Not Quite A “180,” Regarding The Current Semis Competitiveness NHL/NBA

It is not quite a 180 degree difference in a “competitive” measure between the NHL semis (as close as possible, theoretically not so, as the series home advantage team Dallas (Stars) leads (2-1) — compared to that round in the NBA, in which, Boston (Celtics) swept Indiana (Pacers) and Dallas (Mavericks) is now up (3-1), after Minnesota (Timberwolves) won at Dallas last night.

Meanwhile with the last 3 games overtime tilts, Florida won one such last night, to square their series with the New York Rangers at two games apiece.

Surely, you will see and hear that 155 times out of 155 (3-0) NBA series, the team up (3-0) prevailed. Only 4 teams down (3-0) forced a 7th game (it took Rochester (Royals) 7 vs the New York Knicks in 1951 (final), Utah (Jazz 7 to oust Denver (Nuggets) in the ’94 “quarters,” the Mavericks ditto vs Portland (Trail Blazers) in a 2003 first round series and Miami (Heat) needed to win as a big #7 underdog, which they did in a rout at Boston, vs the Celtics last year).

It is likely that only here, it is cited that the Rangers in 15 semis starting in ’67, the last year before NHL expansion, when playoff entry put a team in the semis, have been game 3 winners in a (1-1) series 5 times and lost game 4 each time, including last night.

In ’71 vs Chicago sans home advantage and 2012 vs the New Jersey Devils with it, they lost the semis series.

Meanwhile in both ’79 when they eventually lost the final to a 4th straight title, still great Montreal Canadiens team and ’94 when they ended a 54 year title drought, the Rangers won their semi after losing #4, up (2-1).

In ’79 they won #5 at the New York Islanders, the last time in 5 seasons, the Isles, so underpublicized compared to the Rangers, failed to make the final, (The Islanders won in the first four of those final round appearances), and won the series in 6 sans home advantage.

1994’s classic semi-final series was/is the same as this, through 4 games with the Rangers opponent, (N.J. in ’94 and Florida these 30 years later) winning at the Rangers in game 1, losing there in #2, the Rangers winning on the road, both times in overtime in #3 before losing a game 4 road tilt.

Anders Hedberg, pictured above, scored a late third period goal in #5 at Long Island, lifting the Rangers to their game 5, road victory in the 1979 semi-final round vs the New York Islanders.