NHL Conference Finals: Six Stats You Might Not Know
Sports Stats ‘on Tapp’ is a sports statistics blog published multiple times weekly focusing on stats that go beyond the numbers.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The NHL Conference Finals begin Sunday as the Los Angeles Kings travel to Phoenix to take on the Coyotes. The other Conference Final will begin on Monday after the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals play Game Seven on Saturday in their series to see who advances to face the New Jersey Devils.
Following are six stats you might not know about the NHL Conference Finals since 1980 (the last 31 years).
1. In the first two games of the Conference Finals since 1980, 30 of them had one of the teams take a 2-0 lead. In the other 32 series, the teams split the first two games.
2. In the 30 series where a team took a 2-0 lead, that team won the Conference Finals 28 times. The last team to fall behind two games to none in the Conference Finals and win that series was in 1991 when the Pittsburgh Penguins lost the first two games against the Boston Bruins and then won four straight to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.
3. In the 32 series that started out with the teams splitting the first two games, there was no advantage by winning either Game One or Game Two of the series. The eventual series winner won Game One 16 times; the eventual series winner won Game Two 16 times.
4. When the series started out 1-1, the team that won Game Three went on to win the series in 27 of the 32 series. From 1980-1999, the team that won Game Three after the series was tied at 1-1 won 21 of the 22 series. In the 10 Conference Finals that were tied at 1-1 since 2000, the team that won Game Three has won the series six times and lost the series four times.
5. Of the 62 Conference Finals played since 1980, 10 lasted only four games. The series went five games in 20 series; six games in 19 series; and the series went the full seven games in 13 series.
6. There have been 59 overtime games played in the Conference Finals since 1980. The home team has won 29 and lost 30. The home team has won five of the last five overtime games in the Conference Finals.
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A sports first! Reigning champs Packers (NFL), Mavs (NBA), Bruins (NHL) lose in 2012 first-round playoffs
Sports Stats ‘on Tapp’ is a sports statistics blog published multiple times weekly focusing on stats that go beyond the numbers.
Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
First, the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers lost their first playoff game to the New York Giants. Then the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins lose their first-round series to the Washington Capitals four games to three. Finally, the defending NBA champs, the Dallas Mavericks, were swept in a four-game first-round series to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Put it all together and it was the first time in sports history that the defending NFL, NHL and NBA champions were all defeated the following year in the first-round of the playoffs. (If baseball’s St. Louis Cardinals make the 2012 MLB playoffs and are defeated in their first-round series, we’ll have a clean sweep of defending champs in the first round of the playoffs in 2012.)
Following is a look at each of the football, basketball and hockey champions since 1970 that were defeated in their first-round playoff the following season after their title (Year listed is the year they won the Super Bowl or the NBA, NHL championship, followed by their first-round loss in the playoffs the following season.)
National Football League (10)
2011-Green Bay Packers: Lost 37-20 to NY Giants in divisional playoff game
2010-New Orleans Saints: Lost 41-36 to Seattle in Wild Card playoff game
2008-NY Giants: Lost 23-11 to Philadelphia in divisional playoff game
2007-Indianapolis: Lost 28-24 to San Diego in divisional playoff game
2000-St. Louis Rams: Lost 31-28 to New Orleans in Wild Card playoff game
1995-San Francisco: Lost 27-17 to Green Bay in divisional playoff game
1986-Chicago: Lost 27-13 to Washington in divisional playoff game
1985-San Francisco: Lost 17-3 to NY Giants in Wild Card playoff game
1984-LA Raiders: Lost 13-7 to Seattle in Wild Card playoff game
1974-Miami: Lost 28-26 to Oakland in divisional playoff game
National Basketball Association (6)
2011-Dallas: Lost 4-0 to Oklahoma City in Western Conference first-round series
2006-Miami: Lost 4-0 to Chicago in Eastern Conference first-round series
1999-San Antonio: Lost 3-1 to Phoenix in Western Conference first-round series
1983-Philadelphia: Lost 3-2 to NJ Nets in Eastern Conference first-round series
1980-LA Lakers: Lost 2-1 to Houston in Western Conference first-round series
1977-Portland: Lost 4-2 to Seattle in Western Conference semifinals (they had a bye in the first round)
2011-Boston: Lost 4-3 to Washington in the conference quarterfinals
2010-Chicago: Lost 4-3 to Vancouver in the conference quarterfinals
2007-Anaheim: Lost 4-2 to Dallas in the conference quarterfinals
2004-Tampa Bay: Lost 4-1 to Ottawa in the 2006 conference quarterfinals (no 2005 season due to season cancelled)
2003-NJ Devils: Lost 4-1 to Philadelphia in conference quarterfinals
2002-Detroit: Lost 4-0 to Mighty Ducks in conference quarterfinals
1993-Montreal: Lost 4-3 to Boston in conference quarterfinals
1973-Montreal: Lost 4-2 to NY Rangers in quarterfinals
1972-Boston: Lost 4-1 to NY Rangers in quarterfinals
1971-Montreal: Lost 4-2 to NY Rangers in quarterfinals
1970-Boston: Lost 4-3 to Montreal in quarterfinals
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SIX STATS you might not know about… NHL playoffs (4-game sweeps vs. 7-game series)
Sports Stats ‘on Tapp’ is a sports statistics blog published multiple times weekly focusing on stats that go beyond the numbers.
The Stanley Cup (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The National Hockey League playoffs are underway. Two series, Los Angeles-Vancouver and Pittsburgh-Philadelphia, still have the potential of a four-game sweep as the #8 seed Kings hold a 3-0 series over top-seeded Vancouver, and the Flyers are up three games to none over Pittsburgh. In the other six series, there is still the potential of the teams taking the series to a deciding seventh game.
Following is a stats snapshot of NHL playoff series going back to 1987 (the year all playoff series went to seven games) with a focus on four-game sweeps and series that go to a deciding seventh game.
Conference Quarterfinals
1. Four-game series sweeps: There have been 25 four-game sweeps in the first round of the NHL playoffs since 1987. Teams that win the first round in a four-game sweep won 11 series and lost 14 series in the next round.
2. Seven-game series: There have been 52 seven-game series in the first round of the NHL playoffs since 1987. Teams that win a first-round series in seven games won the next series 23 times and lost the next series 29 times.
Conference Semifinals
3. Four-game sweeps: There have been 18 four-game sweeps in the semifinals since ’87. Teams that won a second-round series by sweeping the opposition went on to win the conference finals 11 times and lost in the conference finals seven times. (The extra rest before the conference finals helped?)
4. Seven-game series: There have been 23 seven-game series in the semifinals since ’87. Teams that won a second-round series in seven games won in the conference finals only six times and lost in the conference finals 17 times. (The fatigue factor of a seven-game series in the semifinals hurt teams in the conference finals?)
5. Four-game sweeps: There have been six four-game sweeps in the conference finals from 1987-2011. Those six teams went on to win the Stanley Cup three times and lost the Cup three times.
6. Seven-game series: There have been 12 seven-game series in the conference finals from 1987-2011. Eight of the 12 teams went on to win the Stanley Cup; four lost the next series.
Did you know? In the 24 Stanley Cup finals since 1987, eight of the series went the full seven games. In six seasons, the Stanley Cup champion won in a four-game sweep.
Note: In all NHL playoff series from 1987-2011, 55 ended after a four-game sweep; 97 went the full seven games.
Note #2: Last year, the Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins became the first team in NHL playoff history to win three playoff series by winning a decisive seventh game. Ironically, they won their fourth series (a semifinal series win over the Flyers) with a four-game sweep.
Can Red Wings extend playoff series win streak?
Sports Stats ‘on Tapp’ is a sports statistics blog published multiple times weekly focusing on stats that go beyond the numbers.
Detroit Red Wings logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The National Hockey League playoffs begin with three of the eight first-round series dropping the puck tonight. The Detroit Red Wings will be looking to extend their current streak of winning at least one playoff series to six. They are, however, as the #5 seed, the underdog in their series against fourth-seeded Nashville.
Following is a look at how many seasons each NHL team has won at least one playoff series in the past 25 years (since 1986).
Seasons with one playoff series win (1986-2011), Teams
16: Detroit
13: Montreal
12: Pittsburgh
11: Philadelphia, St. Louis
10: Boston, Colorado, San Jose
9: Edmonton, New Jersey, N.Y. Rangers, Toronto, Vancouver
8: Dallas, Washington
7: Buffalo, Chicago
5: Anaheim, Los Angeles, Ottawa
4: Calgary, Carolina
3: Tampa Bay
2: N.Y Islanders
1: Florida, Minnesota, Nashville, Phoenix
0: Columbus, Winnipeg
Note: Of the teams that have won a playoff series in the last 25 years, three franchises – Florida, the N.Y. Islanders and Phoenix – have not won a playoff series this century. Florida last won a playoff series in 1996; the Isles last won a series in 1993; and the Phoenix franchise last won a playoff series in 1987.
Did you know? Detroit and San Jose have each won a playoff series in eight years in this century. They are followed by Colorado and Philadelphia (six each) and the N.J. Devils, Pittsburgh and Vancouver (five each).
Not only does Detroit lead the NHL with five straight seasons with at least one playoff series win, but it also leads all of professional sports in that same category. Here are the major sports teams that have a current streak of winning at least one playoff series (or game, in the case of the NFL) in three straight seasons (or more).
Current streak of winning at least one playoff series, Team
5: Detroit Red Wings
4: Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Baltimore Ravens
3: Atlanta Hawks, Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks
Note: The Texas Rangers were the only MLB team to have won a playoff series in both 2010 and 2011.
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