The Greatest Playoff Series of the Modern Era

[DrJones]

Re: The Greatest Playoff Series of the Modern Era

To be honest, looking back, I'm a little sad the 95' Cup Final isn't anywhere, but I do think it is a little bit of an overrated upset.

Biggest SCF upset I've seen, but it was a sweep, and the entertainment value was pretty awful. (And this is coming from someone who was a big Devils fan at the time. Hell, someone with my last name scored the winner in Game 2!)

[DaRK]

Re: The Greatest Playoff Series of the Modern Era

Biggest SCF upset I've seen, but it was a sweep, and the entertainment value was pretty awful. (And this is coming from someone who was a big Devils fan at the time. Hell, someone with my last name scored the winner in Game 2!)

Yes, I think it definitely is the biggest SCF upset of the modern era. But the Devils were definitely an up and coming contender that just had a bad regular season for a team one win away from the Finals in 94. And true, most sweeps aren't particularly entertaining.

[rkwittem]

Re: The Greatest Playoff Series of the Modern Era

This thread is absolute gold. I'll have to dig through these clips and videos one afternoon this summer when I start missing hockey again.

[DrJones]

Re: The Greatest Playoff Series of the Modern Era

This thread is absolute gold. I'll have to dig through these clips and videos one afternoon this summer when I start missing hockey again.

Appreciated! I notice there's a few dead links now - gonna have to get around to replacing them at some point.

[phenom1990]

Re: The Greatest Playoff Series of the Modern Era

Since the playoffs are almost here, I made this mandatory reading for myself.

[DrJones]

Re: The Greatest Playoff Series of the Modern Era

I really should update this someday.

I don't think any series from the last 3 playoffs would crack my Top 10, but there are a few candidates for the HM:

2015: Hawks/Ducks WCF
2016: Hawks/Blues WCQF, Pens/Caps ECSF
2017: Leafs/Caps ECQF, Oilers/Ducks WCSF, Pens/Caps ECSF

[phenom1990]

Re: The Greatest Playoff Series of the Modern Era

I really should update this someday.

I don't think any series from the last 3 playoffs would crack my Top 10, but there are a few candidates for the HM:

2015: Hawks/Ducks WCF
2016: Hawks/Blues WCQF, Pens/Caps ECSF
2017: Leafs/Caps ECQF, Oilers/Ducks WCSF, Pens/Caps ECSF

I would thoroughly enjoy reading your updates as I've been a more casual fan of hockey than I've wanted to be over the years.

This thread has allowed me to catch up and reminisce over great NHL playoff moments over the years.

[DrJones]

Re: The Greatest Playoff Series of the Modern Era

DGB's kinda stealing my bit here...

https://theathletic.com/1010567/2019/06/05/down-goes-brown-ranking-all-50-stanley-cup-finals-of-the-expansion-era/

Seems weird to include series you haven't actually watched. Here are my SCF rankings (38-31):

38. 1998 Red Wings over Capitals in 4. Nadir of the DPE. Caps blew a 4-1 lead in G1. That's the only thing I remember.
37. 1996 Avalanche over Panthers in 4. Felt bad for the FLA fans who only got to throw rats once during the SCF.
36. 1988 Oilers over Bruins in 4 1/2. Something tells me letting the Oilers play 3 out of 4 games at home wouldn't go over well today.
35. 1981 Islanders over North Stars in 5. "You never forget your first." Well, sometimes you do, actually.
34. 1982 Islanders over Canucks in 4. The Canucks played really well in the first 2 games, dammit!
33. 2002 Red Wings over Hurricanes in 5. You mean to tell me the Irbe/Weekes tandem wasn't going to cut it against a dozen HOFers??
32. 1990 Oilers over Bruins in 5. Another blackout! The Petr Klima Game!
31. 1995 Devils over Red Wings in 4. Not many candidates for big SCF upsets, are there? Pretty much this or The Series That Shall Not Be Named. Or perhaps...?

Top 30 coming... sometime over the next few days.

[Psyblast]

Re: The Greatest Playoff Series of the Modern Era

38. 1998 Red Wings over Capitals in 4. Nadir of the DPE. Caps blew a 4-1 lead in G1. That's the only thing I remember.

It was Game 2, and it was 4-2. Esa Tikkanen missed an open net that would've made it 5-3 midway through the 3rd.

33. 2002 Red Wings over Hurricanes in 5. You mean to tell me the Irbe/Weekes tandem wasn't going to cut it against a dozen HOFers??

This was actually an incredibly dramatic and anxious series for three games.

[DrJones]

Re: The Greatest Playoff Series of the Modern Era

It was Game 2, and it was 4-2. Esa Tikkanen missed an open net that would've made it 5-3 midway through the 3rd.

You're correct. I remember Tikkanen missing the gimme (mixed emotions, as I hated Tikkanen with the power of a thousand exploding suns), but whiffed on the details. Getting old sucks.

This was actually an incredibly dramatic and anxious series for three games.

I guess. Francis scored the OT winner in Game 1, right? I was nominally cheering for Carolina, but I always expected the hammer to eventually fall (and it did).

[Psyblast]

Re: The Greatest Playoff Series of the Modern Era

You're correct. I remember Tikkanen missing the gimme (mixed emotions, as I hated Tikkanen with the power of a thousand exploding suns), but whiffed on the details. Getting old sucks.



I guess. Francis scored the OT winner in Game 1, right? I was nominally cheering for Carolina, but I always expected the hammer to eventually fall (and it did).

He did. Then Game 2 was tied for the whole game until the Wings scored two goals in 13 seconds in the final 5-6 minutes. Then Game 3 was the marathon OT game. After that the Canes were done.

[slickdtc]

Re: The Greatest Playoff Series of the Modern Era

I remember that Hurricanes run relatively well. I dunno, maybe because the Flyers had traded Brind’Amour a year or two before, but that roster (RIP Vasicek) is very familiar for some reason.

Their series with Montreal in Round 2 was especially thrilling, during Jose Theodore’s Vezina season. Looking at their run, they had 2 OT games at least in each round, and went 7-2 overall in them.

Cardiac Canes...

[jvalverde88]

Re: The Greatest Playoff Series of the Modern Era

Me every time I see DrJones post in this thread

[DrJones]

Re: The Greatest Playoff Series of the Modern Era

Speaking of which...

Since this year will make an even 40 Stanley Cup Finals I've watched, I'm finally going to revise and finish the list before the end of July.

[DrJones]

Re: The Greatest Playoff Series of the Modern Era

Speaking of which...

Since this year will make an even 40 Stanley Cup Finals I've watched, I'm finally going to revise and finish the list before the end of July.

July 2022, that is.