NHL teams up 3-0 win Game 4 only 59 percent of the time

Alex Burrows says all the pressure is now on the Kings. Photo By - US PRESSWIRE

Alex Burrows says all the pressure is now on the Kings. Photo By - US PRESSWIRE

Don't tear up your Canucks or Penguins Stanley Cup futures ticket just yet. Hockey, unlike baseball and basketball, has seen its share of miraculous playoff comebacks.



Three NHL teams have come back down 3-0 to win a best of seven playoff series: the '42 Toronto Maple Leafs, the '75 New York Islanders and the 2010 Philadelphia Flyers. OK, it's a long shot that either Vancouver or Pittsburgh will win four straight to advance to the second round, but the chances are much better than they won't get swept.



Since 1995, teams that owned 3-0 series lead end up sweeping the series 59 percent of the time, meaning the trailing club extends the series in 41 percent of the 39 instances in the sample size. Not too shabby.



Last season, two teams fought back from 0-3 deficits only to lose the seventh game – Chicago crawled back against Vancouver in the opening round and Detroit forced a seventh game in Round 2 against San Jose.



In 2010, the Philadelphia Flyers became one of three teams to ever come back from a 0-3 deficit to win a series, shocking the Boston Bruins in Game 7 even after they trailed 3-0 in that series-deciding game.



The Canucks and Penguins both play Wednesday and are short road underdogs.