In what seemed like an NHL playoffs run, nothing was ever more decimating than the comebacks from a 3-1 series lead. Similarly rare in the playoffs of the NBA, 32 teams have pulled off this great feat since the NHL's creation and rewritten history. Fans were enthralled by these incidents, ranging from a 1940s dominance to the most recent example, the unbelievable upset turnaround by the Florida Panthers in 2023. And so, with every comeback from such a precarious point, a lesson has been learnt: When it comes to playoffs, it is momentum that decides glory and not records.
From Toronto Maple Leafs to Florida Panthers: A look at the iconic 3-1 comebacks in the NHL
The Toronto Maple Leafs set the M.O. for historic resilience back in 1942, when they came back from a 3-1 and 3-0 series downfall to overcome the Detroit Red Wings in the finals. This achievement is much celebrated in NHL lore. After over 30 years, in 1975, the New York Islanders repeated this miracle by shocking the Pittsburgh Penguins in the quarterfinals, thus becoming the second team to flip a 3-0 series round, which entered the NHL's next massive rebound after a long while.
This was the memorable stretch where, from 1987 to 1992, nine teams engineered 3-1 comebacks: the Edmonton Oilers of the 1990s and Pittsburgh's 1992 winners were especially on the list after their own July comebacks from 3-1. And then there was the "Easter Epic," known as the year 1987, when the Islanders narrowly went on over the Washington Capitals in quadruple overtime: perhaps the most heart-thumping Game 7 moment that the NHL has ever produced.
In 2003, the Minnesota Wild performed the rare feat of doing two comebacks in a single playoff-run by overturning 3-1 deficits first against the Colorado Avalanche and then against the Vancouver Canucks. However, the Cinderella story fell short in the next round against the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. Following this, in 2010, the Philadelphia Flyers further endeared themselves to the fandom by staggering the Boston Bruins from 3-0 down: The third team in the NHL's history to pull this off. This proved a right statement, that no lead is safe.
Possibly the craziest one came in 2023, where the Florida Panthers, after facing a 65-win Boston Bruins squad, turned the tables and took three games in a row to claim the Eastern Conference title in a run the world of hockey will never forget.
Also Read: Max Domi seals Maple Leafs OT win, echoes father’s playoff heroics
These 3-1 comebacks-from the legendary Toronto Maple Leafs to the underdog Florida Panthers-stand for the unbelievable, compelling nature of the NHL playoff hockey. History tells us that when the stakes are high, no team is truly out of the contest.
From Toronto Maple Leafs to Florida Panthers: A look at the iconic 3-1 comebacks in the NHL
The Toronto Maple Leafs set the M.O. for historic resilience back in 1942, when they came back from a 3-1 and 3-0 series downfall to overcome the Detroit Red Wings in the finals. This achievement is much celebrated in NHL lore. After over 30 years, in 1975, the New York Islanders repeated this miracle by shocking the Pittsburgh Penguins in the quarterfinals, thus becoming the second team to flip a 3-0 series round, which entered the NHL's next massive rebound after a long while.
RD1. GM3. pic.twitter.com/X1rHoL10gP
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) April 24, 2025
This was the memorable stretch where, from 1987 to 1992, nine teams engineered 3-1 comebacks: the Edmonton Oilers of the 1990s and Pittsburgh's 1992 winners were especially on the list after their own July comebacks from 3-1. And then there was the "Easter Epic," known as the year 1987, when the Islanders narrowly went on over the Washington Capitals in quadruple overtime: perhaps the most heart-thumping Game 7 moment that the NHL has ever produced.
Let’s do it again.#TimeToHunt pic.twitter.com/S29QyELh7P
— x - Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) April 24, 2025
In 2003, the Minnesota Wild performed the rare feat of doing two comebacks in a single playoff-run by overturning 3-1 deficits first against the Colorado Avalanche and then against the Vancouver Canucks. However, the Cinderella story fell short in the next round against the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. Following this, in 2010, the Philadelphia Flyers further endeared themselves to the fandom by staggering the Boston Bruins from 3-0 down: The third team in the NHL's history to pull this off. This proved a right statement, that no lead is safe.
Possibly the craziest one came in 2023, where the Florida Panthers, after facing a 65-win Boston Bruins squad, turned the tables and took three games in a row to claim the Eastern Conference title in a run the world of hockey will never forget.
Also Read: Max Domi seals Maple Leafs OT win, echoes father’s playoff heroics
These 3-1 comebacks-from the legendary Toronto Maple Leafs to the underdog Florida Panthers-stand for the unbelievable, compelling nature of the NHL playoff hockey. History tells us that when the stakes are high, no team is truly out of the contest.
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