The Greatest Playoff Series of the Modern Era

[DrJones]

#2 - Kings def. Maple Leafs 4-3 (1993 Campbell Final)

As mentioned earlier, most of the later playoff rounds during the NHL's original divisional era (1982-1993) were duds. There never seemed to be a particularly compelling Wales (ie, East) matchup (though I guess you could make an argument for Pens/Bruins in '91) and Edmonton usually pounded on some Norris jobber. The stakes were pretty low.

1993 was a different animal though; a wildly unpredictable one. Gretzky's Kings had finally broken Alberta's stranglehold on the Smythe and reached the NHL's Final 4 for the first time since 1969. Their opponent? Gretzky's hometown team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, who had survived 7-game wars with the Wings and Blues. The Leafs hadn't made the semis since 1978 or the SCF since 1967, their last title. The Kings had never made a Cup Final.

The stakes for this series would've been sky-high regardless, but Canada's greatest athlete vs the Centre of the Hockey Universe? And awaiting them in a clash for the 100th Stanley Cup, Patrick Roy and the Montreal Canadiens? Gretzky vs the Habs? A Toronto vs Montreal Stanley Cup Final? At a time when the league's entertainment value and star quality had never been higher? (Not the mention the peak of the Sega Genesis NHL era!) This was a big deal, kids.

Then there was the series itself. Close, exciting games. A memorable hit (McSorley on Gilmour), a memorable fight (Clark vs McSorley immediately following the hit). The teams quickly grew to dislike each other. The coaches (Pat Burns and Barry Melrose) quickly grew to dislike each other. A dramatic OT win by Toronto in Game 5 left them one win away from a date with Montreal. A Wendel Clark hat trick tied Game 6 at 4-4 late in the 3rd, followed by the most famous missed penalty in NHL history and seconds later, the Great One, who by NHL rules at the time should've been given 5 and a game, scoring in OT to force Game 7 in Toronto. And then...















(PS: If you're reading this, sorry DGB.)

[DrJones]

#1 - Ducks def. Wild 4-0 (2003 West Final)

There are no words to describe how much this series su--

Oh, wait. Wrong list.

[TheMatrix31]

For someone who wants to learn more about hockey history, this thread is golden. I have to live here over the summer.

[rdnk]

Quote: Originally Posted by TheMatrix31

For someone who wants to learn more about hockey history, this thread is golden. I have to live here over the summer.

I agree. Great thread, especially for those of us who grew up in the trap era and missed the 80s.

Way too many Wings heartbreaks in this thread though:

Leafs Wings 93'
Sharks Wings 94'
Avs Wings 96'
Oilers Wings 06'
Ducks Wings 07'
Pens Wings 09'
Sharks Wings 11'

Plus, Psyblast had to go and mention Adam Deadmarsh, leading to more Wings chokejobs:

Avs Wings 99' (went up 2-0 on the road, then got swept)
Kings Wings 01' (DEADMARSH)
Hawks Wings 13' (we had no business being up 3-1, still should have finished the job)

[DrJones]

Quote: Originally Posted by rdnk

I agree. Great thread, especially for those of us who grew up in the trap era and missed the 80s. Way too many Wings heartbreaks in this thread though: Leafs Wings 93' Sharks Wings 94' Avs Wings 96' Oilers Wings 06' Ducks Wings 07' Pens Wings 09' Sharks Wings 11' Plus, Psyblast had to go and mention Adam Deadmarsh, leading to more Wings chokejobs: Avs Wings 99' (went up 2-0 on the road, then got swept) Kings Wings 01' (DEADMARSH) Hawks Wings 13' (we had no business being up 3-1, still should have finished the job)

Trade you for one of your 4 Stanley Cups!

[SidVish]

I was just going to say it'd be tough to get sympathy with all those Cups.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk

[DrJones]

A few might be wondering why no 2011 SCF? The stakes and bad blood were certainly off the charts, but the Canucks were destroyed in the games they lost, so no dice. Even a modicum of drama in G6 or G7 would've earned it an HM, but c'est la vie.

The Game 1 HNIC intro is still one of my all-time faves, though. Someone in the States should be throwing serious coin at the guy who edits these to put together similar pieces for NFL, MLB, and NBA games.

[DrJones]

A few more classic HNIC intros:

2013 Playoff Opening Montage



2008 Habs/Flyers Game 5



2010 Playoff Closing Montage



11/30/13 Habs/Leafs

This was the first Saturday night game after it was announced that CBC was losing Hockey Night in Canada at the end of this year after 61 seasons on the air. The pathos!