The Greatest Playoff Series of the Modern Era

[DrJones]

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]

Quote: Originally Posted by DrJones

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]

DGB's kinda stealing my bit here...

https://theathletic.com/1010567/2019...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]

Quote: Originally Posted by DrJones

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.

Quote:

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]

Quote: Originally Posted by Psyblast

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.

Quote: Originally Posted by Psyblast

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]

Quote: Originally Posted by DrJones

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]

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]

Me every time I see DrJones post in this thread