Every team's Most Crushing Losses

[Dr Pepper]

The Canucks one is way off.

That choke job by Dallas against Anaheim was so painful to watch.

 

[Klaus3154]

I wasn't there, but Game 7 of 1950 SCF finals, Rangers lost in double OT. Doesn't get more heartbreaking than that.

Rangers hit the crossbar in the first OT

 

[Rodgerwilco]

How do you define "Crushing"?

For me, as a Penguins fan, I think that getting swept by the Bruins in 2013 was their most crushing defeat...

The Penguins made a HUGE splash at the deadline, giving up a lot of future assets to acquire Jarome Iginla, Brendan Morrow, Douglas Murray, and Jussi Jokinen.

Only two goals scored in the 5 games... Crosby and Malkin both held pointless.

It was just all-around embarrassing and it was when I knew that if Dan Bylsma couldn't win (or at least compete) with THAT all-star roster then he won't win here.. Sadly it took management a few more years to get to this conclusion.

 

[COHawk]

I'd say the Hawks getting swept by Pittsburgh in the 1991/92 final belongs here.

 

[LeafsNation75]

While the dramatics of 2013 is up there, I honestly felt worse about this years Game 7 loss, than that Game 7. In 2013, it was pretty clear that Boston was the better team, and the Leafs hardly deserved to be in the playoffs, let alone going to round 2. This year, with a lead going into period 3, it was a chance for this team to continue to progress forward. While this year doesn't put the Leafs back, it was still more disappointing to me than 2013.

2002 against Carolina doesn't get enough attention. Game 6, Sundin ties it in the dying moments of the third, all the momentum on home ice, and after failing to win the game after tying the game in the dying moments in Game 2, a chance at redemption Then Martin Gelinas....

2004 vs the Philadelphia Flyers was brutal as well. Still remember JR's stupid dance after scoring the OT winner. With Belfour in net, McCabe, Kaberle, Leetch on defense, Sundin, Mogilny, Roberts, Tucker, Niewendyk up front, that team is arguably the team that had the best chance at a cup since 1993, if not since that 67 team. In terms of heartbreak, that tops the list for me personally.

I'd also rank the 1999 Eastern Conference Finals series loss to the 7th seeded Buffalo Sabres ahead of the 2013 series as well. Winning Game 2 in a dominant way heading back to Buffalo, should have had all the momentum, and then bam! 3 straight losses by at least 2 goals, and we're done. That series was a brutal way to end things after that thrilling series against the Penguins.

I always thought that on paper in 2002 the Leafs were a much better team than Carolina and it showed in the standings from the regular season, they just didn't get any breaks along the way in their playoff series.

Now correct me if I'm wrong but when they lost to the Sabres in 1999 wasn't that during the time of when they couldn't win a game in Buffalo? If so we saw that for Games 3 and 4. Plus I do remember them losing Game 1 and that was with Hasek injured, so the series should have been 2-0 going into Buffalo and not 1-1.

 

[MessierII]

Game 1 Stanley cup finals 2006. It’s things like that that make me wonder if this team is still paying for its success in the 80’s. Absolutely mind boggling how that went down.

 

[Zestfule]

2010 vs 1979 for the Bruins?

'79 easy.

 

[TNT87]

Damn you David Volek.

 

[Painful Quandary]

For the Sharks for me personally, it is the Stanchion goal which eliminated the Sharks against the Canucks in 2011. As a whole the getting reverse swept by the Kings was a more painful series, but there were multiple games where there was moderate angst (Stoll with a dirty hit on Vlasic, Stalock getting pushed into the net getting counted as a goal) as a Sharks fan compared to one crushing blow out of nowhere which was that Kevin Bieksa goal.

For the Coyotes, that Game 5 against the Kings. f***ing Dustin Brown.

 

[rfournier103]

Weren't the Bruins in 2010 up 3 games and then up 3-0 in game 7 as well? That has to be up there in terms of all time epic choke jobs.

All true. It is an all time choke job, but as has been said before, it’s not really anything that Boston fans really dwell on.

The Red Sox, Patriots, and Celtics had all won championships within the past six years, so a collapse by the Bruins wasn’t too big a deal. Still not as big a deal as ‘79. And certainly not as big a deal as Super Bowl XLII or several collapses by the Red Sox.

The Bruins are chronic underachievers. Have been forever. Sure, they’ll get close once in a while... and even get over the hump every few decades or so. But I was unfazed by 2010. I can’t speak for everyone, but I’m more shocked when they win than I am upset when they lose. I think they’ve been past the 2nd round twice in 26 years. Over the decades they’ve had great players and great teams, but bad management, bad coaching, and weak leadership have cost them dearly.

Sticking to THIS century, I feel that the 2004 loss to the Canadiens, the 2008 loss to the Canadiens, the 2009 loss to the WhalerCanes, the 2012 loss to the Capitals, and the 2014 loss to the Canadiens were all worse than the 2010 loss to the Flyers. They were ALL 7 game series that the Bruins should have won, but didn’t. They all pissed me off way more than the Flyers series.

Also, the Bruins 2011 first round series against the Canadiens was a hair away from being on this list. Thank God Almighty for 2011. Otherwise, I think a lot of fans would have given up on the Bruins and not come back.

 

[Los Capitales]

For me, this was a moment where I thought it was never going to happen for the Caps.

The definition of soul crushing. You can almost see it in the Caps' faces and body language.

 

[Digital Kid]

Flames - Game 6, not Game 7, of the 2004 SCF due to the incorrect call on the puck over the line.

 

[LeafFever]

The Canucks one is way off.

93 was way worse.

 

[Devilsfan992]

I will only comment on games I've watched

1) Devils Carolina '09 Game 7
2) Devils Carolina '09 Game 4
3) Devils Kings '12 Game 6

 

[Super Fadio Bro]

Red Wings

Game 6 vs Oilers in 2006
Game 7 vs Pens in 2009
Game 6 vs Blackhawks in 2013

 

[orby]

How do you define "Crushing"?

For me, as a Penguins fan, I think that getting swept by the Bruins in 2013 was their most crushing defeat...

The Penguins made a HUGE splash at the deadline, giving up a lot of future assets to acquire Jarome Iginla, Brendan Morrow, Douglas Murray, and Jussi Jokinen.

Only two goals scored in the 5 games... Crosby and Malkin both held pointless.

It was just all-around embarrassing and it was when I knew that if Dan Bylsma couldn't win (or at least compete) with THAT all-star roster then he won't win here.. Sadly it took management a few more years to get to this conclusion.

Completely agree - except it wasn't 5 games. It was a 4 game sweep.

 

[DEVILS130]

Devils is probably between the ‘09 loss against the Hurricanes or ‘94 against the Rangers. OP had the ‘01 SCF which definitely sucked initially but the Devils had also just won the cup the year before so I recovered faster

 

[Blue Goose]

Just as the title says, what are every teams most crushing losses? Your opinion obviously.

Blues: 86 to Flames

For the Blues, I would think the Game 7 double OT loss to the Wings in 96 was the worst. Almost finally got the monkey off their backs and then did the same thing they always do

I was only four in 86 but I cannot imagine that it was worse than Steve Yezerman's slap shot past John #%(*&)# CASEY.....

I started following the Blues in 1993, so I can't comment too much on 1986, but that was a 3rd place team that had to come from behind and force a Game 7 against a favored Calgary team.

As others have stated, the 2OT loss in Game 7 against Detroit was probably more crushing because that was the one year they had Gretzky, went up 3-games-to-2 and lost Game 6 on home ice, then got burned by a blueline shot from a Hall of Famer. The fact that it's included in so many playoff montages every year is just adding salt to the wound.

True story: I used to have St. Louis Blues checks and I had to pay my community college tuition on the morning after the Yzerman goal. When I wrote the check and handed it to the cashier, her face just sank and with a morose look she dreadfully said, "I'm SO sorry".

I think the Game 7 loss against the Sharks in 2000 is just as bad, because that Blues team had won the President's Trophy and fought back from being down 3-games-to-1 to force Game 7 at home...only to blow it. I hear more people talking about "what could have been" with the 2000 Blues team more than the 86 and 96 teams.

 

[DerekDevils30]

I will only comment on games I've watched

1) Devils Carolina '09 Game 7
2) Devils Carolina '09 Game 4
3) Devils Kings '12 Game 6

Game 4 against Carolina is a good shout. Devils trailed 3-0 but ended up tying it in the 3rd only for the Canes to win it late

 

[PavelBure10]

94 Stanley Cup playoffs , and its not even close. I can still hear the sound of Nathan Lafayette hitting the post.

 

[moosemeister]

Losing to the Oilers in the 2012 draft lottery

 

[Rodgerwilco]

Completely agree - except it wasn't 5 games. It was a 4 game sweep.

Ooops, must have been a typo.

 

[CupsOverCash]

The recent Lightning 0-4 loss in game 7 hurt a lot. For many reasons. Whats weird is I was happy for the Caps and just pissed at my teams effort.

 

[Summer Rose]

We're not called "Phoenix" anymore.

My personal opinion is that blowing the 3-1 series lead to St. Louis in 1999 was worse than being knocked out by LA in 2012, especially since two of the three straight losses to blow the series were in overtime at home.