Playoff Series that were not supposed to be great but turned out to be just that

[EpochLink]

2007 Stars-Canucks series.

Battle of the super heavyweights in terms of goaltending battles at that time: Marty Turco vs Roberto Luongo.

Went the full 7 games, each game either a shutout or going to overtime.

 

[The Panther]

Edmonton simply would have won their first Cup the following season. Just too much young and unbelievably talented players. A hypothetical loss to Calgary in 1984 would have been viewed as a learning experience that would have made the Oilers more hungry and focused. No doubt the local media and fans would have started to turn the heat up, but Sather wasn't going to overhaul the team.

Hm, yes maybe so. They were really young. But I think the "learning experience" you refer to had already been considered done in 1982 and in 1983. It was kind of "win or bust" by 1984... strange as that would seem, in today's context, and with players so young.

 

[VanIslander]

CONFESSION: I gave up hockey in 1991, after a Tikkanen-dominant conference final run for Edmonton. I was in uni and studying was a much higher fall, winter and spring priority.

But in 1994. After finishing my undergrad degree, my local Canucks were down 1-3 in a 7-game series against ol' divisional rival Calgary. I hesitated, but after 3 years cold turkey I let myself watch Game 5 as - after all - i was on summer vacation before grad school.

AAAARRRGGGHHHH!

I watched my Canucks win three straight playoff OT games to take the series. Now, to a sports fan, rhis is CRACK COCAINE. Not that i know anything about drugs but, the intensity and addictiveness of it HOOKED me on it. I sat watching Linden score two Game 7 goals in a 3-2 loss. I felt like a heroin addict on a dud fix... or so i imagined.

I was back into the NHL and hockey until today. But the highs and lows have never been so intense. Alas, so addiction woes go.

 

[District 5]

Great thread. I always think of the 2003 WCQF matchup between Colorado and Minnesota. Colorado was still considered cup contenders with the squad they had and nobody gave the Wild any chance of winning that series. It looked like it was a slam dunk with Colorado leading the series 3-1, but Minnesota made a switch at goalie and found a way to win three 1 goal games in 5,6, and 7.

Game 5: Minnesota got out to a 3-0 lead and held on to win 3-2.

Game 6: The wild broke a scoreless tie in the 3rd with goals from Park and Gaborik, only to see Colorado tie it up with 1:32 left to play. Richard Park scores again in OT to give the wild their first home playoff win in franchise history.

Game 7: Manny Fernandez was fantastic by saving 43 of 45 shots. Gaborik ties the game late in the 3rd and Andrew Brunette is the hero on OT.

 

[Ace36758]

The 2004 Flames/Canucks series was pretty fun, though it may have been more hyped than I recall. 7 games, most of them close, with an exciting (albeit bizarre) finish in game 7 - Fan throwing a jersey on the ice right before the Flames could've closed it out with an empty netter, Iginla tripping on the stick, Cooke's last second heroics, and the Gelinas OT goal.

One series I always thought was underrated: The 2008 Stars vs. Sharks West semifinal. Four out of six games went to OT, with an absolute thriller of a game 6 (4 OT, with some glorious chances from both sides and absolutely insane goaltending).

 

[c9777666]

2006 Cup Final

Was anyone expecting EDM-CAR to be what it was?

Save for game 2 and 6 shutouts, that was a highly compelling series

 

[DEANYOUNGBLOOD17]

Edmonton vs Winnipeg Jets 1990

In the 80 ‘s the power house Oilers won 5 straight series against the Jets on their way to 4 Stanley Cups. In those 5 series wins the Jets managed 1 win.

In 1990 a very good but Gretzky- less Oiler team was expected to trounce Winnipeg again. The Jets jumped out to a 3-1 lead only to fall in 7 games. Every game was a nail bitter.( Dale Ellet 3 rd Ot period goal to go ahead 3-1 series lead in game 4.

I still blame that Bum coach Bob Murdock who deliberately miss used Hawerchuk all series on the 3 rd line checker trying to prove he’s in charge and instituted a goalie rotation in the playoffs instead of playing the hot hand. ........ It doesn’t take a genius to play the better goalie btw Bobby Essensa and Beauregard “Bob Murdock **** *** ***** ****.”

Hawerchuk was trade that summer..... as a result after 9 seasons with Jets.....

 

[The Panther]

In 1990 a very good but Gretzky- less Oiler team was expected to trounce Winnipeg again.

I dunno about that! In the back-half of that season, the Oil had gone 17-16-7 and the Jets 19-15-6. The Oilers were favored by a bit, but it wasn't as much as you're making out.

Great series, though, I agree!