Oilers have an eerie thing in common with 1942 Maple Leafs
When the Edmonton Oilers went down 3-0 in their Stanley Cup Final series with the Florida Panthers, most people thought it was a death sentence for Canada’s cup hopes.
Coming back from that kind of deficit is almost unheard of in the NHL in any round, not to mention the final. A reverse sweep is among the rarest things to occur in all of professional sports and has only happened a single time in the Stanley Cup Final when the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs pulled it off against the Detroit Red Wings.
During that particular series, the Red Wings had opened up a dominant 3-0 lead, just like the Panthers have this year, and then the Leafs stormed back with four straight wins to take home the Stanley Cup and shock the hockey world.
That was the only time a reverse sweep has happened in the Stanley Cup Final. The Oilers are hoping to accomplish something that hasn’t been done in 82 years, and they share one strange thing in common with that particular Maple Leafs team.
Oilers 8-1 win sets the record for the largest margin of victory by a NHL team facing elimination in the Stanley Cup Final.
Previous record: Maple Leafs 9-3 win over the Red Wings in Game 5 of the 1942 Stanley Cup Final.
What happened that year???
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) June 16, 2024
The 8-1 dismantling that the Oilers laid on the Panthers in Game 4 broke a record set by that 1942 Toronto team for the largest margin of victory by a team facing elimination in the Stanley Cup Final. The Leafs set the initial record with a 9-3 win (six-goal margin) in Game 5 against the Red Wings in that series.
This bodes well if you’re into superstition, and Oilers fans will be clinging to every bit of hope that they can get their hands on right now. The next challenge is for the Oilers to go to Florida and force the Panthers to fly back to Alberta for a potential Game 6.
If Edmonton can manage to win Game 5, they would become the first team in NHL history to force a Game 6 on the road after going down 3-0 in the finals.
After winning Game 4 at home, the Oilers will now try to become the first team in Stanley Cup Final history to win Game 5 on the road after falling behind 3-0 in the series.
Three teams have forced a Game 6 after falling behind 3-0; 2012 Devils, 1945 Red Wings, 1942 Maple Leafs.
— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) June 16, 2024
This year’s edition of the Oilers is no stranger to beating the odds. They came back from the basements of the NHL standings and now see themselves as one of the last two teams still standing.
It won’t be easy, but if anybody is capable of the greatest comeback to ever grace the Stanley Cup Final, it’s this Oilers team.
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