-2 and 4-1, respectively. In Game 7, they shutout the Penguins 1-0. They only allowed more than one goal in Game 5.
Goaltender Glenn Resch was second in the NHL with eight playoff wins and a 2.17 GAA.
After taking care of the Penguins, the Islanders nearly upset the Philadelphia Flyers in the semifinals. Clark Gillies, who was in his rookie season, fought Flyers enforcer Dave Schultz in the series. However, it couldn't give the Islanders enough monentum, and Philadelphia went on to win their second straight Stanley Cup.
1982 Quebec Nordiques, Division Finals
6 of 28
Opponent: Boston Bruins
Deficit: 2-0
The Bruins were coming into the playoffs as the second seed, but that didn't slow down the Nordiques after losing the first two games.
Quebec tied the series with a 3-2 win in overtime in Game 3 and then trounced the Bruins 7-2 in Game 4. They took a series lead in Game 5 with a 4-3 win, but the Bruins weren't ready to go home just yet and pulled out a 6-5 overtime win in Game 6.
But in Game 7, the Nordiques finished off the comeback with a 2-1 win. It was a sweet end to their first time in the second round in their NHL history. They were in the semifinals three times while they were a member of the World Hockey Association (1975, 1977 and 1978).
Peter Stastny tied for fifth in the league with 18 points, while Michel Goulet led the NHL with two shorthanded goals.
1987 Montreal Canadiens, Division Finals
7 of 28
Opponent: Nordiques
Deficit: 2-0
After a 7-5 loss in Game 1 and a 2-1 loss in Game 2, Montreal tied their series with Quebec with a seven-goal performance of their own in a 7-2 win and then won Game 4 in overtime by a score of 3-2.
The Habs then took the series lead with a 3-2 victory in Game 5, but Quebec didn't want to go home just yet and took a 3-2 win of their own in Game 6.
In the deciding Game 7, Montreal won by a score of 5-3 to take the series. It was revenge for losing to the Nordiques in the 1982 division semifinals and the 1985 division finals.
Although Montreal accomplished a big mission, it lost to the Flyers in six games in the conference finals.
Key players during the Habs' playoff run included Rick Green (second in the NHL with a plus-13), Mats Naslund (tied for second with three game-winning goals) and Brian Hayward (fifth with a 2.71 GAA).
1987 New York Islanders, Division Semifinals
8 of 28
Opponent: Washington Capitals
Deficit: 3-1
The 1987 Stanley Cup playoffs marked the first year that the opening round was made a best-of-seven series. This was done by the NHL to prevent frequent playoff upsets, but the Islanders didn't care what the NHL wanted as they set out to defeat the No. 2 seeded Capitals.
New York and Washington split the first two games, with the Caps winning Game 1 4-3 and the Islanders winning 3-1 in Game 2. But the Caps took a commanding 3-1 series lead with a 2-0 shutout of the Islanders in Game 3 and a 4-1 win in Game 4.
The Isles won the next three games and capped off Game 7 with a 3-2 victory in the fourth overtime. The game was nicknamed the "Easter Epic." The game concluded at 8:47 of the fourth extra period when Pat LaFontaine scored the series-winning goal. It is the 10th longest playoff game in NHL history and the longest Game 7.
Although the Islanders lost to the Flyers in seven games in the division finals, they got good performances from many players. Among them, Bryan Trottier was third in the NHL with two game-winning goals, while goaltender Kelly Hrudey was third with seven wins and a .918 save percentage. He was also fourth with a 2.71 GAA.
The 1987 playoffs also marked the final postseason for Mike Bossy, who had five points in six games. He was ailed by back problems and retired after the 1987-88 season. He averaged .659 goals per game in his postseason career, second only to Mario Lemieux.
1990 Edmonton Oilers, Division Semifinals
9 of 28
Opponent: Winnipeg Jets
Deficit: 3-1
The Jets had a 3-1 series lead after a 4-3 double overtime win in Game 4, but Edmonton scored four goals in each remaining game to come back and take the series. The Oilers put up identical 4-3 wins in Game 5 and 6 and then won 4-1 in Game 7 to seal the deal.
From there, the Oilers went on to win their fifth Stanley Cup and their only one without Wayne Gretzky. Mark Messier won his first Cup as a team captain (he would later lead the New York Rangers to the 1994 title).
Goaltender Bill Ranford won the Conn Smythe after going 16-6 with a 2.53 GAA and .912 save percentage.
1991 Pittsburgh Penguins, Eastern Conference Finals
10 of 28
Opponent: Bruins
Deficit: 2-0
The Bruins and the Penguins entered the 1991 Conference Finals at the top of their respective divisions. The Penguins were the top seed in the Patrick Division, while the Bruins led the Adams Division.
Boston won Games 1 and 2 by scores of 6-3 and 5-4, with the Game 2 win coming in overtime. Pittsburgh won the next four games, including a 7-2 victory in Game 5.
Numerous players contributed significant offense during the series comeback. Among them were Mario Lemieux (four points in Game 5), Kevin Stevens (five points in Game 5) and Larry Murphy (four points in Game 6).
After finishing off the Bruins, Pittsburgh defeated the North Stars for their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
1992 Pittsburgh Penguins, Division Semifinals
11 of 28
Opponent: Capitals
Deficit: 3-1
The 1992 Stanley Cup playoffs marked the 100th anniversary of the first presentation of the Stanley Cup, and the Penguins wanted to be the team who lifted it in the centennial year.
However, Washington tried to stand in their way by winning Games 1 and 2 in commanding fashion, with victories of 6-2 and 7-2.
Pittsburgh rattled off three straight wins in Games 5, 6 and 7 to defeat the Caps, including a 5-2 win in Game 5 and a 6-4 win in Game 6. They finished things off in the seventh game with a 3-1 win.
Bob Errey scored two goals in Game 5 to pace the Penguins, and in Game 6, Lemieux put up a five-point performance (two goals, three assists). Stevens contributed two goals and two assists for four points.
Ron Francis had three assists in the seventh game.
Pittsburgh took the momentum from the victory to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks and defend its 1991 championship.
1993 Montreal Canadiens, Division Semifinals
12 of 28
Opponent: Nordiques
Deficit: 2-0
Montreal came into the division semifinals as the No. 3 seed, while Quebec was seeded second. The Habs were able to spark a comeback in this series with two overtime wins in Game 3 (2-1) and Game 5 (5-4).
In Game 3, Brian Bellows had two assists, while Vincent Damphousse had a goal and an assist. Patrick Roy made 34 saves in the win, but Nordiques goalie Ron Hextall was solid in defeat, stopping 48 shots.
Game 4 saw eight different Habs get on the score sheet, with goals coming from Damphousse, Benoit Brunet and Gary Leeman.
Damphousse continued a strong playoff performance in Game 5, finishing with three points (one goal, two assists). Eric Desjardins, Gilbert Dionne and Kirk Muller had two points apiece (goal and an assist), while Roy and Andre Racicot combined for 42 saves.
Montreal put the Nordiques away in Game 6 with a 6-2 win, which saw Paul DiPietro tally a hat trick and an assist. The Habs' other goals came from Dionne, Muller and Ed Renan, and 12 different Montreal players had at least one point.
The division semifinals marked the final playoff series between the Nordiques and the Habs. The Nordiques closed out their playoff history against Montreal with a 2-3 series record. The Canadiens went on to win the 1993 Stanley Cup, their 21st in franchise history.
1994 Vancouver Canucks, Western Conference Quarterfinals
13 of 28
Opponent: Calgary Flames
Deficit: 3-1
The Canucks came into their quarterfinals series with the Flames as the seventh seed, while Calgary was second.
Vancouver jumped out to a strong start with a 5-0 shutout in Game 1, but the Flames won the next three games to take control of the series. Games 5 through 7 all went to overtime, with Vancouver winning each one. This included a 4-3 double overtime victory in Game 7.
In Game 1, 10 different Canucks scored, and Jeff Brown had two points. Goaltender Kirk McLean made 31 saves.
Game 5, the beginning of the Vancouver comeback, saw Pavel Bure and Geoff Courtnall get a goal apiece as five different players had points for the Canucks.
After a two-point performance by Trevor Linden in Game 6, the Canucks stepped it up in Game 7. Pavel Bure had three points (two goals, one assist), and Courtnall had a goal and an assist for another two-point game. Jurki Linne had two assists, and McLean made 46 saves on 49 shots.
The Canucks were able to make the Stanley Cup Finals but lost to the Rangers in seven games.
1995 Chicago Blackhawks, Western Conference Semifinals
14 of 28
Opponent: Maple Leafs
Deficit: 2-0
Toronto jumped out to a two games to none lead thanks to a 3-0 shutout of the Blackhawks in Game 6.
Chicago won Game 3 3-2 and Game 4 3-1 to tie the series. In Game 3, Gary Suter had two goals and Ed Belfour made 36 saves in goal. However, Maple Leafs goaltender Felix Potvin was also solid, stopping 34 saves in the loss.
Murray Craven had two points in Game 4, while Joe Murphy and Jeff Shantz also scored. Belfour had another 30-save performance with 31 stops on 32 shots.
Craven had three points in Game 5, and Bernie Nicholls had two assists to duplicate his Game 3 performance.
After Toronto tied the series with a 5-4 overtime win in Game 6, Chicago got right back up to win Game 7 by a 5-2 margin. Murphy had two goals, and Denis Savard had three points.
Savard finished fifth in the NHL with 18 playoffs, while Murphy was third with nine goals. Belfour was fourth with nine wins, second with a .923 save percentage and second with a 2.19 GAA. These were some solid statistics despite the fact that the Hawks fell to the Wings in the Western Conference Finals.
1996 Pittsburgh Penguins, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
15 of 28
Opponent: Capitals
Deficit: 2-0
The Penguins and Capitals were again meeting in the playoffs after Pittsburgh had come back from behind to beat Washington in the 1992 division semifinals.
Game 4, which went to four overtimes, was the fifth-longest game in NHL history. Petr Nedved scored the game winner at 19:15 of the fourth extra period to get his second goal of the series and help the Penguins tie the series. Goaltenders Ken Wregget and Tom Barrasso combined for 61 saves on 63 shots.
Game 5 saw the Penguins take control with a 4-1 victory. Jaromir Jagr had three points (one goal, two assists), and Nedved added two assists of his own. Wregget earned his second straight victory with 39 saves.
Pittsburgh wrapped up the series in Game 6 with a 3-2 win. Lemieux had a goal and assist, and Jagr and Ron Francis also contributed goals.
The Penguins ultimately lost to the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
2000 New Jersey Devils, Eastern Conference Finals
16 of 28
Opponent: Flyers
Deficit: 3-1
The Flyers were the top seed in the Eastern Conference, but New Jersey took to them in Game 1 with a 4-1 victory. Randy McKay and Sergei Brylin had two assists, and Martin Brodeur made 35 saves.
After Philadelphia won Games 2 through 4 to take the series lead, the Devils buckled down. They started with a 4-1 victory in Game 5, which saw three players (Patrik Elias, Jason Arnott and Petr Sykora) contribute two points.
They then pulled out a close victory in Game 6 as Claude Lemieux and Alexander Mogilny scored for a 2-1 victory. The Devils' defense limited the Flyers to just 13 shots.
New Jersey eliminated the Flyers in Game 7 with another 2-1 win victory, and Elias put up both goals. Bobby Holik and Mogilny each had an assist, and the Devils won despite having just 18 shots on goal.
After the Flyers were history, the Devils won their second Stanley Cup in five years by defeating the defending champion Dallas Stars in six games.
2000 Philadelphia Flyers, Eastern Conference Semifinals
17 of 28
Opponent: Penguins
Deficit: 2-0
The Penguins and Flyers found themselves together again after Philadelphia defeated Pittsburgh in five games in the 1997 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.
Game 4 went to five overtimes, and Philadelphia won on Keith Primeau's goal to tie the series. John LeClair also scored for the Flyers, and goaltender Brian Boucher made 57 saves. Ron Tugnutt was also outstanding in defeat for the Penguins, making 70 saves.
The Flyers took control in Game 5 with a 6-3 victory. Andy Delmore had a hat trick, and LeClair and Primeau posted two assists. Former Penguin Mark Recchi had a five-point night with one goal and four assists.
Philadelphia won Game 6 2-1, which saw Eric Desjardins tally two assists and LeClair and Recchi each post a goal and an assist.
Recchi finished the playoffs fifth in points with 18, while LeClair was tied for first with four power play goals. The Flyers ended up losing to the Devils in the Eastern Conference Finals, who fought back from a 3-1 deficit to win in seven games.
2001 Los Angeles Kings, Western Conference Quarterfinals
18 of 28
Opponent: Red Wings
Deficit: 2-0
The Los Angeles Kings were in the playoffs as the seventh seed and were not expected to beat the second seeded Wings. That appeared to be true in Game 2, when Detroit shut out the Kings by a score of 4-0.
However, in Game 4, the Kings tied the series with a 4-3 win in overtime. Eric Belanger scored the game-winning goal and also had an assists, while Mathieu Schneider tallied three assists. Bryan Smolinski, Jozef Stumpel and Scott Thomas also scored.
Game 5 saw goals from three different Kings (Adam Deadmarsh, Ian Laperriere and Ziggy Palffy) in a 3-2 win. Palffy also had an assist.
Los Angeles finished the upset in Game 6 with another win in overtime, this one by a score of 3-2. Deadmarsh had two goals and an assist for three points, while Stumpel had a goal and two assists. Palffy finished the game with two helpers. The win marked the first time since 1993 that the Kings would make the second round.
Although they lost to the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Semifinals, Kings goaltender Felix Potvin finished fifth in the NHL with seven wins.
2003 Minnesota Wild, Western Conference Quarterfinals
19 of 28
Opponent: Colorado Avalanche
Deficit: 3-1
Minnesota won the opening game of the quarterfinals with a 4-2 defeat of the Avalanche, but Colorado responded by winning the next three games, including a 3-0 shutout of the Wild in Game 3. Patrick Roy had 18 saves for the shutout, while Dwayne Roloson made 15 saves on 18 shots for Minnesota.
The Wild won Game 5 by a score of 3-2, which was the first of three straight wins by the same score. Pascal Dupuis had a goal and an assist, and Filip Kuba and Willie Mitchell got a goal apiece.
Games 6 and 7 saw the Wild pull out 3-2 wins in overtime. Marian Gaborik had three points in Game 6 (a goal and two assists), and Richard Park had the other two goals.
The Wild then used a three-point performance by Andrew Brunette (one goal and two assists) and a two-assist performance by Kuba to eliminate the Avs. Dupuis and Gaborik also scored, but Manny Fernandez shined in goal with 43 saves on 43 shots.
But that was just the beginning for the Wild...
2003 Minnesota Wild, Western Conference Semifinals
20 of 28
Opponent: Canucks
Deficit: 3-1
After coming back to beat the Avalanche, the Wild moved on to the Vancouver Canucks, who had completed a first-round comeback of their own by defeating the St. Louis Blues. Like the Wild, the Canucks had been down 3-1 in their series.
The two teams split the first two games, but the Canucks won Games 3 and 4 by scores of 3-2 to take the 3-1 lead. Game 4 went to overtime.
In Game 5, the Wild dominated the Canucks and won by a 7-2 score. Wes Walz had three points (one goal, two assists) and Cliff Ronning had two goals. Andrew Brunette and Marian Gabroik each posted two points, and 10 different Wild players had at least a point.
Minnesota again won in dominating fashion in Game 6 with a 5-1 victory, with two goals from Brunette and three assists from Ronning. Dwayne Roloson made 30 saves.
The Wild finished the job in Game 7 with a 4-2 win. Pascal Dupuis had two goals, while Richard Park and Sergei Zholtok had two assists. The Wild won despite having just 16 shots on goal.
Minnesota moved on to the Western Conference Finals, but their magical run came to an end at the hands of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks.
2006 Carolina Hurricanes, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
21 of 28
Opponent: Canadiens
Deficit: 2-0
The Hurricanes were in the playoffs for the first time since they lost in the 2002 Stanley Cup Finals, and their first test was the Canadiens.
The Habs scored six goals in the first two game, and in Game 2, they quickly got out to a 3-0 lead. Peter Laviolette pulled Canes starting goaltender Martin Gerber for Cam Ward, who was 22 years old and in his rookie season. Ward made 20 saves on 23 shots, but the Habs still won 6-5 in double overtime.
Laviolette decided to stick with Ward for the rest of the series. The Canes won Game 3 by a score of 2-1 in overtime. Eric Staal and Rod Brind'Amour scored the goals, and Bret Hedican had two assists. Cristobal Huet was still strong for Montreal in defeat, making 34 saves.
Game 4 saw the Canes tie the series with a 3-2 win, which saw three different players see the score sheet (Brind'Amour, Aaron Ward and Justin Williams). Williams also had an assist.
The Canes closed out the series with identical 2-1 victories in Games 5 and 6. In Game 5, six different players had a point for Carolina and Ward made 30 saves to preserve the win. Cory Stillman scored the game-winning goal in overtime of Game 6 to wrap up the series.
Carolina went on to win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history, and Ward won the Conn Smythe with a record of 15-8 to go with a 2.14 GAA and .920 save percentage.
2006 Edmonton Oilers, Western Conference Semifinals
22 of 28
Opponent: San Jose Sharks
Deficit: 2-0
After the Sharks posted 2-1 wins in Games 1 and 2, the Oilers began their comeback by pulling out a 3-2 win in triple overtime in Game 3. Raffi Torres had a goal and an assist, and Shawn Horcoff scored the game-winning goal. Sharks goalie Vesa Toskala made 55 saves in the loss.
In Game 4, the Oilers tied the series with a 6-3 victory. They were down 3-1, but scored five unanswered goals to take over the game. Jason Smith had a three-point night with one goal and two assist, and Edmonton's other goals came from Jarret Stoll, Ales Hemsky, Michael Peca and Horcoff.
The Oilers won Game 5 by another 6-5 margin. It marked the first game a road team won in the series. With the game tied 3-3 in the third, Fernando Pisani scored his second goal of the game, and Stoll and Ryan Smyth added power-play goals. Horcoff also had a shorthanded goal in the win.
Edmonton sent San Jose packing in Game 6 with a 2-0 shutout victory. Peca and Horcoff scored, while Dwayne Roloson made 24 saves in goal. The victory marked the Oilers' first second round victory since the 1992 Division Finals.
Edmonton faced Carolina for the 2006 Stanley Cup, but lost in seven games.
2009 Washington Capitals, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
23 of 28
Opponent: Rangers
Deficit: 3-1
The Capitals came into the postseason as the No. 2 seed, having won the Southeast Division title. The Rangers were the seventh seed.
However, it looked like the Rangers were about to pull off a big upset, as they took a three games to one lead with a 2-1 win in Game 4. They got goals from Chris Drury and Paul Mara, and Henrik Lundqvist made 38 saves.
But in Game 5, the Capitals shut out the Rangers 4-0 for the second time in the series (they had previously done so in Game 3). Washington got two goals from Matt Bradley, and Semin scored his fourth goal in as many games. Semyon Varlamov made 20 saves in the victory.
The Caps tied the series in Game 6 with a 5-3 win, and five different Capitals (Milan Jurcina, Mike Green, Tom Poti, Viktor Kozlov and Alexander Ovechkin).
Washington finished the comeback in Game 7 with a 2-1 win. The Rangers took a 1-0 lead in the first on a Nik Antropov goal, but Semin tied the game at 15:34. After a scoreless second period, Sergei Fedorov scored in the third to punch the Capitals' ticket to the second round. Semyon Varlamov had little work to do, making 14 saves.
2009 Pittsburgh Penguins, Eastern Conference Semifinals
24 of 28
Opponent: Capitals
Deficit: 2-0
The Capitals and the Penguins were again squaring off in the playoffs. Pittsburgh had completed two previous series comebacks against the Capitals in the 1990s, but could they do it again?
In Game 2, Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin each had hat tricks, but the Capitals went up two games to none with a 4-3 win. Dave Steckel's goal also helped the Capitals, and Varlamov made 33 saves.
After the Pens took a three games to two lead with a 4-3 overtime win in Game 5, Washington won Game 6 5-4 in overtime to force Game 7, which was back at the Verizon Center.
The Penguins came out ready. Early in the game, Marc-Andre Fleury made a huge breakaway save on Ovechkin, and that appeared to change the whole tone of the game. By the second period, the Penguins had a 5-0 lead. Crosby had two goals in the victory, and Pittsburgh also got goals from Craig Adams, Bill Guerin, Kris Letang and Jordan Staal. Fleury finished the game with 19 saves.
After sweeping the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Penguins went on to the Stanley Cup Finals for a re-match with the Red Wings.
Want to re-live how that turned out?
2009 Pittsburgh Penguins, Stanley Cup Finals
25 of 28
Opponent: Red Wings
Deficit: 2-0
The Penguins have pulled off so many great series comebacks, and they were about to work their magic on the defending Stanley Cup champions. The Pens and Red Wings were meeting in the Finals for the second year in a row, and Detroit was determined to repeat their 2008 championship.
It looked like they would in the first two games, as they won by scores of 3-1. Justin Abdelkader had his first playoff game in Game 1, and Ruslan Fedotenko and Evgeni Malkin scored the only goals the Penguins could muster to open the series.
The series went to Pittsburgh for the next two games, and the Penguins won identical scoring games of their own with 4-2 victories. In Game 3, Max Talbot had two goals, while Evgeni Malkin had three assists. In Game 4, Sidney Crosby, Jordan Staal and Malkin each had a goal and an assist to help the Penguins tie the series.
However, the Wings came out swinging in Game 5 to take over the series once again. Henrik Zetterberg, Brian Rafalski and Pavel Datsyuk each put up two points for Detroit, and Marc-Andre Fleury was pulled for backup Mathieu Garon. The Penguins were also extremely undisciplined and took several minor penalties as they got increasingly frustrated.
Game 6 was back in Pittsburgh, but it was different from Game 6 in 2008, where the Wings hoisted the Cup on Pittsburgh's ice. Tyler Kennedy had two points, and Rob Scuderi helped out Fleury by making three saves on Johan Franzen at the end of the game. Fleury finished the night with 25 saves.
The Finals wrapped up in Detroit with Game 7, and the Penguins jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second thanks to Talbot. Zetterberg scored in the third, but it wasn't enough, as the Penguins went on to win their third Cup in franchise history. Fleury had 24 saves in the clinching game.
2010 Montreal Canadiens, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
26 of 28
Opponent: Capitals
Deficit: 3-1
For the second consecutive year, Washington had captured the Southeast Division championship, and they were also the President's Trophy winners to take the top seed in the Eastern Conference. They were facing the eighth seeded Montreal Canadiens in the first round.
Andrei Kostitsyn had a hat trick in Game 2, but it wasn't enough, as the Caps won 6-5 in overtime. But in Game 3, Tomas Plekanec scored his third goal in as many games as the Canadiens cut Washington's series lead in half with a 5-1 win.
Montreal was on the brink in Game 5 and responded with a hard-fought 2-1 victory. Michael Cammalleri scored his third goal in five games and Travis Moen added a goal at 7:01 of the first to give the Canadiens a 2-0 lead. Mike Knuble pulled the Caps within one in the second, but the Habs held on through a scoreless third period to again cut their series deficit in half.
Canadiens goaltender Jaroslav Halak came up huge in Game 6, posting 53 saves as the Habs won 4-1. Cammalleri had two goals and an assist, and Plekanec had a two-point night.
Game 7 was back in Washington, D.C., but the Habs stunned the Caps and their fans with a 2-1 win. At 19:30 of the first, Marc-Andre Bergeron scored his first goal of the playoffs on the power play, and Dominic Moore added to the lead at 16:24 of the second. Brooks Laich scored at 17:44 of the third, but the Caps could not generate anymore offense.
Halak continued his surprising play with 41 saves, and Montreal went on to upset the Penguins before losing to the Flyers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Montreal's victory marked the first time an eighth seed had defeated a first seed by coming back from a 3-1 series deficit.
2010 Philadelphia Flyers, Eastern Conference Semifinals
27 of 28
Opponent: Bruins
Deficit: 3-0
The Flyers came into their semifinal matchup with the Bruins after upsetting the second seeded Devils in round one. Philadelphia won the series in five games.
After finding themselves on the brink after Boston won the first three games, the Flyers won Game 4 in overtime by a score of 5-4. Matt Carle had four assists, and Simon Gagne scored the game-winning goal after returning to the lineup from injury. Chris Pronger and Daniel Briere each had two-point games.
The Flyers then shut out the Bruins in Game 5 by a score of 4-0. Ville Leino had a goal and an assist, and five different Flyers found the scoresheet. Gagne had two goals, including a second period power-play tally. Michael Leighton and Brian Boucher combined for 23 saves.
After winning Game 6 by a score of 2-1, the Flyers completed the improbable comeback in Game 7, but it didn't come easy. They went down 3-0 in the final game, but Gagne scored his fourth goal since returning and Briere and Scott Hartnell each posted two points.
The Flyers became the third team to come back from being down 3-0 in a series. The last team to accomplish the feat was the 1975 New York Islanders.
Philadelphia took out Montreal in the Eastern Conference Finals and went to its first Stanley Cup Final since 1997. Unfortunately, they lost to the Blackhawks in six games.
2011 Tampa Bay Lightning, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
28 of 28
Opponent: Penguins
Deficit: 3-1
Despite not having Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in the lineup, the Penguins held a 3-1 series lead after a double overtime win in Game 4.
In Game 5, the Lightning extended their season one more day with an 8-2 blowout victory in Pittsburgh. Three players (Simon Gagne, Pavel Kubina and Steven Stamkos) had two goals, and Stamkos had an assist for three points. Teddy Purcell had three assists, and Vincent Lecavalier had a goal and an assist. When things were all said and done, 14 different Bolts players had at least one point, and eight players had multi-point games.
Tampa tied the series in Game 6 with a 4-2 win, and Steve Downie had three points with a goal and two assists. Former Penguin Ryan Malone also had a two-point night.
Sean Bergenheim scored the lone goal of Game 7 as Tampa completed the comeback and upset the Penguins. Dwayne Roloson made 36 saves, and the Bolts got started on a playoff win streak. After sweeping the top-seeded Capitals, Tampa has won nine straight playoff games. The Lightning are currently up one game to none on the Bruins in the Eastern Conference Finals.
.png?w=480 "NHL Mock Draft")
.png?w=480)
.png?w=600 "B/R NHL Staff Second-Round Predictions 🏒")
