The Greatest Playoff Series of the Modern Era

[DrJones]

Re: The Greatest Playoff Series of the Modern Era

Honourable Mentions #16-20

Red Wings def. Avalanche 4-2 (1997 West Final)

Turnabout is fair play. Plus some Gary Thorne for your listening pleasure.

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Stars def. Avalanche 4-3 (2000 West Final)

Slightly preferred this series to Stars/Avs I the previous year. If Bourque's shot with 13 seconds left had gone in, this might've made the top 10.

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Penguins def. Sabres 4-3 (2001 East Semifinal)

Le Magnifique vs The Dominator? Last 3 games go to OT? Unlikeliest Game 7 OT hero in history? Sign me up!

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Avalanche def. Devils 4-3 (2001 Stanley Cup Final)

Excellent storylines (top 2 teams in league, Brodeur vs Roy, Bourque's first Cup, Avs dethrone champs without Forsberg, etc.), but this one is a little overrated IMO. Quality of play wasn't the greatest. Marty had a real chance to grab the GOAT hammer here, but was significantly outplayed by Roy.

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Hurricanes def. Sabres 4-3 (2006 East Final)

And now we jump ahead 5 years, although it seems like 50, considering how different the lay of the land was post-lockout. Nobody ever brings up this one when it comes to memorable series, but it's the freaking Buffalo Sabres vs the former Hartford Whalers for the opportunity to be the heavy favourite for the Stanley Cup! We were one period away (it was 2-1 BUF after 2 in G7) from a Buffalo vs Edmonton Final!!!

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A couple things about this series:

1. Buffalo had, what, two, maybe three healthy D-men by the end of this series? Brutal injury luck.

2. There was an overwhelming media narrative at the time (and lasted through at least 2008) that Chris Drury was the clutchiest clutch clutcher who ever clutched ("He won a Little League World Series!!1!") and was far more valuable than Daniel Briere, who didn't have Drury's "intangibles". Think about that for a second.

[Psyblast]

Re: The Greatest Playoff Series of the Modern Era

2. There was an overwhelming media narrative at the time (and lasted through at least 2008) that Chris Drury was the clutchiest clutch clutcher who ever clutched ("He won a Little League World Series!!1!") and was far more valuable than Daniel Briere, who didn't have Drury's "intangibles". Think about that for a second.

As a Red Wings fan, Chris Drury is the evil insectoid that emerged from the molted skin of Adam Deadmarsh. And nothing anybody says can change my mind.

[DrJones]

Re: The Greatest Playoff Series of the Modern Era

I think I'm gonna patent the term "GOAT hammer".

[DrJones]

Re: The Greatest Playoff Series of the Modern Era

As a Red Wings fan, Chris Drury is the evil insectoid that emerged from the molted skin of Adam Deadmarsh. And nothing anybody says can change my mind.

Adam Deadmarsh was born and raised in BC and played for the Canadian U-17 and U-18 national teams. At the advice of his agent, Deadmarsh switched his playing nationality to American (his mom was born in the US) so that he might become more "marketable" down the road. Deadmarsh gets the bronze behind Greg Rusedski and Sydney Leroux when it comes to Canadian sports traitors (at least Brett Hull had been screwed over by Hockey Canada).

Is it wrong to cheer for an injury, particularly one that cut short a career? Of course it is. Did I cheer like a madman when this happened (I was at this game)? Of course I did.

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[gopher_guy]

Re: The Greatest Playoff Series of the Modern Era

Loving the history lesson so far, DrJ

[DrJones]

Re: The Greatest Playoff Series of the Modern Era

Honourable Mentions #21-25

Ducks def. Red Wings 4-2 (2007 West Final)

Great series. Teemu's biggest goal. Or as Psyblast would call it, "The Day the Terrorists Won".

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Hurricanes def. Devils 4-3 (2009 East Quarterfinal)

Another underrated series. Two OT games early in the series, a 1-0 duel between Brodeur and Ward in Game 5 (shots were 44-42 NJ), and a truly stunning Game 7 finish.

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Penguins def. Red Wings 4-3 (2009 Stanley Cup Final)

Could easily have made the top 10, but wasn't quite feeling it, despite the dramatic ending. What's more unbelievable: Pittsburgh winning despite receiving zippo from Crosby; Marc-Andre Fleury making arguably the biggest save in hockey history; or CBC using a Coldplay song to awesome, chills-inducing, unforgettable effect?

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PS: Please note that the Penguins had no problem with touching the Wales Championship Trophy.

Flyers def. Bruins 4-3 (2010 East Semifinal)

Marc Savard's Game 1 winner was one of the best OT celebrations ever. The Bruins were an OT goal away from a sweep, and had a 3-0 lead at home in Game 7...

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Bruins def. Canadiens 4-3 (2011 East Quarterfinal)

Habs win the first two in Beantown, Bruins return the favour in Montreal. OT games in G4, 5, & 7. A classic.

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As ridiculous as Jack Edwards' homerism is at times, I've always admired his enthusiasm for calling opposition goals (as opposed to, among others, the truly terrible Paul Steigerwald). I think he'd make a good national announcer for NBC (assuming the Bruins weren't playing). And I say this as a Canucks fan.

[DrJones]

Re: The Greatest Playoff Series of the Modern Era

Favourite Random Playoff Game

Penguins 6, Blackhawks 5 (Game 4, 1992 Stanley Cup Final)

Last game of a sweep, but what a game. Pens machine at full throttle. Hawks captain and stalwart mustache wearer Dirk Graham with a first-period hat trick. In the first 5 or so years of his career, Eddie the Eagle would occasionally veer into cartoonishly bad sieve territory, and Game 4 would be one of those nights. Iron Mike gave Belfour the hook (surprise!) and put in the Hawks' 27-year-old rookie backup, some guy I vaguely recalled from Czech teams in old Canada Cups...

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[DrJones]

Re: The Greatest Playoff Series of the Modern Era

Honourable Mentions #26-30

Canucks def. Blackhawks 4-3 (2011 West Quarterfinal)

The only time in the last 50 years that the defending Stanley Cup champion met the Presidents' Trophy winner in the first round. Suffocating pressure. This series aged me about 500 years. I could probably do a thread on Games 6 & 7 alone. Another time, perhaps.

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Sharks def. Red Wings 4-3 (2011 West Semifinal)

Poor San Jose. They couldn't even come up with the most memorable "apocalyptic 3-0 chokejob followed by inspiring/terrifying Game 7 victory over hated rival" of the 2011 playoffs!

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PS: Jesus, that goal by Datsyuk.

Capitals def. Bruins 4-3 (2012 East Quarterfinal)

Only 7-game series in NHL history in which every game was decided by 1 goal (and 4 in OT!).

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PS: About a month before the 2012 playoffs, I was in New Orleans for a few days. I went to one of the local cemetaries (the one with Nicolas Cage's future pyramid grave) and left an offering at the tomb of a voodoo priestess, asking for bad things to befall the Bruins and Blackhawks that year. Thanks, black magic!

Bruins def. Maple Leafs 4-3 (2013 East Quarterfinal)

The Leafs' only playoff appearance in the last decade ended like this. Ouch.

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PS: And yet it was just enough to allow Carlyle and Nonis to keep their jobs. Double ouch.

Blackhawks def. Bruins 4-2 (2013 Stanley Cup Final)

The first Original Six SCF in 34 years, and it did not disappoint. (Except those who had commissioned an asteroid strike that never arrived.) Almost certainly would've made the top 10 if the Bruins had won Game 6.

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The lesson, as always: black magic > asteroids.

[DrJones]

Re: The Greatest Playoff Series of the Modern Era

One I Missed

Dammit, I knew something would fall through the cracks.

Avalanche def. Blackhawks 4-2 (1996 West Semifinal)

4 OT games. JR vs Roy. Fun, fun series.

(Go to 4:00 to get to COL/CHI)

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Tomorrow: the top 10!

[Psyblast]

Re: The Greatest Playoff Series of the Modern Era

Honourable Mentions #21-25

Ducks def. Red Wings 4-2 (2007 West Final)

Great series. Teemu's biggest goal. Or as Psyblast would call it, "The Day the Terrorists Won".

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**** YOU!!

That Game 5 remains one of the most haunting, unspeakable things to ever happen. The Red Wings blow a chance to go up 3-1 by losing Game 4 to a Pronger-less Ducks team because the Sasquatch got suspended, but they still have Game 5 back at home, on NBC, on a Sunday afternoon. They lead 1-0 on a goal by Andreas Lilja of all people, and give it up in the final minute of the 3rd period on one of the flukiest goals of all-time. Skunkbeard Niedermayer whiffs on the shot in the slot, but it ticks off Lidstrom's stick and flutters in slow motion over Hasek's shoulder and into the damn net, setting the stage for the birth of Andreas LOLja. If you watch, the moment he gives it away to Selanne, a fan stands up immediately, and is turned and headed out a split second after Selanne scores. A friend and I joke sardonically to this day about the guy in front who knew it was over as soon as the puck was turned over.

That loss was a fluke of bad luck from the hockey gods, along with Rob Niedermayer blatantly pushing Hasek into the goal in Game 2 for the tying goal (Ducks won in OT). If Hasek was any better (he was 99% done as an NHL goalie that year; 100% done the next spring), or if Niklas Kronwall and Mathieu Schneider play a single second in that series, the Wings win. I'll go to my grave believing the Red Wings were the best team in 2007 at full strength.

Penguins def. Red Wings 4-3 (2009 Stanley Cup Final)

Could easily have made the top 10, but wasn't quite feeling it, despite the dramatic ending. What's more unbelievable: Pittsburgh winning despite receiving zippo from Crosby; Marc-Andre Fleury making arguably the biggest save in hockey history; or CBC using a Coldplay song to awesome, chills-inducing, unforgettable effect?

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I'd like to remind everyone who views me as too pessimistic and too negative: this was the last time I was confident about a Red Wings win. Game 7 in 2009.

I'm still paranoid about that series. Games 1 and 2 being on back to back days, only three days after the Wings finished the WCF in 5 games. The Penguins getting away with 6 men in the offensive zone for 20 seconds, with a linesman allegedly calling for the player nearest the bench to get off the ice to avoid a penalty. Jonathan Ericsson getting called for the same obstruction call that Hal Gill did every time on the ice, with 10:00 left in a tie game, setting up the GWG on the ensuing Pittsburgh power play.

But I digress. Samuelsson hit the post, Fleury robbed Cleary's breakaway, Franzen smacked the puck into Rob Scuderi's leg instead of the net, and Kronwall hit the crossbar in the dying minutes of Game 7. The turning point of this series, btw, was the 2nd period of Game 4. Wings were up 2-1 in the series and 2-1 in the game and got a PP. They botch the PP, Malkin is sprung on essentially a breakaway; Osgood stops him. Barely 30 seconds later, on the same PP, the Wings stumble over themselves again, and Jordan Staal gallops down the ice, basically flicking poor little Brian Rafalski away as he charges in and ties the game with a shorthanded goal. Five minutes later it was 4-2, and the Wings looked dead. I know Doc is a huge disbeliever in "momentum"...I present that sequence as evidence. Staal's SHG changed everything in that game.

PS: Please note that the Penguins had no problem with touching the Wales Championship Trophy.

This was superstition too. Crosby himself said they touched it that year to change their luck because they didn't touch it in 2008.

[DrJones]

Re: The Greatest Playoff Series of the Modern Era

I'd like to remind everyone who views me as too pessimistic and too negative: this was the last time I was confident about a Red Wings win. Game 7 in 2009.

The only time I felt truly confident about the Canucks was after Game 3 against Chicago and after Game 2 against Boston. Never again.

I know Doc is a huge disbeliever in "momentum"...I present that sequence as evidence. Staal's SHG changed everything in that game.

Oh, I believe momentum swings exist within a game (a TSN Turning Point, if you will), and on rare occasion within a series. But they're uncommon. Unlike Craig Simpson and Glenn Healy, I do not believe every single goal, save, or called penalty results in a momentum swing. The term is used by some to explain anything and everything that happens in a game, rendering it meaningless. It's lazy analysis. I'm sure the talking heads were pretty bullish on Pittsburgh's momentum heading into Game 5... which they lost 5-0.

This was superstition too. Crosby himself said they touched it that year to change their luck because they didn't touch it in 2008.

Heh.

[yankeesgiants]

Re: The Greatest Playoff Series of the Modern Era

Doc,

on Jack Edwards, No just no on that NBC idea. Giving him a nightly national audience for these type of rants which WILL happen btw is a bad idea.

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[ImTellinTim]

Re: The Greatest Playoff Series of the Modern Era

Just for fun, here's footage of the aforementioned Good Friday Massacre from 1984. A benches-clearing-brawl at the end of the second period and another one at the beginning of the third. All this while the score was 1-0 in Game 6!!

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Try to imagine what Twitter (or these boards) would be like if something like this happened today. And while you watch this, remember there was no instigator penalty back then, so nobody got hurt and no stars ever got targeted, right Grapes?

EDIT: Make sure you watch to the end for the best PA reciting of penalties ever. Amazing!

Mickey Redmond doing the color commentary on this makes it even better. I didn't know he was with HNIC before he started doing the Wings games.

[DrJones]

Re: The Greatest Playoff Series of the Modern Era

Doc,

on Jack Edwards, No just no on that NBC idea. Giving him a nightly national audience for these type of rants which WILL happen btw is a bad idea.

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I did stipulate that he couldn't call national games that involved the Bruins. Would he deliver insane rants after, say, a Penguins/Lightning game?

[ImTellinTim]

Re: The Greatest Playoff Series of the Modern Era

I haven't seen Canucks/Wild yet, so I'm guessing that didn't make the cut. I'm sad.

I was looking forward to your laments over Cloutier.