The Edmonton Oilers could make history if they win Game 7 and complete their comeback.
But for the Florida Panthers, it would be a disaster, one of the worst collapses in sports. An Oilers’ victory would mean only the second time an NHL team has come back from a 3-0 deficit in a Stanley Cup Final in 82 years.
Back in 1942, the Red Wings lost a 3-0 lead to the Maple Leafs. Detroit already had two championships then, and there were only seven teams in the league. Media coverage was minimal compared to today’s intense scrutiny. Jumping sports, when the Red Sox broke their curse in 2004 by coming back from a 3-0 deficit against the Yankees, it became legendary. Movies like “Fever Pitch” were made about that season. Despite losing that series, New York fans didn’t suffer much since they had won four championships and six pennants within eight years.
No NBA team has ever come back from being down 3-0 in a playoff series. However, LeBron James led the Cavaliers to overcome a 3-1 deficit against the Warriors in 2016 . That win ended Cleveland’s long title drought since 1964. Golden State fans weren’t too upset because their team added Kevin Durant and won back-to-back titles afterward.
Comparing Painful Losses:
In football, Super Bowl LI saw an epic collapse when Atlanta Falcons blew a massive lead of 28-3 against Tom Brady’s Patriots, who then went on to win another Lombardi Trophy. Losing such a big lead is terrible enough but doing it against such a dominant team made it worse for Falcons fans.
Fans might think this news is both exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time.
The Panthers’ situation is different though; they are blowing an entire series after being favorites and having multiple chances to clinch it. The franchise has never won a championship even though it’s been around for three decades now.
What do you think will happen next?
