Sweeps more common than not in recent history of 3-0 series
Published
It's safe to say history is not on the side of the Toronto Maple Leafs as they face a 3-0 deficit in their second-round series against the Florida Panthers.
While only four teams have ever comeback from 3-0 to win a series – with the other 197 teams failing to advance – recent history suggests the Maple Leafs season could end in Game 4.
Over the past five postseasons, 15 teams have found themselves in a 3-0 hole, with 12 of them falling victim to a sweep. All three of the teams that managed to stave off elimination in Game 4 would go to be eliminated one game later.
The Leafs are the first team to trail 3-0 in a series in the 2023 playoffs.
Teams Trailing 3-0 - Last Five Postseasons
| Team | Year | Round | Eliminated by | Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oilers | 2022 | WCF | Avalanche | 4 |
| Panthers | 2022 | Round 2 | Lightning | 4 |
| Predators | 2022 | Round 1 | Avalanche | 4 |
| Canadiens | 2021 | SCF | Lightning | 5 |
| Jets | 2021 | Round 2 | Canadiens | 4 |
| Blues | 2021 | Round 1 | Avalanche | 4 |
| Oilers | 2021 | Round 1 | Jets | 4 |
| Blackhawks | 2020 | Round 1 | Golden Knights | 5 |
| Capitals | 2020 | Round 1 | Islanders | 5 |
| Hurricanes | 2019 | ECF | Bruins | 4 |
| Islanders | 2019 | Round 2 | Hurricanes | 4 |
| Penguins | 2019 | Round 1 | Islanders | 4 |
| Lightning | 2019 | Round 1 | Blue Jackets | 4 |
| Ducks | 2018 | Round 1 | Sharks | 4 |
| Kings | 2018 | Round 1 | Golden Knights | 4 |
Speaking Tuesday, the Maple Leafs tried to downplay the pressure on the team with their season on the line in Game 4.
"Just go out there and play hockey," centre Auston Matthews said of Wednesday's must-win. "That's what we've been doing our whole life. Can't really focus too much on the outside noise — what you guys are saying, what everybody's saying. It doesn't really matter."
"It'll be fun," winger William Nylander added. "That's when you gotta play your best."
The Maple Leafs have remained adamant that their focus is on winning Game 4 to keep their season alive, rather than winning the series.
"Starts with one game," Matthews said. "Starts with our attitude, our mindset. It's not about trying to go and win the series right now."
"Everybody has to play their role and give us everything," head coach Sheldon Keefe added. "Win one game, bring this thing back to Toronto, and give us more time for all these other things to come together.
"You gotta win one game."
Toronto was the first NHL franchise to erase a 3-0 deficit and win a series, doing so in the 1942 Stanley Cup Final against the Detroit Red Wings. It was another 32 years before the New York Islanders doubled the list, storming back to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1975 quarter-finals.
The other two instances came more recently, with the Philadelphia Flyers stunning the Boston Bruins in the second round of the 2010 playoffs, and the Los Angeles Kings battling back to defeat the San Jose Sharks in the first round of the 2014 playoffs. The Kings went on to win the Stanley Cup three rounds later in 2014, while the Flyers lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2010 Stanley Cup Final.
Five teams in NHL history have crawled back from down 3-0 only to lose in Game 7. The two instances over the past 45 years both occurred in the 2011 playoffs, with the Vancouver Canucks surviving to eliminate the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round and the Detroit Red Wings falling to the San Jose Sharks after forcing a Game 7 in the second round.