Playoff Series Where The Winner Was Clearly Outplayed?

[connellc]

Trevor Kidd in that 1995 series is like if we took c. 1981 John Garrett, with his 1981 equipment, and put him in net today to face Ovechkin and Draisaitl one-timers.

The only other instance in the playoffs (other than Kidd in 1995) where I have seen a team literally play "scared" when another team was entering the zone with the puck was Vancouver with Dan Clouthier in net 2003 against the Wild. When non-bias television commentators say that the goaltending looks "shaky" and to "shoot anything at the goalie" there's something terribly wrong. The Wild deserved to be there because of their defense... in the 1995 playoff San Jose had no business winning a playoff hockey game let alone a playoff series.

 

[torontoblood]

This is a good one. The Flyers scored 55% of the goals in the series, also took 57% of the shots, but still lost.

Game 1 was rough (nothing egregious by the standards of the Dead Puck Era, but lots of hitting and borderline dirty antics). The Flyers outplayed the Leafs and won 3-0. The Flyers again outplayed the Leafs in game 2, but Toronto scored two goals in the final two minutes to steal a 2-1 win.

Back in Philadelphia for game 3, the Leafs were badly outplayed, but Joseph was stellar (stopping 41 of 42 shots). The Flyers controlled game 4 (Joseph faced 40 shots this time, but looked human). The series was now tied 2-2, even though Philadelphia probably outplayed Toronto in all four games.

Game 5 was a close, even match. It was a goaltending duo, and Yanic Perreault scored the OT winner for Toronto.

Game 6 was uneven. The Flyers dominated the first period; you could sense their desperation, and perhaps their frustration. The second period was more or less even (both teams spent a considerable part of the frame on the powerplay - by my rough calculation, less than eight minutes of that period were at even strength). The third period was tense and close. Sergei Berezin scored the series winning goal with exactly one minute left in regulation.

Looking at the series as a whole, the Flyers outplayed the Leafs in each of the first four games (and the last two were essentially toss-ups). The Leafs outscored the Flyers in just 3 of the 18 regulation periods! I recall hearing at the time (but I don't have a specific source) that Toronto scored the fewest goals in NHL history (nine) while winning a best-of-seven series.

The 1998-99 leafs were a unproven, inexperienced, soft and young team. They were below average defensively but they had excellent starting goaltending with Cujo. But they were easily the highest goal scoring in the NHL that season. What a contrast with the previous season when the leafs had one of the most anemic offenses in the league.

The 1998-99 flyers were much more physical, experienced, proven, and better defensively with similar quality goaltending as Toronto. People forget that Vanbiesbrouck was actually good in the mid to late 90s. Philly was only 2 seasons removed from a Stanley cup appearance, and only 4 seasons removed from a eastern conference final appearance.

Flyers had the advantage in experience, grit, defensive play, and physical play over the maple leafs. They constantly outshot, outhit, outscored and outplayed the leafs in that series. They controlled the play and dominated puck possession. But the leafs won the series with more opportunistic/clutch scoring and also because cujo outplayed beezer in their head-to-head goaltending duel.

 

[torontoblood]

As a Leafs fan, I hate to admit it, but TOR won that 2004 series against OTT mainly because of goaltending.

The Leafs were outshot in every game (often by a substantial margin) but received three shutouts from Ed Belfour whereas Lalime completely shat the bed in Game Seven,

The 2004 leafs were older, slower, and more tired/injury-prone than the sens. The sens were faster, younger, stronger, energetic,the previous season they won the president’s trophy and were only one goal away from their first ever Stanley cup final appearance. Both teams had equal amount of talent and skill but the sens were younger and in their prime. That 2003-04 leafs team on paper, with all these all star names, would have been elite in 1993-94. But a decade later, in 2003-04 they were past their prime.

Sens dominated the play and controlled possession. They outshot, outskated, outhit, and outplayed the leafs but Belfour denied them with 3 shutouts and excellent goaltending performances in the series. Lalime sucked and folded like a cheap tent in net. He destroyed the good work and effort of his own team with bad goaltending performances and allowing bad goals at the wrong time. It was Depressing for Ottawa .

 

[seventieslord]

This is a good one. The Flyers scored 55% of the goals in the series, also took 57% of the shots, but still lost.

Game 1 was rough (nothing egregious by the standards of the Dead Puck Era, but lots of hitting and borderline dirty antics). The Flyers outplayed the Leafs and won 3-0. The Flyers again outplayed the Leafs in game 2, but Toronto scored two goals in the final two minutes to steal a 2-1 win.

Back in Philadelphia for game 3, the Leafs were badly outplayed, but Joseph was stellar (stopping 41 of 42 shots). The Flyers controlled game 4 (Joseph faced 40 shots this time, but looked human). The series was now tied 2-2, even though Philadelphia probably outplayed Toronto in all four games.

Game 5 was a close, even match. It was a goaltending duo, and Yanic Perreault scored the OT winner for Toronto.

Game 6 was uneven. The Flyers dominated the first period; you could sense their desperation, and perhaps their frustration. The second period was more or less even (both teams spent a considerable part of the frame on the powerplay - by my rough calculation, less than eight minutes of that period were at even strength). The third period was tense and close. Sergei Berezin scored the series winning goal with exactly one minute left in regulation.

Looking at the series as a whole, the Flyers outplayed the Leafs in each of the first four games (and the last two were essentially toss-ups). The Leafs outscored the Flyers in just 3 of the 18 regulation periods! I recall hearing at the time (but I don't have a specific source) that Toronto scored the fewest goals in NHL history (nine) while winning a best-of-seven series.

Game 6 wouldn't have been 0-0 with a minute left, if not for this, believe it or not!

 

[tinyzombies]

By outplayed, do you mean significantly outchanced?

When the 2010 Habs took out the top two favourites of the east in Washington and Pittsburgh, I don't have the numbers infront of me, but I would imagine the Habs were significantly outchanced, and in the case against Pittsburgh, they won rhe series with their #1 dman essentially missing the whole series.

Both the Caps and Pens had weaknesses tho. Caps had firepower, but stayed to the outside and then defensively and in nets were vulnerable going the other way without much help coming. Montreal, was perfectly built to counter with speed and finishing. Pens similarly, the blueline was an issue.

THis has been a running theme with the Habs- knocking off top seeds. they did it the same way to the then-slowfooted Bruins in 2002 and 2004 (tho got some timely help from the refs too). And in 2014 they burnt the Bruins the same way.

And obviously in 2021 they employed the same tactic and made it to the finals. 1986 they won a Cup riding Roy like that. Could have easily gone to the finals in 2003 as well, but Williams highsticked Koivu in the eye... collapse, rely on the goalie and counter. Leads to some big offensive numbers that amount to nothing.

 

[JianYang]

Both the Caps and Pens had weaknesses tho. Caps had firepower, but stayed to the outside and then defensively and in nets were vulnerable going the other way without much help coming. Montreal, was perfectly built to counter with speed and finishing. Pens similarly, the blueline was an issue.

THis has been a running theme with the Habs- knocking off top seeds. they did it the same way to the then-slowfooted Bruins in 2002 and 2004 (tho got some timely help from the refs too). And in 2014 they burnt the Bruins the same way.

And obviously in 2021 they employed the same tactic and made it to the finals. 1986 they won a Cup riding Roy like that. Could have easily gone to the finals in 2003 as well, but Williams highsticked Koivu in the eye... collapse, rely on the goalie and counter. Leads to some big offensive numbers that amount to nothing.

Habs didn't make the playoffs in 2003, but I think you are referring to 2006. Losing koivu was part of the reason Carolina shifted the series, but it's a Longshot to suggest that the Habs reach the finals if they got past Carolina.

 

[tinyzombies]

Habs didn't make the playoffs in 2003, but I think you are referring to 2006. Losing koivu was part of the reason Carolina shifted the series, but it's a Longshot to suggest that the Habs reach the finals if they got past Carolina.

Maybe rose colored glasses. It was 2002. I’m thinking of. But we would’ve had to beat Toronto after that. I went to game five. I think it was in Carolina. And Montreal looked exhausted in the warm-up. I ran into the president in general manager of Montreal in the hallway in Carolina and they were nice enough to talk to me. I guess we were all under the illusion we were going to go to the finals but nobody thought Detroit was going to be beaten that year.

 

[Hockey Outsider]

Game 6 wouldn't have been 0-0 with a minute left, if not for this, believe it or not!

Surely that must have been Berard's finest moment defensively (granted, not a high bar)

 

[JianYang]

Maybe rose colored glasses. It was 2002. I’m thinking of. But we would’ve had to beat Toronto after that. I went to game five. I think it was in Carolina. And Montreal looked exhausted in the warm-up. I ran into the president in general manager of Montreal in the hallway in Carolina and they were nice enough to talk to me. I guess we were all under the illusion we were going to go to the finals but nobody thought Detroit was going to be beaten that year.

Oh, I think you made reference to koivu's eye injury which would have been 2006.

As for 2002, I think Montreal would have lost to Toronto in the 3rd round had they beaten Carolina. I have a real soft spot for the 2002 team, though. Montreal got deflated in game 4 when mustard suited therrien couldn't control his mouth and Fraser slapped him with an additional penalty. The habs were leading that game and could have went up 3-1 in the series. Instead, Carolina just steamrolled them after that point.

That's the year koivu had cancer and Gilmour turned back the clock in the playoffs, while Theodore was having an mvp year. Very inspiring group that somehow got in the playoffs and pulled a massive upset on Boston.

 

[DitchMarner]

Both the Caps and Pens had weaknesses tho. Caps had firepower, but stayed to the outside and then defensively and in nets were vulnerable going the other way without much help coming. Montreal, was perfectly built to counter with speed and finishing. Pens similarly, the blueline was an issue.

THis has been a running theme with the Habs- knocking off top seeds. they did it the same way to the then-slowfooted Bruins in 2002 and 2004 (tho got some timely help from the refs too). And in 2014 they burnt the Bruins the same way.

And obviously in 2021 they employed the same tactic and made it to the finals. 1986 they won a Cup riding Roy like that. Could have easily gone to the finals in 2003 as well, but Williams highsticked Koivu in the eye... collapse, rely on the goalie and counter. Leads to some big offensive numbers that amount to nothing.

Speaking of the 2021 Habs, TOR had no business losing to that team in 2021. The Leafs choked hard that year. No way around it.

From what I remember. the Leafs were dominant in the first four games as well. But then they couldn't finish the job in OT of Game Five or Six and played their worst game of the series in Game Seven.

 

[tinyzombies]

Speaking of the 2021 Habs, TOR had no business losing to that team in 2021. The Leafs choked hard that year. No way around it.

From what I remember. the Leafs were dominant in the first four games as well. But then they couldn't finish the job in OT of Game Five or Six and played their worst game of the series in Game Seven.

Stylewise, it was a good matchup for Montreal, but yea Toronto had more talent up front. But, you need defense and goaltending too and Montreal was big and mean in the middle and had Price. Price and Weber played on one leg - which we didn't know then, and Petry was playing with a broken hand. When Matthews let himself be ragdolled by Weber, you could see it deflated the whole team. I remember that as one of the big turning points. I was surprised Montreal wasn't more competitive in the early games actually because we matched up well: big, tough D and three excellent defensive centers.

 

[JianYang]

Speaking of the 2021 Habs, TOR had no business losing to that team in 2021. The Leafs choked hard that year. No way around it.

From what I remember. the Leafs were dominant in the first four games as well. But then they couldn't finish the job in OT of Game Five or Six and played their worst game of the series in Game Seven.

Game 7 was so strange. It felt like the leafs already had made up their minds that the series was over and there was no way back. It didn't have that Game 7 feel at all.

From what I recall, the leafs had to play catchup in both game 5 and game 6 to push those games into OT. Then game 7, there was no fight at all.

 

[Steve Kournianos]

Rangers over Penguins in 2014 and 2022.