NHL Update And Notes

Tonight in Tampa, the Colorado Avalanche seek a (3-1) final round series lead vs the two time champion, Tampa Bay Lightning.

It was not quite as “easy as ABC, for ABC since “Col.” scored first for the third time in as many tilts, (Gabriel Landeskog “cashing” for his “first goal prop” backers for a second time in the 3 tilts— (I think it was the great Joan Baez, on a Dick Cavett Show that aired over 50 years ago, that I recently heard talk about her son Gabriel. Alas she talked of him being in a world of no war, but it was not to be!!), but Tampa Bay did ease (6-2) in #3, defying the “Monday game/final round leader increases its lead or titles” trend.

Only the 1985 Kansas City Royals have ever trailed (2-0) in both its leagues semi-final and title rounds and won both series to gain the crown. The Lightning trailed the New York Rangers (2-0) in games and by a (2-0) score in a home #3, but won the series in 6 games, winning 3 games by one goal.

I do have (unofficially) some notes on previous NHL final rounds when a (2-0) series became a (2-1) entity. It was done with pen and napkin, juxtaposed with the computers around me and in this world.

13 teams down (2-0) then (2-1) in a best of 7 NHL final (the first and this is the 83rd, was played in 1939 and there was no NHL season in 2005), won game 4 to get even, with four going on to title (twice the Montreal Canadiens did so (’66 and ’71 with their ’66 triumph the only one done by the “route” of 2 home losses to start the final) while the ’09 Penguins and ’11 Bruins also did so).

Eleven times a team down (2-0) and then (2-1) in an NHL final lost #4 and none of those teams won the final.

7/11 manifests as those 11 teams that fell down (3-1) in the above referenced situation, managed only an aggregate 7 wins the rest of those 11 series. The ’87 Flyers and ’06 Oilers did get to a 7th game before losing to the same franchise Oilers and Hurricanes respectively.

In fact, no NHL team has ever overcome a “straight” (i.e. a (3-1) deficit without it having been a (3-0) series deficit) (3-1) NHL Final deficit. The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs overcame a (3-0) final round deficit and won the crown in game 7 vs the Detroit Red Wings, at home in game 7.

Patrick Maroon, bidding to be on a 4th straight title team, had a goal and an assist for the Lightning in their game 3 win.