List of teams that have overcome 3–0 series deficits
The following is the list of teams that have overcome 3–0 series deficits in a best-of-seven playoff series, otherwise known as a reverse sweep. The listed teams won four consecutive games after losing the first three. Unsuccessful comebacks are also listed, in which teams evened a series after being behind 3–0, then lost game seven of the series.
Background
Three major North American professional sports leagues have playoff series that can reach a seventh game: Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the National Hockey League (NHL). In MLB, only the semi-final League Championship Series and the final World Series are best-of-seven series.[1] In the NBA and NHL, all four rounds of their respective playoffs are best-of-seven series.[2][3]
In the history of these leagues, teams that were down 3–0 in a series have come back to win the series five times; four times in the NHL and once in MLB.[4] The most recent example is the Los Angeles Kings of the NHL in the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs.[5] The only instance in the MLB to date was by the Boston Red Sox in the 2004 American League Championship Series.[6] The only instance in a championship finals series was by the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1942 Stanley Cup Finals. The NBA is the only league in which this has never happened, to date.[7]
Conversely, eleven teams have evened a series after being behind 3–0, then lost in the final game of the series: six in the NHL, four in the NBA, and one in MLB. The most recent example is the Edmonton Oilers of the NHL in the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals.
No team has overcome multiple 3–0 deficits in a single postseason, although the 1974–75 New York Islanders of the NHL nearly did so; they successfully overcame a 3–0 series deficit in the 1975 quarterfinals, then rallied from a 3–0 series deficit in the semifinals before losing the seventh game.
While seven-game series were traditionally used only for the final series of a postseason, MLB adopted a best-of-seven format in 1985 for the League Championship Series,[8] the NHL followed suit for its first round in 1987,[9] and the NBA did the same for its first round in 2003.[10]
Outside of the noted major North American leagues, various other leagues across multiple sports also use seven-game postseason series. There are several known instances of teams in such leagues overcoming 3–0 series deficits. In other cases, like the Swedish Hockey League, seven-game series are common but no team has yet overcome such a deficit.
Key
| Indicates the team down 3–0 was the home team in game seven | |
| Indicates series in the championship round | |
| Eventual champion | Indicates the series winner went on to win the championship |
National Hockey League
Successful comebacks
In Stanley Cup Playoffs history, 211 teams had faced a 3–0 deficit in a best-of-seven series. Of these teams, only four overcame the deficit (~2%). Only one overcame the deficit in the Stanley Cup Finals.[11] Three comebacks were completed with game seven away, while the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs completed the comeback on home ice.
| Year and series | Series Winner | Series Loser | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1942 Stanley Cup Finals | Toronto Maple Leafs | Detroit Red Wings | Only time in the Stanley Cup Finals. |
| 1975 Stanley Cup quarterfinals | New York Islanders | Pittsburgh Penguins | New York won eight games while facing elimination this playoff year. |
| 2010 Eastern Conference semifinals | Philadelphia Flyers | Boston Bruins | Philadelphia also overcame a 3–0 goal deficit in the seventh game. |
| 2014 Western Conference first round | Los Angeles Kings | San Jose Sharks | Los Angeles won three game sevens in this playoff year, and hold the record for most elimination games won in a single playoff year for a Stanley Cup champion, with seven. |
Unsuccessful comebacks
Six other NHL teams have evened a series after being down 3–0, only to lose game seven (~3%).[12] Five of these teams were the visiting team in game seven, while the 1945 Detroit Red Wings were the only home team in game seven.
| Year and series | Series Loser | Series Winner | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 Stanley Cup semifinals | New York Rangers | Boston Bruins | Boston won game seven in triple overtime. |
| 1945 Stanley Cup Finals | Detroit Red Wings | Toronto Maple Leafs | Detroit nearly got revenge on Toronto for a blown 3–0 lead three years previously. |
| 1975 Stanley Cup semifinals | New York Islanders | Philadelphia Flyers | New York came back from a 3–0 deficit to win in the previous round. |
| 2011 Western Conference quarterfinals | Chicago Blackhawks | Vancouver Canucks | Vancouver won game seven in overtime after Blackhawks tied it 1–1 with a shorthanded goal with 1:56 left in the third period. Should Chicago have won, it would have been the third straight playoff year that they beat Vancouver, as they eliminated them in the second round in both 2009 and 2010. |
| 2011 Western Conference semifinals | Detroit Red Wings | San Jose Sharks | For the second time in the same year, a team forced a game seven after being down 3–0. Except for an empty net goal in game six, every game in this series was decided by one goal. |
| 2024 Stanley Cup Finals | Edmonton Oilers | Florida Panthers | Florida won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. Oilers forward Connor McDavid became only the sixth player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy despite losing the Finals.[13] |
Major League Baseball
Successful comebacks
One MLB team has overcome a 3–0 deficit to win the series.[6]
| Year and series | Series Winner | Series Loser | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 American League Championship Series | Boston Red Sox | New York Yankees | Boston trailed in the ninth inning in game four before tying the game and eventually winning in the 12th inning. Boston also trailed by two runs in the eighth inning of game five before tying the game in that inning and eventually winning in the 14th inning. Boston would then go on to sweep the St. Louis Cardinals to win the World Series for the first time since 1918. |
Unsuccessful comebacks
One MLB team has evened a series after being down 3–0, but lost game seven.[14]
| Year and series | Series Loser | Series Winner | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 American League Championship Series | Houston Astros | Tampa Bay Rays | Series was played at a neutral site due to the COVID-19 pandemic with no off-days. |
National Basketball Association
Unsuccessful comebacks
There has never been a successful comeback from a 3–0 series deficit in the NBA to date. Of the 157 NBA teams (as of June 17, 2024) that faced a 3–0 deficit, only 4 of them (~3%) forced a game seven which they ultimately lost.[15]
| Year and series | Series Loser | Series Winner | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 NBA Finals | New York Knicks | Rochester Royals | New York became the first team to force a game seven after trailing 3–0 in the series. |
| 1994 Western Conference semifinals | Denver Nuggets | Utah Jazz | Denver overcame a 2–0 deficit to win a best-of-five series in the previous round. |
| 2003 Western Conference first round | Portland Trail Blazers | Dallas Mavericks | Portland went on a 21–0 run in the third quarter of game four to avoid a 4–0 sweep by Dallas. First year the first round expanded to a best-of-seven series. |
| 2023 Eastern Conference finals | Boston Celtics | Miami Heat | Boston became the first team to host a game seven after trailing 3–0 in a series. |
Other leagues
Outside of MLB, the NBA, and the NHL, there are some other known instances of successful comebacks from 3–0 series deficits. The Slovak ice hockey club HK Dukla Trenčín and the Swiss ice hockey club EV Zug are the only teams that managed to overcome a 3–0 deficit twice.
Successful comebacks
Baseball
| Year and series | Series Winner | Series Loser | Sports league | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 Japan Series | Nishitetsu Lions | Yomiuri Giants | Nippon Professional Baseball | Nishitetsu Lions were 1 inning away from elimination in Game 5, but tied the game 3-3 in the bottom of the ninth inning to force extras. |
| 1971 Serie del Rey | Jalisco Horsemen | Saltillo Saraperos | Mexican Baseball League | |
| 1989 Japan Series | Yomiuri Giants | Kintetsu Buffaloes | Nippon Professional Baseball | |
| 2021 Serie del Rey | Tijuana Bulls | Yucatan Lions | Mexican Baseball League | Tijuana was 1 base away from elimination in Game 5, when Yucatan had the winning run at third base in the bottom of the ninth inning. However, Fernando Rodney struck out the next batter to send the game to extra innings, where Tijuana eventually won to extend the series. |
| 2023 Mexican Baseball League Playoffs first round | Rojos del Águila de Veracruz | Pericos de Puebla[16] | Mexican Baseball League[17] |
Basketball
| Year and series | Series Winner | Series Loser | Sports league | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–16 PBA Philippine Cup Finals | San Miguel Beermen | Alaska Aces | Philippine Basketball Association | Games 4 and 5 of the comeback went to overtime. |
Ice hockey
Unsuccessful comebacks
Baseball
| Year and series | Series Loser | Series Winner | Sports league | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 Japan Series | Yomiuri Giants | Hankyu Braves | Nippon Professional Baseball | |
| 2000 Korean Series | Doosan Bears | Hyundai Unicorns | KBO League | |
| 2015 Mexican Baseball League Playoffs Championship Series (South Region) | Leones de Yucatán | Tigres de Quintana Roo | Mexican Baseball League | Yucatán was the home team in five of the seven games (games 1, 2, 5, 6, 7). |
| 2021 Mexican Baseball League Playoffs first round | Algodoneros de Unión Laguna | Mariachis de Guadalajara | Mexican Baseball League |
Ice hockey
| Year and series | Series Loser | Series Winner | Sports league | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 WHL East Division Semi-Finals | Saskatoon Blades | Lethbridge Hurricanes | Western Hockey League | Lethbridge won game 7 and the series in overtime on a goal by Neil Hawryluk. |
| 1997 OHL Semi-Finals | Guelph Storm | Ottawa 67's | Ontario Hockey League | |
| 2023–24 Czech Extraliga Quarterfinals | České Budějovice | Třinec | Czech Extraliga | After avoiding the comeback, Třinec went on to complete a 3–0 comeback of their own in the next round. |
| 2024 Liiga Quarterfinals | Helsinki HIFK | Lahti Pelicans | SM-liiga (Finland) | |
| 2024 OHL Eastern Conference Finals | North Bay Battalion | Oshawa Generals | Ontario Hockey League | |
| 2024 AHL Eastern Conference Finals | Cleveland Monsters | Hershey Bears | American Hockey League | Game 7 won by Hershey in overtime on a goal by Garrett Roe. |
3–0 Comebacks in a best-of-seven with ties
While ties can prolong the series to eight games or more, these are still best-of-seven series in that only seven of the games can have a decisive winner. Four victories still takes the series, thus overcoming a 3–0 deficit is still equally difficult.
| Year and series | Series Winner | Series Loser | Sports league | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 Japan Series | Seibu Lions | Hiroshima Toyo Carp | Nippon Professional Baseball | Game one ended in a tie; games two, three, and four were lost; but games five, six, seven, and eight were won. Nippon Professional Baseball does allow for games to be ended in ties, and this is also, to date, the only time a Japan Series went to a game eight. |
See also
- List of teams that have overcome 3–1 series deficits
- List of teams that have overcome 2–0 series deficits in a best-of-five series
References
- ^ Castrovince, Anthony (August 10, 2023). "MLB's postseason format, explained". Retrieved June 24, 2024.
- ^ "Playoff format". NHL.
- ^ "How do the NBA playoffs work? NBA playoffs explained". April 17, 2024. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
- ^ Brisbee, Grant (October 21, 2015). "A brief history of teams down 0-3 in a best-of-seven series". SB Nation. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
- ^ Brehm, Mike (June 22, 2024). "Edmonton Oilers look to join rare company by overcoming 3-0 deficit vs. Florida Panthers". USA Today. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
- ^ a b Schoenfield, David (October 17, 2020). "2020 MLB playoffs: Could the 2020 Astros join the 2004 Red Sox on Saturday? The anatomy of a 3-0 comeback". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
- ^ Reidy, Paul (June 13, 2024). "Has any team come back from a 3-0 series deficit in NBA Playoffs history?". Retrieved June 23, 2024.
- ^ Consolazio, Dave (October 8, 2019). "MLB 2 Reasons Baseballs Best-of-5 Playoff Series Format is Terrible". Sportscasting. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
- ^ "All-Time Playoff Formats". NHL Records. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
- ^ Kraetsch, Rich (12 October 2017). "Throwback Thursday: The history of NBA playoff reformatting". Fansided. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
- ^ Cotsonika, Nicholas J. (June 14, 2024). "Oilers have 'a strong belief in our group' despite facing 3-0 series deficit". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
- ^ Li, David (June 24, 2024). "Florida Panthers win their first Stanley Cup, surviving Oilers' unlikely comeback attempt". nbcnews.com. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
- ^ "Oilers' Connor McDavid wins Conn Smythe Trophy despite not capturing Stanley Cup". Sportsnet.ca. June 24, 2024. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
- ^ Barron, David (October 17, 2020). "Astros can't complete comeback in Game 7". houstonchronicle.com. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
- ^ "Stats of Playoff Series with a 3-0 Lead". Land Of Basketball.com.
- ^ Due to the Mexican League playoff rules, Puebla also advanced to the following round as the losing team with the most wins in the first round despite losing the series.
- ^ "El Águila: El Glorioso completa regreso histórico y va contra Leones". MiLB.com. Retrieved 2023-08-18.