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Posted 5-14-08
Stanley Cup Notebook: Rule of 33 about to end
By Dan Di Sciullo, NHL Editor
(Sports Network) - Superstitions are often the invention of people in desperate situations. The NHL playoffs have a mythic connection to the number 33 that is rooted in such superstition, and it's about to be put to the test once again.
Only twice in NHL history have teams come back from 3-0 deficits to win a seven-game series. If first happened in 1942, when the Toronto Maple Leafs charged back to defeat Detroit in the Stanley Cup finals. Thirty-three years later the same miracle occurred as the New York Islanders rebounded from a three games-to-none hole to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1975 quarterfinals.
So, if my limited math ability is good enough to solve this equation, 2008 would be 33 years since the Isles last pulled off the 0-3 magic. And it just so happens that the Penguins and the Red Wings, the only two teams to ever blow 3-0 leads, are holding 3-0 advantages in this year's conference finals.
Could it possibly happen again? Unfortunately for fans of the Philadelphia Flyers and Dallas Stars, the answer is "not likely".
The Red Wings opened their three-game edge over the Stars with a 5-2 win on Monday, and Pittsburgh gained the same lead over Philadelphia with a 4-1 decision on Tuesday night.
Both the Flyers and Stars have been thoroughly dominated by their opponents and the 33-year superstition is the only thing the teams have going for them at this stage.
Detroit is rolling through the Western Conference playoffs, having won nine straight games after being tied with Nashville at 2-2 after four games in the opening round.
In the current series, the Red Wings have outscored Dallas by an 11-4 margin, continuing the stingy style of play that helped them against the Stars in the regular season. The Red Wings won three of the four regular-season meetings with Dallas this season, and the Stars managed just five goals in those four tests.
In fact, the Stars have yet to hold a lead at any point during the first three games of this series.
Detroit's manhandling of the Stars seems to be a clear cut case of the cream rising to the top. The Red Wings' top-line of centerman Henrik Zetterberg and wingers Pavel Datsyuk and Tomas Holmstrom has proven to be too much for Dallas to handle. The trio has combined for 13 points (6 goals, 7 assists) in the three games, and has done a superb job of shutting down the opposing offense as well.
The Red Wings haven't even missed second-line centerman Johan Franzen, who leads the league with 12 goals in this year's playoffs but has missed Games 2 and 3 with concussion-like symptoms.
Also, Detroit's tremendous depth at the blue line and strong showing from Chris Osgood in goal makes it even less likely that the Stars could come back from 0-3. In addition to having the best defenseman of his era in Nicklas Lidstrom, the Red Wings also have a stable of stalwart rear-guards in Niklas Kronwall, Brian Rafalski, Chris Chelios and Brad Stuart.
Meanwhile, Osgood has been nearly unstoppable since taking over the starting goaltending job from Dominik Hasek after Game 4 of the Nashville series. The 35-year-old netminder has won nine consecutive playoff games -- all this season -- tying his own franchise record set from the tail end of the 1998 and start of the 1999 playoffs.
Pittsburgh has also been able to impose its will on the Philadelphia Flyers, who would have had a tough time stopping the Pens even before losing their top-two defensemen to injuries.
The Penguins have outscored Philly, 12-5, in the East finals and have been nearly flawless in the set when holding a lead. Pittsburgh is 11-1 in this year's postseason after sweeping Ottawa in the opening round and ousting the New York Rangers in five games during the conference semis. The 1982-83 Edmonton Oilers were the last club to begin the playoffs at 11-1, but they were eventually swept by the New York Islanders in the finals.
Pittsburgh has received the usual prolific scoring output from its superstar forwards - Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Marian Hossa - but the entire team has also shown an overall commitment to playing sound defense.
The disciplined play of the Penguins, has made it extremely difficult for the Flyers to play their game, which is dumping the puck in deep and charging at the net. So far, Philadelphia has rarely been seen creating havoc from in close, and that has allowed goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to sit back and basically relax in goal.
The way the conference finals have gone, it would be shocking if either the Flyers or Stars could push their series to seven games, and downright earth- shattering if one of them were able to pull off the most monumental of comebacks.
It's usually not a good idea to tempt fate, but in this case it's a safe bet that the myth of 33 years will come to an end. |
