Goalies with the most upset series wins

pnep

Registered User
Mar 10, 2004
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Novosibirsk,Russia
Goalies, Most Times Upsetted in PO Series (Seasons: 1917-2024; Played min. 25% Team Games per Series)









Goalies, Most Times Upsetted in PO Series (Seasons: 1917-2024; Played min. 25% Team Games per Series; min. 10% Team PTS DIF)









Skaters, Most Times Upsetted in PO Series (Seasons: 1917-2024; Played min. 25% Team Games per Series)









Skaters, Most Times Upsetted in PO Series (Seasons: 1917-2024; Played min. 25% Team Games per Series; min. 10% Team PTS DIF)




 

JackSlater

Registered User
Apr 27, 2010
19,522
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Goalies, Most Times Upsetted in PO Series (Seasons: 1917-2024; Played min. 25% Team Games per Series)









Goalies, Most Times Upsetted in PO Series (Seasons: 1917-2024; Played min. 25% Team Games per Series; min. 10% Team PTS DIF)









Skaters, Most Times Upsetted in PO Series (Seasons: 1917-2024; Played min. 25% Team Games per Series)









Skaters, Most Times Upsetted in PO Series (Seasons: 1917-2024; Played min. 25% Team Games per Series; min. 10% Team PTS DIF)





Seeing Osgood there did not surprise me but did make me sad.
 

Hockey Outsider

Registered User
Jan 16, 2005
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pnep, thanks (as always) for sharing the data so readily. No surprises in seeing Vernon, Fleury and Osgood near the top of the first table (most times upset in the playoffs).

If I can make one more request - are you able to show these tables (underdog wins and/or upset losses) as a percentage of the qualifying series (ie underdog wins, divided by the number of series where they were the underdog)? Some of the names near the top are surprising (ie Lidstrom with the most upset losses ever - that might be literally true, but it's also a reflection of him playing so many series on strong teams over the course of his career).

One of the other big suprises - Brodeur has far more appearances than I expected on both lists (underdog wins and upset losses). He has a reputation of being such a steady, reliable goalie. I would have thought he'd have far fewer appearances on either list.
 

MadLuke

Registered User
Jan 18, 2011
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6,394
One of the other big suprises - Brodeur has far more appearances than I expected on both lists (underdog wins and upset losses). He has a reputation of being such a steady, reliable goalie. I would have thought he'd have far fewer appearances on either list.
if every series had an underdog, the combined list total become almost how many time you won or lost a series, player like Lidstrom-Brodeur just got involved in a giant amount of them
 
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JianYang

Registered User
Sep 29, 2017
19,933
19,751
OP is using the term upset very liberally.

Just looking at that lundqvist list, how would the wins against montreal be considered upsets? They were toss ups, and in the case of 2014 and losing price in game 1, the Rangers were favourites.

Speaking of price, I would put him at 4 upsets

2014: Boston
2020: Pittsburgh
2021: Toronto, Vegas

But it would be a larger list if I used it as liberally as the OP.
 

Hockey Outsider

Registered User
Jan 16, 2005
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if every series had an underdog, the combined list total become almost how many time you won or lost a series, player like Lidstrom-Brodeur just got involved in a giant amount of them
That's true. But if we make the two refinements I've been talking about (ie looking at it on a percentage basis, and adding a minimum threshold of 5-10% difference in win percentage), Lidstrom and Brodeur probably drop off the list. That would distinguish "true" underdogs (ie Curtis Joseph?) from players who just played in a lot of series.
 

The Panther

Registered User
Mar 25, 2014
20,289
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Tokyo, Japan
Mike Vernon is such a weird goalie in terms of career achievements vs. major disappointments.

For the Good:
-- Conn Smythe trophy
-- #1 goalie for two Cup winners on TWO different teams (extremely rare), and four times in Cup Finals
-- Goalie for the NHL's 1st overall (RS) club four times for two different teams (extremely rare)
-- 1st-team All Star once, Vezina finishes of 2, 4, ,4
-- Out-dueled prime Patrick Roy in the playoffs twice

For the Bad:
-- #1 goalie for biggest playoff choke team c.1987 to 1994
-- Career GSAA of -34.5
-- Ditched by Calgary in favor of Trevor Kidd (himself one of the biggest busts of all-time)
-- Never selected for Team Canada in a best-on-best
 

quietbruinfan

Salt and light
Feb 2, 2022
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Land of Nod in the East of Eden
Cujo was the first name that came to my mind as well. Smith is surprising and I know you used point differential as a filter, but Boston in 80 was definitely not an upset. isles were beginning their dynasty and Boston was very old by that time. 82 is debatable as well as the isles were in the middle of their dynasty and deeper than Boston. Yes Boston had a great regular season, but they are generally overachievers in the regular season.

I am not sure the Buffalo series are upsets because again the Isles were quite a strong team. 76 maybe but not 82 for sure. That said, Smith definitely elevated his game in the playoffs. In fact I have always thought Arbour should have played Smith over Resch-particularly in 78-79 versus the Leafs......(Smith did not like practice and that made it tricky for Arbour to use him though.)

One name I do not see here is Osgood. But I suppose the Wings were so strong they rarely had the chance for an upset. Osgood like Smith definitely got better in the playoffs.
 
Last edited:

pnep

Registered User
Mar 10, 2004
3,075
1,814
Novosibirsk,Russia
pnep, thanks (as always) for sharing the data so readily. No surprises in seeing Vernon, Fleury and Osgood near the top of the first table (most times upset in the playoffs).

If I can make one more request - are you able to show these tables (underdog wins and/or upset losses) as a percentage of the qualifying series (ie underdog wins, divided by the number of series where they were the underdog)? Some of the names near the top are surprising (ie Lidstrom with the most upset losses ever - that might be literally true, but it's also a reflection of him playing so many series on strong teams over the course of his career).

One of the other big suprises - Brodeur has far more appearances than I expected on both lists (underdog wins and upset losses). He has a reputation of being such a steady, reliable goalie. I would have thought he'd have far fewer appearances on either list.


PO Series WL DIF As Underdog (Seasons: 1917-2024; Played min. 25% Team Games per Series)









PO Series WL DIF As Underdog (Seasons: 1917-2024; Played min. 25% Team Games per Series; min. 10% Team PTS DIF)









PO Series WL DIF As Favorite (Seasons: 1917-2024; Played min. 25% Team Games per Series)









PO Series WL DIF As Favorite (Seasons: 1917-2024; Played min. 25% Team Games per Series; min. 10% Team PTS DIF)








data: 1.33 MB file on MEGA
 

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Crosby2010

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Mar 4, 2023
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Smith and Price surprise me. I was trying to think off the top of my head the 5 teams Smith beat who had at least 10 more points in the regular season. Three are in 1980, Boston in 1983 and surprisingly Washington in 1985. I guess you can look at it with context, as the 1980 Isles were truly a great team but struggled earlier in the year, hence the 91 points vs. three teams well over 100+. But hey, those were all good teams he beat, all without home ice advantage.

Price leading everyone with 6 series surprised me. I suspected 3 of them are in 2021, but just two of them were. The others are 2014 vs. Boston, 2020 vs. Pittsburgh. I can't figure out the other ones. He did play in 2010 vs. Washington, but this was Halak's series to win. I can't figure out who the other 2 upsets at 10+ points differential would be.
 

pnep

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Mar 10, 2004
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Price leading everyone with 6 series surprised me. I suspected 3 of them are in 2021, but just two of them were. The others are 2014 vs. Boston, 2020 vs. Pittsburgh. I can't figure out the other ones. He did play in 2010 vs. Washington, but this was Halak's series to win. I can't figure out who the other 2 upsets at 10+ points differential would be.

Price PO Series Upsets (Played min. 25% Team Games per Series; min. 10% Team PTS DIF)

SeasonseriesPlayerTeamTeam_PTSVS_TeamVS_Team_PTSGames_TeamGamesGames_%PTS_DIF
2009​
200903011​
Price CareyMTL
88​
WSH
121​
7​
2​
28.57%​
-27.27%​
2013​
201303021​
Price CareyMTL
100​
BOS
117​
7​
7​
100.00%​
-14.53%​
2019​
201903002​
Price CareyMTL
71​
PIT
86​
4​
4​
100.00%​
-17.44%​
2020​
202003017​
Price CareyMTL
59​
TOR
77​
7​
7​
100.00%​
-23.38%​
2020​
202003031​
Price CareyMTL
59​
VGK
82​
6​
6​
100.00%​
-28.05%​

Smith PO Series Upsets (Played min. 25% Team Games per Series; min. 10% Team PTS DIF)

SeasonseriesPlayerTeamTeam_PTSVS_TeamVS_Team_PTSGames_TeamGamesGames_%PTS_DIF
1979​
197903024​
Smith BillyNYI
91​
BOS
105​
5​
5​
100.00%​
-13.33%​
1979​
197903032​
Smith BillyNYI
91​
BUF
110​
6​
5​
83.33%​
-17.27%​
1979​
197903041​
Smith BillyNYI
91​
PHI
116​
6​
6​
100.00%​
-21.55%​
1982​
198203031​
Smith BillyNYI
96​
BOS
110​
6​
6​
100.00%​
-12.73%​
1984​
198403014​
Smith BillyNYI
86​
WSH
101​
5​
4​
80.00%​
-14.85%​
 
Last edited:

BraveCanadian

Registered User
Jun 30, 2010
15,541
4,947
Smith and Price surprise me. I was trying to think off the top of my head the 5 teams Smith beat who had at least 10 more points in the regular season. Three are in 1980, Boston in 1983 and surprisingly Washington in 1985. I guess you can look at it with context, as the 1980 Isles were truly a great team but struggled earlier in the year, hence the 91 points vs. three teams well over 100+. But hey, those were all good teams he beat, all without home ice advantage.

Price leading everyone with 6 series surprised me. I suspected 3 of them are in 2021, but just two of them were. The others are 2014 vs. Boston, 2020 vs. Pittsburgh. I can't figure out the other ones. He did play in 2010 vs. Washington, but this was Halak's series to win. I can't figure out who the other 2 upsets at 10+ points differential would be.

The Isles were also known for “learning the lesson” of not going all out in the regular season after peaking high in the regular season and failing. They then made sure they had something in the tank for the playoffs.

Same with the Oilers. They coasted in the regular season a lot of the time and turned it up in the playoffs.

Back in the days of so many teams qualifying it was less of a risk to try and throw the switch.
 

Crosby2010

Registered User
Mar 4, 2023
1,566
1,542
Price PO Series Upsets (Played min. 25% Team Games per Series; min. 10% Team PTS DIF)

SeasonseriesPlayerTeamTeam_PTSVS_TeamVS_Team_PTSGames_TeamGamesGames_%PTS_DIF
2009​
200903011​
Price CareyMTL
88​
WSH
121​
7​
2​
28.57%​
-27.27%​
2013​
201303021​
Price CareyMTL
100​
BOS
117​
7​
7​
100.00%​
-14.53%​
2019​
201903002​
Price CareyMTL
71​
PIT
86​
4​
4​
100.00%​
-17.44%​
2020​
202003017​
Price CareyMTL
59​
TOR
77​
7​
7​
100.00%​
-23.38%​
2020​
202003031​
Price CareyMTL
59​
VGK
82​
6​
6​
100.00%​
-28.05%​

Smith PO Series Upsets (Played min. 25% Team Games per Series; min. 10% Team PTS DIF)

SeasonseriesPlayerTeamTeam_PTSVS_TeamVS_Team_PTSGames_TeamGamesGames_%PTS_DIF
1979​
197903024​
Smith BillyNYI
91​
BOS
105​
5​
5​
100.00%​
-13.33%​
1979​
197903032​
Smith BillyNYI
91​
BUF
110​
6​
5​
83.33%​
-17.27%​
1979​
197903041​
Smith BillyNYI
91​
PHI
116​
6​
6​
100.00%​
-21.55%​
1982​
198203031​
Smith BillyNYI
96​
BOS
110​
6​
6​
100.00%​
-12.73%​
1984​
198403014​
Smith BillyNYI
86​
WSH
101​
5​
4​
80.00%​
-14.85%​

I don't think you can give Price credit for 2010. He played just one full game, lost it. He played part of another game in which they lost, but Halak took the loss instead. It isn't even like they were sharing the net. Price was bounced out and Halak won all of the games in that series.
 

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