10 best playoff series of the last 10 years

[JaegerDice]

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.

That series ended on two lop-sided blowouts.

Watching Toews do what he does was fun, and Kesler's 'no human can withstand that many hits' will provide enduring comedy for years, but its not as dramatic as a 3-1 comeback with a game 7 OT.

 

[Akhurite]

Flyers vs Pens AINEC

 

[PensBandwagonerNo272*]

Pittsburgh - Washington 2016 was pretty great even though it only went 6.

PIT TBL 2016 was better IMO.

PIT WAS 2009 was my favorite ever though. Had the pleasure of being at the game in Washington game 5 when Geno scored in OT. Just ****ing amazing guyss

 

[Tom Polakis]

1. Los Angeles/Chicago 2014 WCF
2. Boston/Vancouver 2011 SCF
3. Pittsburgh/Washington 2008 ECSF
4. Vancouver/Chicago 2011 WCQF
5. Boston/Montreal 2011 ECQF
6. Boston/Toronto 2013 ECQF
7. Carolina/Edmonton 2006 SCF
8. Chicago/Boston 2013 SCF
9. Montreal/Washington 2010 ECQF
10. Chicago/Detroit 2013 WCSF

Good list, and especially #1. I'm not a fan of either of those teams, but those games had everything I want to see in the sport. Other series may have been closer or had more animosity, but it's rare to see such evenly matched teams playing at the top of their games.

 

[SimpleJack]

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.

You're wrong

Game 1 was a very solid battle, very evenly played, Hawks pulled it out in the end though it could have gone either way(CHI was probably the slightly better team).

Game 2 was one of the more insane/memorable playoff games I can recall when it comes to mid-game twists. The Hawks were flying around at top gear for the first 30-35 mins....and i mean TOP GEAR. LA couldn't touch the puck. The Hawks speed created so many scoring chances it was a miracle LA was only down 2-0. Tons of missed chances, but the one that stands out is midway through the 2nd the Hawks had a 2 on 1 and Seabrook hit the post after a nice setup(forgot who it was from). Should have been 3-0, hell it should have been like 6-0 by then to be honest...

And then, not only does LA comeback.....they score 6 goals themselves...on the road....against the Hawks...in that building...in only one a 1/2 periods worth of play....and win the game 6-2. NUTS. Like, the craziest turn around I've ever seen when it comes to one team carrying the play and then all of a sudden the momentum switches.

I really thought the series was over halfway through the game, that the Hawks would go on to win this game, go up 2-0 in the series and finish them off in 5 games again. When the game ended, again, i thought the series was over. And that LA was too good.

When it moved to LA for games 3 and 4...they only further gave me the impression the series was all but over. Looked the better team. Hawks gave them a good fight in game 4 and it was great quality hockey overall, but LA was still too good.

But that build up is what makes the Hawks fight back in games 5, 6(down 3-2 late in the 3rd), and 7 so impressive. That is was makes the ending to the series so dramatic....it got to the point in game 7 when it seemed as if it was meant to be for the Hawks, but LA wouldn't go away, came back time and time again and eventually won a road game 7 @CHI. The series had a such a crazy set up leading into those final 3 games, it will simply never be matched again. Not when you also consider both teams being near dynasties of their era.

 

[garnetpalmetto]

Does the 2006 SCF fit?

OP had it, so I'd say yes.

Personally I'm surprised there's not more love for the 2009 ECSF between the Bruins and Hurricanes. Bruins come in seeded #1, Canes drop the first game, but win the next 3 including a Cam Ward shutout in Game 2, an OT Game 3, and Eric Staal lighting up Tim Thomas twice in Game 4. Then Game 5, the Bruins come back with Kessel matching Staal's two goals and Thomas earning the shutout. Game 6 you see Thomas being lights by allowing just 2 goals on 33 shots. And then Game 7 another OT thriller with Scott Walker scoring in OT. You have Scott Walker's one-punch takedown of Aaron Ward, the Hurricanes wanting to win one for Walker after finding out his wife was just diagnosed with cancer, and then finally, the pure jubilation in his face of scoring the game winner.

 

[Rich Nixon]

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.

Pure devillish glory as a Flyers fan in Pittsburgh at the time. Games 4 and 6 kinda sucked though, 10-3 and what, 5-1? But games 1, 2, and 3 were something else with the comebacks and lead changes, and game 5 was a bizarrely normal hockey game just inserted into what was otherwise a fiasco.

 

[Shwag33]

Pens/Flyers gong show. Best series for a variety of reasons.

 

[Snotbubbles]

There are some great series here but I don't see how the 3-1 comeback by the NYR in 2014 isn't up there.

Surely that would be behind the Flyers 3-0 comeback in 2010.

 

[Aestivalis]

That series ended on two lop-sided blowouts.

Watching Toews do what he does was fun, and Kesler's 'no human can withstand that many hits' will provide enduring comedy for years, but its not as dramatic as a 3-1 comeback with a game 7 OT.

I'll admit the hockey in the 2014 WCF was the best, and the drama in the 2013 Detroit/Chicago series was incredible, but the storylines of the 2015 Anaheim/Chicago series were the best.

• Kesler's regrettable, hubristic comment was legendary, begging to be refuted
• Shaw's head-in no-goal was incredible comic relief in a 3OT game
• Toews' comeback performance was great to watch
• Quenneville outcoaching Boudreau was the most satisfying! Incredible line-matching on the road, with images of Bruce standing there wide-eyed, just showed how much more experienced of an organization that the Hawks were.

 

[Mad Brills*]

Leafs-bruins 2013 should get a mention.

The leafs were close to a 3-1 series comeback.

And then the roof fell in.

 

[ProspectsSTC]

Flyers-Pens 2012
Caps Habs 2010
Pens Habs 2010

 

[The Shovel Penguin]

As far as cup finals go, the Penguins and Red Wings matchups from 08 to 09 were memorable because the two teams started to develop a budding rivalry for a while there and there was the Hossa storyline as well.

I think any series with the Pens and the Caps or the Pens and Flyers is likely going to be must see for hockey, hate/emotion and entertainment. Pens-Flyers 2012 was an absolute hot mess for me as a Penguins fan but it will certainly be unforgettable. Pens-Caps from 2009 is one for the ages. Sid and Ovie hat tricks in the same game? You kidding me? Even though Game 7 was lopsided for the Penguins, I sometimes wonder how that game might have panned out if Fleury hadn't made that save on Ovechkin's breakaway.

 

[theaub]

What's weird is that from this Hawks fan's standpoint I think I still enjoyed the Chi-LA series more than the Chi-Ana series, at least from an excitement standpoint. Obviously the outcomes were a different story but when I think back to both series', the LA one still feels more epic imo.

The only thing that I'd slightly have disagree with is the bolded statement above.

Pretty much this

As mentioned multiple times in the topic, Games 5-7 are the three best consecutive hockey games I've ever seen. Patrick Kane just taking over in the third period of Game 6 was IMO the most dominant single player, single period performance in the entire recent era of Blackhawk hockey (there are certainly many arguments to be made for others).

The Anaheim series...I just didn't feel like we would lose to Anaheim. Even after Game 5 I had pretty much full confidence that we'd win Game 6 and the Ducks would fold like a cheap tent in Game 7. LA scared the hell out of me.

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.

This is how I feel, but about the Hawks/Canucks series in 2011. Games 1-5 of that series were putrid (Game 3 was OK I guess). I understand how its regarded as a very good series due to the whole 'slaying the dragon' thing but as an on-ice playoff series...meh.

My favourite series outside of Hawks/Kings '14 is Hawks/Bruins SCF. An absolutely ridiculous final two minutes in the clincher, three OT games and Game 5 was a one goal + EN game as well. Only mildly weak game was game three, but even that was one of the most dominating full game playoff performances by a team I've seen in the past decade.

 

[The Podium]

Leafs-bruins 2013 should get a mention.

The leafs were close to a 3-1 series comeback.

And then the roof fell in.

As bad as it was from the Leafs point of view, the Bruins really choked in that series too. They DOMINATED the first couple of games and the Leafs had no business being in the playoffs. The fact that it went to game 7 and the Leafs were up 3-1 is amazing.

 

[hagelin1381]

Pens/Caps from this past playoff was a lot of fun.. Pens/Flyers was very entertaining though the actual hockey was putrid

 

[Aestivalis]

Pretty much this

As mentioned multiple times in the topic, Games 5-7 are the three best consecutive hockey games I've ever seen. Patrick Kane just taking over in the third period of Game 6 was IMO the most dominant single player, single period performance in the entire recent era of Blackhawk hockey (there are certainly many arguments to be made for others).

The Anaheim series...I just didn't feel like we would lose to Anaheim. Even after Game 5 I had pretty much full confidence that we'd win Game 6 and the Ducks would fold like a cheap tent in Game 7. LA scared the hell out of me.

You were right there. LA was scary and with good reason. But that Hawks team was stacked as well. It was an example of Quenneville outcoaching himself, as opposed to outcoaching the Ducks in 2015.

 

[JaegerDice]

You were right there. LA was scary and with good reason. But that Hawks team was stacked as well. It was an example of Quenneville outcoaching himself, as opposed to outcoaching the Ducks in 2015.

No question.

The 2014 roster was not quite Q-proofed as the 2010 and 2013 rosters had been. Bowman fixed the problem the next season... Though Q tried his damnedest to out coach himself again by scratching Vermette and Teuvo for game 3 of the WCF.

"Fresh legs" will live in infamy every bit as long as Keslers hubris.

 

[SAK11]

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.

Yeah, both games 6 and 7 were blowouts in Chicago's favour- 5-2 in 6, and 5-3 in 7 [went up 4-0 fairly early too].
The Chicago-LA series, though, just continued to get better as the series went deeper. The last 3 games were 1 goal games, and two of those games, including game 7, went to OT. It's the best series I've ever seen for sure.

 

[Halak Ness Monster]

The Blues only series in the last 10 years that comes close to making the list is their Quarterfinal series vs Chicago last year.

Classic seven game match between two great teams. Six of the seven games were decided by one goal. Two overtime games. Hawks forced Game 7 after being down 3-1. Hawks hit double posts with 4 minutes left in Game 7.

I'm not sure it cracks the top 10, though. Top 15, probably...maybe. There have been a lot of great playoff series in the last 10 years.

 

[melinko]

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

I don't know if its just because my team were in it but that series was great.

Great comebacks in game 7 with some absolute laser shots.

 

[TOGuy14]

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.

This should be the number one on every list. Best series of hockey I ever watched, just look at those box scores.

You had 8-5 games where people would score a goal, and then immediately drop their gloves and start a fight (think Hartnell did this)

 

[PanthersHockey1]

To me #1 is still EDM/CAR SCF 2006.

 

[theaub]

The Blues only series in the last 10 years that comes close to making the list is their Quarterfinal series vs Chicago last year.

Classic seven game match between two great teams. Six of the seven games were decided by one goal. Two overtime games. Hawks forced Game 7 after being down 3-1. Hawks hit double posts with 4 minutes left in Game 7.

I'm not sure it cracks the top 10, though. Top 15, probably...maybe. There have been a lot of great playoff series in the last 10 years.

That series should probably get in the top 10 - had some good controversial moments (the multiple video reviews in Game 2, whatever the hell Shaw was doing in Game 4), and even the non-one goal game was pretty wild.

Hell the 2014 series was pretty solid. Four OT games including a 3OT one, a bunch of late game tying goals and some controversy. Game six was a bit of stinker but it was tied going into the third.

 

[end]

I remember the 2006 ECF between Carolina and Buffalo was amazing. Buffalo kept dropping dmen and there were twists and turns. Was there a crucial delay-of-game penalty in game 7, I can remember a huge reaction to the new puck over the glass rule.