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List of teams that have overcome 3–0 series deficits

Updated: Wikipedia source

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 the final game of the series. All 3–0 deficit comebacks in a seven-game series involve winning four straight elimination games, finally featuring a double-elimination game seven. Longer series of this nature are almost always structured as single-elimination knockout tournaments, so one more loss ends playoff contention for the losing side.

Tables

· Key
Eventual champion
Eventual champion
Col 1
Eventual champion
Indicates the team that had home advantage
Indicates the series winner won (or went on to win) the championship
Indicates the team that had home advantage
Indicates series in the championship round
Eventual champion
Indicates the series winner won (or went on to win) the championship
· National Hockey League › Successful comebacks
1942 Stanley Cup Final
1942 Stanley Cup Final
Year and series
1942 Stanley Cup Final
Series Winner
Toronto Maple Leafs
Series Loser
Detroit Red Wings
Note(s)
Only time in the Stanley Cup Final.
1975 Stanley Cup quarterfinals
1975 Stanley Cup quarterfinals
Year and series
1975 Stanley Cup quarterfinals
Series Winner
New York Islanders
Series Loser
Pittsburgh Penguins
Note(s)
New York won a record eight games while facing elimination this playoff year.
2010 Eastern Conference semifinals
2010 Eastern Conference semifinals
Year and series
2010 Eastern Conference semifinals
Series Winner
Philadelphia Flyers
Series Loser
Boston Bruins
Note(s)
Philadelphia also overcame a 3–0 goal deficit in the seventh game.
2014 Western Conference quarterfinals
2014 Western Conference quarterfinals
Year and series
2014 Western Conference quarterfinals
Series Winner
Los Angeles Kings
Series Loser
San Jose Sharks
Note(s)
Los Angeles won three Game 7s in this playoff year and holds the record for most elimination games won in a single playoff year for a Stanley Cup champion, with seven. This was the second time that a team has overcome a 3–0 deficit and gone on to win the Stanley Cup.
Year and series
Series Winner
Series Loser
Note(s)
1942 Stanley Cup Final
Toronto Maple Leafs
Detroit Red Wings
Only time in the Stanley Cup Final.
1975 Stanley Cup quarterfinals
New York Islanders
Pittsburgh Penguins
New York won a record 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 quarterfinals
Los Angeles Kings
San Jose Sharks
Los Angeles won three Game 7s in this playoff year and holds the record for most elimination games won in a single playoff year for a Stanley Cup champion, with seven. This was the second time that a team has overcome a 3–0 deficit and gone on to win the Stanley Cup.
· National Hockey League › Unsuccessful comebacks
1939 Stanley Cup semifinals
1939 Stanley Cup semifinals
Year and series
1939 Stanley Cup semifinals
Series Loser
New York Rangers
Series Winner
Boston Bruins
Note(s)
Boston won game seven in triple overtime.
1945 Stanley Cup Final
1945 Stanley Cup Final
Year and series
1945 Stanley Cup Final
Series Loser
Detroit Red Wings
Series Winner
Toronto Maple Leafs
Note(s)
Detroit nearly got revenge on Toronto for a blown 3–0 lead three years previously.
1975 Stanley Cup semifinals
1975 Stanley Cup semifinals
Year and series
1975 Stanley Cup semifinals
Series Loser
New York Islanders
Series Winner
Philadelphia Flyers
Note(s)
New York successfully came back from a 3–0 deficit to win in the previous round.
2011 Western Conference quarterfinals
2011 Western Conference quarterfinals
Year and series
2011 Western Conference quarterfinals
Series Loser
Chicago Blackhawks
Series Winner
Vancouver Canucks
Note(s)
The Presidents' Trophy-winning Canucks won game seven in overtime after Chicago tied it 1–1 with a shorthanded goal by forward and captain Jonathan Toews with 1:56 left in the third period. Should Chicago have won, it would have been the third consecutive year that they beat Vancouver, as they eliminated them in six games in the conference semifina
2011 Western Conference semifinals
2011 Western Conference semifinals
Year and series
2011 Western Conference semifinals
Series Loser
Detroit Red Wings
Series Winner
San Jose Sharks
Note(s)
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 Final
2024 Stanley Cup Final
Year and series
2024 Stanley Cup Final
Series Loser
Edmonton Oilers
Series Winner
Florida Panthers
Note(s)
Florida won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. Edmonton forward and captain Connor McDavid became the sixth player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy despite losing the Final.
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 Final
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 successfully came back from a 3–0 deficit to win in the previous round.
2011 Western Conference quarterfinals
Chicago Blackhawks
Vancouver Canucks
The Presidents' Trophy-winning Canucks won game seven in overtime after Chicago tied it 1–1 with a shorthanded goal by forward and captain Jonathan Toews with 1:56 left in the third period. Should Chicago have won, it would have been the third consecutive year that they beat Vancouver, as they eliminated them in six games in the conference semifina
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 Final
Edmonton Oilers
Florida Panthers
Florida won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. Edmonton forward and captain Connor McDavid became the sixth player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy despite losing the Final.
· Major League Baseball › Successful comebacks
2004 American League Championship Series
2004 American League Championship Series
Year and series
2004 American League Championship Series
Series Winner
Boston Red Sox
Series Loser
New York Yankees
Note(s)
The Red Sox were 3 outs away from being swept in Game 4. Trailing 4–3 in the bottom of the 9th, Kevin Millar walked to lead off the inning before being pinch ran for by Dave Roberts. Roberts stole second, and two pitches later, Bill Mueller tied the game with an RBI single to force extra innings. In the 12th inning, David Ortiz hit a walk-off 2-run
Year and series
Series Winner
Series Loser
Note(s)
2004 American League Championship Series
Boston Red Sox
New York Yankees
The Red Sox were 3 outs away from being swept in Game 4. Trailing 4–3 in the bottom of the 9th, Kevin Millar walked to lead off the inning before being pinch ran for by Dave Roberts. Roberts stole second, and two pitches later, Bill Mueller tied the game with an RBI single to force extra innings. In the 12th inning, David Ortiz hit a walk-off 2-run
· Major League Baseball › Unsuccessful comebacks
2020 American League Championship Series
2020 American League Championship Series
Year and series
2020 American League Championship Series
Series Loser
Houston Astros
Series Winner
Tampa Bay Rays
Note(s)
In Game 5, Carlos Correa hit a walk-off home run to force a Game 6, which they would win to become the second team in MLB history to force a Game 7 after trailing 3–0. However, in Game 7, the Rays took an early lead that they wouldn't relinquish. Series was played at Petco Park, a neutral site due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the series had no off-
Year and series
Series Loser
Series Winner
Note(s)
2020 American League Championship Series
Houston Astros
Tampa Bay Rays
In Game 5, Carlos Correa hit a walk-off home run to force a Game 6, which they would win to become the second team in MLB history to force a Game 7 after trailing 3–0. However, in Game 7, the Rays took an early lead that they wouldn't relinquish. Series was played at Petco Park, a neutral site due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the series had no off-

References

  1. Played at a neutral site
  2. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5268189/2024/02/11/canada-usa-rivalry-series/
  3. Toronto Star
    https://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/the-leafs-pulled-off-the-reverse-sweep-81-years-ago-only-three-other-nhl-teams/article_f362ac0f-5cc5-5e92-925d-7af8998fd672.html
  4. MLB
    https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-playoff-format-faq
  5. NHL
    https://www.nhl.com/info/standings-info/playoff-format
  6. "How do the NBA playoffs work? NBA playoffs explained"
    https://blog.betway.com/basketball/how-do-the-nba-playoffs-work-nba-playoffs-explained/#:~:text=The%20playoffs%20use%20a%20best,progressing%20to%20the%20next%20round.
  7. "Oilers are the latest team to attempt a comeback from 3-0 deficit"
    https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/40400625/successful-unsuccessful-comebacks-3-0-deficit
  8. USA Today
    https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/2024/06/22/3-0-series-comebacks-sports-history-oilers-panthers/74180200007/
  9. ESPN
    https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/30127928/2020-mlb-playoffs-2020-astros-join-2004-red-sox-saturday-anatomy-0-3-comeback
  10. "Has any team come back from a 3-0 series deficit in NBA Playoffs history?"
    https://en.as.com/nba/has-any-team-come-back-from-a-3-0-series-deficit-in-nba-playoffs-history-n-4/
  11. Sportscasting
    https://www.sportscasting.com/mlb-2-reasons-baseballs-best-of-5-playoff-series-format-is-terrible
  12. NHL Records
    https://records.nhl.com/history/playoff-formats
  13. Fansided
    https://fansided.com/2017/10/12/nba-playoff-reform-adam-silver-history/
  14. NHL
    https://www.nhl.com/news/oilers-have-strong-belief-despite-3-0-deficit-in-stanley-cup-final
  15. nbcnews
    https://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/stanley-cup-finals-game-7-edmonton-oilers-florida-panthers-rcna158575
  16. houstonchronicle
    https://www.houstonchronicle.com/texas-sports-nation/astros/article/Astros-can-t-complete-comeback-in-Game-7-15656062.php
  17. Land Of Basketball
    https://www.landofbasketball.com/statistics/playoff_series_3_0.htm
  18. ESPN
    https://www.espn.com/nba/playbyplay/_/gameId/230504006
  19. AS USA
    https://en.as.com/nba/when-did-the-nba-change-the-playoffs-from-best-of-five-to-best-of-7-games-n/
  20. MiLB
    https://www.milb.com/news/el-aguila-el-glorioso-completa-regreso-historico-y-va-contra-leones
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