10 best playoff series of the last 10 years

[Rorschach]

IIRC Anaheim got blown out in game 7.. could be a big reason its so forgotten. Obviously that was the case with van/bos too but that was a much bigger stage.

Yup, and they got blown out in game 7 versus the Kings in 2014 too. Seems to be habitual for Anaheim, not exceptional.

 

[neXis]

There's no competition: Blackhawks vs Kings 2014 WCF. A distant second is Bruins vs Flyers 2010.

 

[Mantis]

Think it was 2012 and 2013. 2 years in a row STL and LA beat the hell out of each other if I remember correctly.

 

[Mantis]

Bruins vs Lightning in 2011 ECF.

Dat game 7 tho

That game 7 was only 1-0 but in terms of flow it was easily one of the greatest games ever.

 

[Crown Royal]

That 2014 WCF was an absolute nail biter. Easily the best playoff series I've seen.

 

[Machinehead]

I'm not even going to attempt ordering these, but...

2011 Boston vs Tampa Bay
2015 Rangers vs Washington
2014 LA vs Chicago
2011 Vancouver vs Chicago
2009 Pittsburgh vs Washington
2010 Pittsburgh vs Montreal
2010 Washington vs Montreal
2010 Chicago vs Philadelphia
2010 Philadelphia vs Boston
2007 Anaheim vs Detroit

2010 was the actual ****

 

[Mad Brills*]

Hawks/Kings WCF a few years ago.

Games 5-7 is still the best 3 game stretch in any playoff series I've seen.

 

[RedBaronIndian]

Games 5-7 is still the best 3 game stretch in any playoff series I've seen.

That 2014 WCF was an absolute nail biter. Easily the best playoff series I've seen.

There's no competition: Blackhawks vs Kings 2014 WCF. A distant second is Bruins vs Flyers 2010.

2014 WCF was really fantastic.

1. 2014 Kings/Blackhawks
2. 2012 Flyers/Penguins
3. 2011 Bruins/Canucks
4. 2009 Penguins/Capitals
5. 2014 Habs/Bruins
6. 2016 Blues/Blackhawks
7. 2010 Habs/Penguins
8. 2008 Sharks/Flames
9. 2013 Blackhawks/Bruins
10. 2013 Bruins/Maple Leafs

imo

2014 Hawks/Kings was the best series I've ever seen.

2015 Hawks/Ducks with Toews putting the team on his back when it mattered was iconic.

Duncan Keith CS was possibly a top five all time CS performance. It was a pleasure to watch.

Hawks/Kings WCF a few years ago.

As it turns out, as amazing as it seems, the 10 best series all involved the Blackhawks.

1. Hawks 2014 Lost Conference Finals (4-3) versus Los Angeles Kings
2. Hawks 2015 Won Conference Finals (4-3) versus Anaheim Ducks
3. Hawks 2013 Won Stanley Cup Final (4-2) versus Boston Bruins
4. Hawks 2013 Won Conference Semi-Finals (4-3) versus Detroit Red Wings
5. Hawks 2010 Won Stanley Cup Final (4-2) versus Philadelphia Flyers
6. Hawks 2010 Won Conference Semi-Finals (4-2) versus Vancouver Canucks
7. Hawks 2011 Lost Conference Quarter-Finals (4-3) versus Vancouver Canucks
8. Hawks 2015 Won Stanley Cup Final (4-2) versus Tampa Bay Lightning
9. Hawks 2016 Lost First Round (4-3) versus St. Louis Blues
10. Hawks 2010 Won Conference Quarter-Finals (4-2) versus Nashville Predators

Honorable mention:
Lost Conference Quarter-Finals (4-2) versus Phoenix Coyotes (first 5 games all OT and to this day is the reason Crawford doesn't get the credit he deserves.)

Avs fan but that 2014 wcf was the best hockey ive seen in my life. Rematch of last year, two teams that have basically kept the cup to their own the past few years, two different styles and two of the best teams going against each other at their best.
Everything was great about that series. I also loved the pens caps series in 2009

2014 WCF was played by 2 very good hockey teams. This game 5 non stop OT was a microcosm of what series was all about.

 

[Trap Jesus]

It's kind of crazy how many entertaining series the Bruins have been involved in.

- The choke against Philly in 2010
- The 3 game 7 series in 2011 (down 2-0 to MTL and 3 OT winners in round 1, see-saw series vs. Tampa in the ECF, and of course the Final vs. Vancouver)
- Toronto in 2013, with the crazy game 7, and one of the better SCF series vs. Chicago (although it only went 6 games)

6 series that I think you could make an argument for.

 

[MarAlain MongYeo]

Didn't really think it would be, but I thought the Avs-Wild round 1 in 2014 was a very underrated series.

 

[Hawksfan2828]

The rankings of your list itself seem okay, but you're missing a gigantic series that should not only be on the list, but should definitely be above LAvCHI and thus #1 on your list.

Comparing the Chicago Anaheim 2015 vs Chicago LA 2014,

-both game 7, both Western conference finals
-goal differential was +2 for Chi against Ana, compared to +5 for LA
-the ducks series was closer throughout (never was there a 2 game lead, like 3-1 for LA)
-the ducks series had 3 overtimes (ot, 2xot, 3xot) compared to just 2 (ot, 2xot)

This series is probably the most underrated series in history of the game solely due to fan ignorance because it was a small market team. No one even remembers it existed, despite it being the best 2 teams in the league trading chances in an overtime infested 7-game series. Tampa Bay was significantly less threatening to Chi-town who defeated them handily. Anaheim controlled this series from the beginning, got very unlucky in two of the overtimes and weren't able to close. The better team lost, but a great team still advanced.

Yea, that was a great series too.

"They're not human"

I would probably rank the Ducks/Hawks series at #2 tho. The 14 Hawks/Kings series was really the SCF. The Kings or Hawks were gonig to smash the Rangers.

 

[Zegs2sendhelp]

I enjoyed the ducks and jets series, it might be the closest sweep in nhl history, thought all 4 games were pretty fun to watch.

 

[Caps Circle]

I usually tap out after the Caps get eliminated, so I can't really say. This would be my ranking of all of the Caps' playoff series in the last decade:

1. 2009 Pens/Caps (even though we lost)
2. 2012 Bruins/Caps (closest series in NHL history, three OT games including game 7)
3. 2016 Pens/Caps (even though we lost)
4. 2015 Rangers/Caps (even though we lost)
T-5. 2015 Isles/Caps AND 2009 Rangers/Caps (two similar series, Caps struggled to start then won in Game 7 thanks to a Russian)
7. 2011 Rangers/Caps (Chimera's 2OT goal is etched in my brain)
8. 2008 Flyers/Caps (even though we lost)
9. 2012 Rangers/Caps (boring series, but went seven)
10. 2016 Flyers/Caps (too many penalties for my liking)
11. 2013 Rangers/Caps (maybe too low, but the Game 7 blowout sours my judgment)
12. 2011 Lightning/Caps (just a terrible series)
.
.
.
.
.
10000000. 2010 Habs/Caps (**** that)

 

[Battle Hymns]

hawks kings 2014 is one of THE best series i've ever witnessed in my 30 years of watching hockey

 

[Sentinel]

Detroit - Pittsburgh 2008
Detroit - Anaheim 2007
Detroit - Chicago 2009

Caps - Habs 2010 was great. All three Chicago finals and both LA finals were excellent. All Chicago-LA WCFs were even better.

 

[c9777666]

I don't get the love for LA/Chicago 2014.

The first 4 games and regulation of game 5 were nothing to write home about.

1 OT and the last 2 games does not make a memorable series IMO.

Honestly, If LA won game 5 OT and the series ended right there, it's just another series.

 

[Demon Wolf]

As a Habs fan - the series versus Washington and Pittsburgh in 2010 were magical. So tense.

 

[MasterDecoy]

Even though the pens lost I'd have that 2012 pens flyers series at #3 for the pure entertainment alone. Biggest gong show of a series I've seen.

Yes!

I had no horses in that races, but holy hot **** that series was something else...

 

[Little Psycho]

Games 5-7 is still the best 3 game stretch in any playoff series I've seen.

It was so intense. I was constantly in the edge of my seat.

 

[SB84]

Flyers versus Penguins in 2012 was insane. It had it all, huge hits, dirty plays, fights, tons of goals and elite play from some of the best players in the NHL.

It's this for me and by a large margin. Giroux vs Crosby was insane and was capped off by Laviotte calling Giroux "The best player in the world". Crazy hits, fights and plenty of goals. Will never forget this series.

 

[hawksrule]

The rankings of your list itself seem okay, but you're missing a gigantic series that should not only be on the list, but should definitely be above LAvCHI and thus #1 on your list.

Comparing the Chicago Anaheim 2015 vs Chicago LA 2014,

-both game 7, both Western conference finals
-goal differential was +2 for Chi against Ana, compared to +5 for LA
-the ducks series was closer throughout (never was there a 2 game lead, like 3-1 for LA)
-the ducks series had 3 overtimes (ot, 2xot, 3xot) compared to just 2 (ot, 2xot)

This series is probably the most underrated series in history of the game solely due to fan ignorance because it was a small market team. No one even remembers it existed, despite it being the best 2 teams in the league trading chances in an overtime infested 7-game series. Tampa Bay was significantly less threatening to Chi-town who defeated them handily. Anaheim controlled this series from the beginning, got very unlucky in two of the overtimes and weren't able to close. The better team lost, but a great team still advanced.

The better team did not lose. Anaheim was gassed, outcoached, and blown out in a home game 7.

 

[Captain Bowie]

As it turns out, as amazing as it seems, the 10 best series all involved the Blackhawks.

1. Hawks 2014 Lost Conference Finals (4-3) versus Los Angeles Kings
2. Hawks 2015 Won Conference Finals (4-3) versus Anaheim Ducks
3. Hawks 2013 Won Stanley Cup Final (4-2) versus Boston Bruins
4. Hawks 2013 Won Conference Semi-Finals (4-3) versus Detroit Red Wings
5. Hawks 2010 Won Stanley Cup Final (4-2) versus Philadelphia Flyers
6. Hawks 2010 Won Conference Semi-Finals (4-2) versus Vancouver Canucks
7. Hawks 2011 Lost Conference Quarter-Finals (4-3) versus Vancouver Canucks
8. Hawks 2015 Won Stanley Cup Final (4-2) versus Tampa Bay Lightning
9. Hawks 2016 Lost First Round (4-3) versus St. Louis Blues
10. Hawks 2010 Won Conference Quarter-Finals (4-2) versus Nashville Predators

Honorable mention:
Lost Conference Quarter-Finals (4-2) versus Phoenix Coyotes (first 5 games all OT and to this day is the reason Crawford doesn't get the credit he deserves.)

Haha yeah right.

 

[DJN21]

Ottawa vs montreal...because...line brawl.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I don't get the love for LA/Chicago 2014.

The first 4 games and regulation of game 5 were nothing to write home about.

1 OT and the last 2 games does not make a memorable series IMO.

Honestly, If LA won game 5 OT and the series ended right there, it's just another series.

the history and the first few games of the series set up for a dramatic finish. The Hawks utterly obliterated 2012's SC Champ in 2013 on the way to their own, and habitually make us look like a lottery team. 2014's series started the same way thru Game 2...then shortly after Roszival shoved William's face into his crotch, the Kings took over and make the Hawks look helpless for stretches of 2-4. Come back to game 5, and you have the two previous years' champs going blow for blow each goal and through overtime with no conservation, neither team holding back, both going for the kill. The momentum swings and even on here the amount of times people went "lol the Kings are done" "lol the Hawks are done" were insane.

It's a shame you don't get it, honestly, but it's a bizarre complaint to suggest "well if it went less games it wouldn't have been cool." No ****, you can say that about most of the listed series.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

I enjoyed the ducks and jets series, it might be the closest sweep in nhl history, thought all 4 games were pretty fun to watch.

That would probably be Sharks/Hawks.