Top 20 Greatest Stanley Cup Playoff Upsets: Part One 20 – 11

#20: Nashville Sweeps Chicago in 2017 Western Conference Quarterfinal

Now this isn’t as monumental as other playoff series that will make an appearance, but this was a crazy upset. In the 2016-17 season, the Chicago Blackhawks were looking to make another deep run in the postseason with the aging but still talented core of veterans. They were two years removed from their most recent Cup in 2015.

Chicago had clinched home ice advantage in the 2017 playoffs and their first round opponent was the Nashville Predators. The Blackhawks had finished the season with 109 points while Nashville was tied with Calgary for the last spot in the West with just 94 points, which resulted in a 15 point difference.

Chicago was in the top 10 in both goals for and against. Nashville was in the middle of the pack of both categories at the end of the regular season. However, what keeps this from being higher on the list is that Nashville had their fare share of talent on the roster. It wasn’t like their roster was thin.

The Preds had Roman Josi, PK Subban, Ryan Johansen, Filip Forsberg, Ryan Ellis and Pekka Rinne in net to name a few players. I’m sure people expected this series to be competitive, including myself. However, I doubt anyone saw this series being a sweep in favor of Nashville.

What ended up happening was that the Preds shutout the Hawks in games 1 and 2 on the road. Nashville won game 1 by a score of 1-0 with Rinne stopping all 29 shots. In game 2 Rinne stopped 30, as Nashville blew out the opposition 5-0. When the series shifted to the Music City, the Preds fed off the home crowd. Kevin Fiala scored in overtime to seal up game 3 by a 3-2 score.

In game 4, Roman Josi scored two goals to help the Predators wrap up the series in a 4-1 win. This was super disappointing for Chicago since they’re main forte was scoring goals, and they couldn’t find a way to get pucks in the back of the net. Running into a hot goalie has been a problem for several teams throughout the years and this was the case for Chicago.

This series loss ended up signaling the end of the dominant run that Chicago had throughout the 2010’s. They have since been a rebuilding team with aging starts like Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews and the glory days have been long gone. Nashville used the fuel from this as they went on one of the most unexpected runs in history as they made the Cup Finals against the Penguins.

#19: The Sharks shock St. Louis in the 2000 Western Conference Quarterfinals

The 2000 playoffs didn’t see too much chaos as many of the top teams in each conference advanced past the first round. However, one top team that laid an egg was the St. Louis Blues. Diehard Blues fans know about the pain and misery that they had to go through before winning a Cup a few years ago.

There have been many letdowns and disappointments. However, the 2000 season could be the worst disappointment in team history. Throughout the 1999-2000 season, the Blues were the most dominant team in the NHL. They scored the third most goals and gave up the fewest amount of goals throughout the 82 game campaign.

They were a well balanced group and there was a ton of scoring depth. Chris Pronger, Pavol Demitra, Pierre Turgeon, and Al MacInnis were some of the big weapons for head coach Joel Quenneville. They also had stability at the goaltender position as Roman Turek posted a .912 save percentage and a 1.95 GAA.

The Blue won the President’s Trophy with a total of 114 points and were expected to sweep the floor with their first round opponent, the San Jose Sharks. Unlike the Blues, the Sharks had a mediocre regular season. They finished with a record of 35-30-10 and had a total of 87 points.

The Sharks didn’t really have that much depth and scoring as evidenced by them ranking 16th in total goals. Their defense was okay as they ranked 13th in goals against. They were obviously led by Owen Nolan, the team’s superstar. He was one of only three Sharks players that had more than 50 points. The other two were Vincent Damphousse and Jeff Friesen. The rest of the team were filled out with role players who were out for long periods with injuries.

It’s also important to note that the team used three different goalies throughout the season. Steve Shields was the starter which isn’t saying much. The backup position was not figured out as they used a young Evgeni Nabokov and Mike Vernon. A young Patrick Marleau was on the team but he wasn’t a great player at this time.

The Blues won game 1 but the Sharks pulled three straight after to take a commanding series lead. St. Louis would win games 5 and 6 to force a game 7. However in front of the home crowd at the Kiel Center, the came out flat and lost 3-1.  The Blues defense was partly to blame as they gave up at least three goals in five of the seven contests. The Blues were able to score a bit too but when it counted the most they couldn’t.

#18: Toronto begins improbable run, defeats Chicago-1967 Semi-Final

In the 1966-67 season the Leafs were regarded as a team with the “over the hill gang” label. The average age of the team was 31 years old. Barely anyone expected Toronto to become a force that year, especially when they entered the postseason. Toronto finished with a record of 32-27-11, totaling only 75 points in a 70 game season.

They were faced against the best team in the league, the Chicago Blackhawks. The organization representing Chi-Town had a 41-17-12 record, good enough for 94 points. They were led by the dynamic duo of Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull. Goalies Glenn Hall and Dennis Dejordy were the leagues best goalie tandem as they posted a .922 and .923 save percentage respectively.

After 4 games, the series was tied at 2. However, the Maple Leafs took over in game 5. Trailing 2-1 in the first period. However, at the 14:14 mark, Frank Mahovlich scored on the power play to notch his thrid goal of the series. In the thrid period, the Leafs, still in a 2-2 tie, salted the game away as Pete Stemkowski and Jim Pappin scored to give a 4-2 win, putting Toronto ahead 3 games to 2.

In game 6, Terry Sawchuk would stop 34 of 35 shots. Brian Conacher scored twice and Pete Stemkowski would once again find himself on the score sheet delivering the final dagger to Chicago as he gave Toronto a 3-1 lead in the third period. Toronto would keep Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita in check and they were able to hold on and clinch a berth in the Stanley Cup Final.

Toronto would use the momentum and defeat the Montreal Canadiens in the Final in six games. Terry Sawchuck backstopped them to another series clinching effort in game 6.

#17: Toronto defeats well balanced LA Kings-1975 Preliminary Round

In 1974-75, the Los Angeles Kings had the best season in franchise history up to that point. In an 80 game season, the Kings finished with a record of 42-17-21 which was good enough for 105 points. Led by head coach Bob Pulford, LA gave up the 2nd fewest amount of goals.

A solid defense was matched by a good offense as they ranked 9th in goals for with 269. If you look at LA’s lineup they were deep. They’re were not any big time names, but as a unit, they coalesced very well. There were six different players that had over 50 total points for the season. This included 36 year old right winger, Bob Nevin, who had the best year of his career, talling 31 goals and 41 assists for 72 points.

Toronto on the other hand, were going through the a bit of a youth movement as this time. Many of the great Leafs players from the 60’s were long gone. The team’s core now featured a lot of young players. However, it’s not to say they didn’t have any talent. Darryl Sittler was the teams’ leading scorer and he was coming into his own. 1974-75 was he second straight 80 point season.

This Leafs squad also featured a 21 year old Lanny McDonald. He was able to contribute a bit offensively as he potted in 17 goals to go along with 27 assists for 44 points. However they weren’t as deep as LA on paper. While the Kings had six players over 50 points, the Leafs had only three. They were Sittler, Ron Ellis, and a 34 year old Dave Keon who was the last remnant of the old regime.

When it came to the masked men in the pipes, the advantage went to Los Angeles as well. Rogie Vachon started 54 games and posted .927 save percentage. Toronto’s goalie situation was a mess. Four different guys, saw action between the pipes and none really worked out well. Each gave up at least 3 goals a game. Doug Favell, who played the most amount of games with 39, had a 4.06 GAA and a .878 save percentage.

In this best of 3 preliminary round the Kings won game 1 in overtime by a score of 3-2. Bob Berry, Gene Carr, and Larry Brown each netted two points in the victory. Carr and Brown assisted on Mike Murphy’s overtime winner.  All the Kings had to do was win game 2 in the Maple Leaf Gardens  and they would move on to the Quarter-FInals.

Although Mike Murphy scored two more goals on the power play, the Kings could not get the most important goal. Game 2 went into overtime and this time it was Toronto prevailing when Blaine Stoughton got the game winner.

This set up a do or die game 3 in the Great Western Forum. Toronto dug LA into a 2 goal deficit by the third period. Rather than Rogie Vachon prevailing, it was Gord McRae of the Leafs that did. Don Kozak would get on the board for LA in the third, but it wasn’t enough.

Toronto won game 3 and eliminated the Kings. They would move onto the Quarter-FInals but they would get swept by the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Philadelphia Flyers. As for Los Angeles, struggles would pursue in the Preliminary Round, as they wouldn’t get past it for four of the next  six seasons. The two times they did get past it was at the expense of the Atlanta Flames.

#16: Senators take down New Jersey- 1998 Eastern Conference Quarter-Finals

In 1997-98, the New Jersey Devils were supposed to finally get back to the Stanley Cup Finals. After a horrible 1995-96 season and a 1997 2nd round exit to the Rangers, they had seemed destined to make a deep run in ’98.  Led by head coach Jacques Lemaire, the Devils were two points behind Dallas who won the President’s Trophy and were the top squad in the East.

In typical Devils fashion, they had the league’s most dominant defense. Anchored by future hall of famers Scott Stevens and Scott Niedermayer, New Jersey gave up the fewest goals in the NHL, which was expected. Goaltender Martin Brodeur had posted a .917 save percentage in his age 25 season.

The Devils were a solid group offensively as they placed ninth in goals for. This team didn’t have any big time scorers other than Bobby Holik who registered 65 points. However they still features Doug Gilmour, Dave Andreychuk, and Randy McKay.  They also had a young Patrik Elias and Petr Sykora who were still finding their way through the NHL. However, they were still decently productive offensively.

On the other side, the Ottawa Senators, had a mediocre regular season. They were able to squeak into the postseason with the final spot but they finished 34-33-15, which only registered for 83 points. They couldn’t really score as they finished 24th in goals for. The only big weapon that the Devils had to worry about was Alexi Yashin, who registered 33 goals and 72 total points. Daniel Alfredsson was on the team but wasn’t in his prime yet.

Surprisingly, the Sens ranked 9th in goals against. However, weren’t impressive and they shouldn’t have challenged New Jersey the way they did. Right away the Sens made the Devils worry as they stole home-ice from them in game 1. Bruce Gardiner scored at the 5:58 mark of overtime to win it 2-1. After a game 2 loss, Ottawa won game 3 in overtime again as Alexei Yashin potted in the winner this time. In game 4, Daniel Alfredsson’s hat-trick led them to a 4-3 win to take a 3-1 series lead. In game 6 Damian Rhodes stopped 21 of 22 shots and Ottawa clinched the series.

#15: Anaheim defeats San Jose in 2009 Western Conference Quarter-Finals

In 2008-09, the San Jose Sharks had a banner season for the franchise. They won their first ever President’s Trophy as they raced to a 50 win season for just the second time ever. They finished with 117 points and they were primed to turn the corner when it came to playoff success.

After a 2004 Western Conference Finals run, the Sharks failed to get past the second round in the three season that followed. 2009 seemed like their best chance to end playoff failures and make a deep run.

Of course they were led by their amazing trio of Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, and Patrick Marleau. Thornton led the team with 86 points. However they weren’t alone in giving the team production. Devin Setoguchi had a breakout season, scoring 38 goals and adding on 33 assists for 78 points. Milan Michálek and Ryane Clowe also chipped in with 57 points and 52 points respectively.

The backend was also extremely beneficial as four defenseman cracked the top 10 list in the teams’ scoring leaders. This list include Dan Boyle, who nearly tallied 20 goals, an aging but still effective Rob Blake, Christian Ehrhoff, and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The goaltending tandem was great as well as starter Evgeni Nabokov had a .910 saver percentage and backup Brian Boucher posted a .917 save percentage.

The Ducks were a very good team on paper. When you assess their 2009 season, many of the team’s best players were hampered by injury, which could be a reason as to why they were so underwhelming during the regular season. Anaheim was anchored by their young duo of Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. Bobby Ryan also came into the fold and became a productive scorer.

However, a lot of the team’s core was nearing the end of their careers and the writing was on the wall that Anaheim might soon have to get younger. The Niedermayer brothers, Chris Pronger, Teemu Selanne, and Samuel Pahlsson were all over 30 years old and some neared their 40’s. The Ducks weren’t expected to do much as they ranked in the middle of the pack in major statistical categories. The goaltending was solid however as starter Jonas Hiller posted a .919 save percentage.

In the series the Ducks swept the first two games on the road. In game 1, they shutout the Sharks’ high flying offense. In game 2, they build a 3-1 lead in the third period and never looked back. San Jose won game 3 but in game 4 they got shutout again, losing 4-0. In the blink of an eye, the Sharks were trailing 3-1 in the series and although they won game 5 in overtime it was too late.

Game 6 was a cakewalk for Anaheim. In the comforts of their own home, the Ducks scored four unanswered goals after San Jose made it 1-0. Jonas Hiller stood on his head and the Ducks took down the top team in the West. Anaheim would go on to playing Detroit in the next round and force a game 7 but lost. San Jose continues to have postseason struggles to this day even though they made the Stanley Cup Finals several years after.

#14: Quebec Nordiques stand up to mighty Montreal-1982 Division Semi-Finals

In 1981-82, the Montreal Canadiens were a juggernaut. They had arguably the best defense in the league and their offense was up to par, as they were able to put the puck in the net at a great rate. The team was lead by hall of famers Guy Lafleur and Larry Robinson.

The team was also deep as other guys stepped up and contributed throughout the season. Centerman Keith Acton actually was the man leading the team in points with 88. This was a breakout year for Acton, who actually scored 36 goals.

Other individuals that contributed were Mark Napier, Mario Tremblay, and Pierre Mondou. Montreal finished with 109 points, which was good enough to be ranked second in the Prince of Wales Conference. They finished nine points behind the Islanders and they were one of only three teams that year to finish with 100 points or more.

Quebec ended up with the second to last playoff spot in the conference. They had a 33-31-16 which was fine for a modest 82 points. However, this was significant for the franchise as this was only their third season in the NHL. The one thing that the Nordiques could do was score as they ranked third in goals. However, their defense ranked in the middle of the pack.

They did have a good amount of depth with the forward core and they were led by the legendary Stastny brothers. Out of the trio, Peter was obviously the main cog, as he racked up 46 goals and 93 assists for 193 points. However, very few gave Quebec a chance against Montreal’s shutdown defensive system.

As the series began, things were going as expected. In game 1, Montreal attacked the Nordiques extremally early. 56 seconds into the game, Mario Tremblay scored to give the Habs their first goal. It was all the momentum they needed. The Canadiens built a 5-0 lead which included two shorthanded goals in the third period.

Montreal would end up taking the series opener 5-1. To add injury to insult, Quebec’s main weapon, Peter Stastny would not be able to play the remainder of the series. However, shockingly, without their superstar, the Nordiques would end up tying the series at the Montreal Forum in game 2. They were actually trailing in the second period before scoring 2 goals to take the contest 3-2.

When the series shifted to Le Colisee de Quebec for game 3, Dale Hunter turned his game up to the next level. He scored twice in the opening frame which included a goal on the power play. After a scoreless second period, the legendary Guy Lafleur brought Montreal within 1 goal. Quebec would hold on to put the Habs on the brink of elimination in the best of 5 series.

In game 4, Montreal would dominate. Led offensively by Pierre Mondou and Doug Risebrough, who had two goals each, the Canadiens skated to a 6-2 victory. This would send the series back to the Forum for a do or die game 5. The climatic end to the series would happen in Quebec’s favor. The game had to go to overtime, tied at 2. Only 22 seconds in, Dale Hunter scored to pull off the upset for Quebec. They would use this fuel and go all the way to the Conference Finals before getting swept by the Islanders.

#13: LA Kings take out Anaheim Ducks in 7 games- 2014 Western Conference Second Round

The 2013-14 Los Angeles Kings had a few memorable moments in their unexpected run to the Stanley Cup. Many will always remember the reverse sweep that had against the San Jose Sharks in the first round after being down three games to none. Others will have them getting passed the Blackhawks in the conference final in seven games thanks to Alec Martinez’s goal in overtime. And of course there is Alec Martinez’s double overtime goal to win the Cup in game 5.

However, I really don’t hear too many people mentioning the second round series between them and the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks were poised to make a run at their first Cup since 2007. Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry had already entered their primes and were the faces of the franchise. They were the top two scorers on the team. However, there was a good amount of talent that surrounded them and contributed on a nightly basis.

The supporting cast around the two aforementioned stars was really young. The cast featured guys like Nick Bonino, who broke out as a full time player with 49 points, Mathieu Perreault, Andrew Cogliano and Kyle Palmieri. Cam Fowler and Hampus Lindholm were also a couple of young defenseman who were coming into their own. The Ducks were arriving into this series having just knocked off the Dallas Stars, which culminating in a thrilling game 6 comeback OT win.

The Kings obviously had talent as evidenced by their roster. However, they only had two players to crack at least 50 points that year as they struggled to produce on offense as they ranked 25th in goals . They were Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter. However, the backbone who ended up putting the Kings in this position was Jonathan Quick. The goalie was the biggest reason as to why the Kings allowed the fewest goals in the league, as he put up a .915 save percentage. Backups Martin Jones and Ben Scrivens were also solid in net.

The Ducks scored the second most goals in the league and had a good defense themselves. Unfortunately, it became their inability to score goals against the Kings, that would be their downfall. In game 1, Anaheim was trailing extremally late in the third period. However, at the 19:53 mark Marian Gaborik, who had been out for almost the entire year, scored to tie it at 2. He would then score in overtime to give Los Angeles a 3-2 win.

Game 2 was all about Jonathan Quick. The starting LA netminder, stopped 36 shots. He shook off a Pat Maroon power play goal in the first period and stood on his head the rest of the way. Dwight King’s empty netter gave the Kings a 2-0 series lead, destroying Anaheim’s home ice advantage. However, the Ducks got right back into the series, winning games 3 and 4 at the Staples Center.

In game 5, the Ducks put the Kings on the brink of elimination, winning 4-3. In a must win situation, Jonathan Quick once again stood on his head in game 6. LA opened up a 2-0 lead and staved off furious Anaheim chances in the third to force a game 7. The contest went in favor of the Kings and it wasn’t even close. Anaheim had a meltdown. LA scored 5 unanswered goals and eventually got past the Ducks in a 6-2 triumph.

#12: Devils plant seed for future success against Islanders- 1988 Division Semi-Finals

The 1987-88 season was a landmark moment for the New Jersey Devils. The franchise had moved to the Meadowlands a few years earlier, for the start of 1982-83. The franchise was looking for both a long-term home and the success that breeds champions. New Jersey had only made the playoffs once before in their history. That was in 1978 when they were known as the Colorado Rockies.

Barely anybody expected the Devils to even make the postseason in ’88. They were placed in a tough Patrick Division and they were an extremally young group. Many of the main players on the team were in their early to mid 20’s. The Devils however did have some good names on the roster.

Kirk Muller had registered a 94 point regular season that included 37 goals. There was also Aaron Broten, Pat Verbeek, Bruce Driver, Patrik Sundström, and even a 19 year old Brendan Shanahan. However, even if they had a good collection of talent and potential, many believed they would struggle through the season. To the people who said so, they were proven right through the first 50 games of the campaign.

They had a 21-24-5 record and were out of the playoffs. To compensate, management fired coach Doug Carpenter and replaced him with Jim Schoenfeld. The team perked up and had a 17-12-1 record through the last 30 games of the regular season. Other than the coaching change, another aspect that helped them out a ton was the addition of goalie Sean Burke who arrived from the Olympics. The team’s first playoff opponent would be the Islanders, after they clinched a spot on the last day of the regular season.

The squad representing Long Island had a tremendous amount of playoff experience. The roster included a couple of hall of famers that had won the four straight Cups in the early 80’s, them being Denis Potvin and Bryan Trottier. Both of them were still super productive and it didn’t look like they were aging at all. The Isles also had a blossoming superstar in Pat LaFontaine, who had posted his best season yet. He scored 47 goals and 45 assists for 92 points.

New York finished first in the Patrick Division and were expected to destroy the Devils. At the end of game 1, things seemed to be heading that way as the Islanders won in overtime 4-3. However the Devils would take games 2 and 3. In game 3, Sean Burke shutout the high-powered Islanders offense in a 3-0 win. The Islanders won game 4 in overtime to tie the series but New Jersey would win the next contest to move closer in pulling the upset.

In game 6, The Devils would come out blazing as they created a 6-1 lead in the third frame. The Islanders would not make the rest of the game easy as they scored four unanswered goals to pull within one. In the final seconds, the Islanders would make one last ditch effort to get the game tied but to no avail. Sean Burke made one more key save and the Devils won in front of the home Brendan Byrne Arena crowd.

New Jersey would defeat the Capitals in the Patrick Division Finals in 7 games. In the Conference Finals, they would push to Boston Bruins to the brink. However, they would lose in game 7. Although this amazing story would end one game short of the Stanley Cup Finals, this was the playoff run the franchise was looking for, to gain stability in New Jersey. They would enter the 1990s as one of the top franchises in all of hockey and would win several championships in the future.

#11: Pittsburgh goes through most shocking upset in 20 years vs. Boston- 2013 Eastern Conference Finals

The 2012-13 NHL season was very unusual for casual and diehard fans alike. Half of the regular season was lost due to a lockout. It was the second time in a short span that a lockout impeded the NHL from playing games. However, the league was able to play an abbreviated 48-game regular season.

It was intriguing and it would be an exciting sprint to the finish line to see who would get in the postseason. The Pittsburgh Penguins were expected to be a top team in the East and they were. They ended the regular season with a 36-12 record and were the #1 seed with 72 points.

Boston would finish the season with a record of 28-14-6. Their 62 points would have them rank third in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Both teams had an array of all-star caliber players to future hall of famers. Some of the headliners for Boston were Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Milan Lucic, Brad Marchand, and Tyler Seguin. The backend was led by Zdeno Chara and the B’s had Tukka Rask in net.

Pittsburgh was just as strong as they obviously had Sidney Crosby ripping up the league. In only 36 games, the superstar notched 15 goals and 41 assists for 56 points. The supporting cast featured Evgeni Malkin, Chris Kunitz, James Neal, Kris Letang, and Pascal Dupuis. The Pens also traded for Jerome Iginla, giving him one last chance to claim the Stanley Cup on a true contender. Pittsburgh could also be regarded as having the best goalie tandem as Marc-Andre Fleury and Tomas Vokoun posted amazing individual save percentages.

On the way the Eastern Conference Finals, the Bruins got through the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round. This includes the infamous game 7 where Boston came back from a 4-1 deficit to clinch the series in overtime. In the second round, they would get past the New York Rangers in a relatively easy five game set. The Penguins beat the New York Islanders in six games and then the Ottawa Senators in five.

Even though the teams seemed even on paper, this deserves to be on the list. The reason why is because of the way the Bruins beat the Penguins. Everyone thought this series would be competitive but it ended up being a clean sweep for Boston. The Penguins scored the most goals in the NHL and when they struggled to find the back in the net they collapsed.

In game 1, Boston shutout the Pens 3-0 behind David Krejci’s two-goal effort. In game 2 the Bruins blew them out, winning 6-1. This time it was Brad Marchand scoring two goals. When the series shifted back to Boston, the Penguins had a chance to give themselves some momentum as game 3 went into double overtime tied at 1. Patrice Bergeron theoretically ended the series as the Bruins had a 3-0 series lead. Game 4 was a defensive slugfest that ended with a 1-0 score when Adam McQuaid scored in the third period.

This became the biggest upset loss for the Penguins since they lost to the Islanders in 1993 when going for the third straight Stanley Cup. Boston would end up losing to the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Final.