The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs have begun, making it the perfect time to revisit some of the most unexpected comebacks in NHL postseason history.
Falling into 3–0 series deficit is typically a death sentence for any team in a playoff series. In many of the major North American sports leagues, there has never been a squad capable of turning the tides in their favor after falling down 3–0. That's not the case for the NHL, however.
On four separate occasions in league history, a team has managed to erase a 3–0 series deficit and win four games in a row in order to reach the next round. We'll have a look at all of those series' below.
Winning Team
Losing Team
Year
Playoff Series
Toronto Maple Leafs
Detroit Red Wings
1942
Stanley Cup Finals
New York Islanders
Pittsburgh Penguins
1975
Stanley Cup quarterfinals
Philadelphia Flyers
Boston Bruins
2010
Eastern Conference semifinals
Los Angeles Kings
San Jose Sharks
2014
Western Conference first round
The Maple Leafs erased a 3–0 series deficit against the Red Wings to win the 1942 Stanley Cup. It's the only time in Stanley Cup final history that a team has erased a 3–0 deficit to win the championship.
After scoring 13 goals in the first three games of the series, the Penguins' offense went cold. Pittsburgh's 3–0 lead was quickly erased by the Islanders, who outscored the Penguins 12–4 in the final four games of the series. Despite their comeback series win, New York would be eliminated in the following round by the Flyers.
The Bruins built up a 3–0 lead in the series and forced overtime in Game 4. After failing to get the job done in OT, things unraveled for Boston, who proceeded to lose the final three games of the series while getting outscored 9–5. The Flyers went on to lose in the Stanley Cup Finals against the Chicago Blackhawks in seven games.
After racking up 17 goals in three games and jumping out to a 3–0 series lead, the Sharks surely thought they had booked their ticket to the second round of the playoffs. The Kings had other ideas. L.A. rallied and won the subsequent four games by a margin of 13 goals, securing the monumental comeback win. The Kings went on to win the Stanley Cup that season, defeating the Rangers in a five-game series.
feed
Karl Rasmussen is a staff writer for the Breaking and Trending News team for Sports Illustrated. A University of Oregon alum who joined SI in February 2023, his work has appeared on 12up and ClutchPoints. Rasmussen is a loyal Tottenham, Jets, Yankees and Ducks fan.
Follow Karlras920
© 2025 ABG-SI LLC – SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC. – All Rights Reserved. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates, licensees and related brands. All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.
Hockey News