Let’s just say the start to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final has not been ideal for the Edmonton Oilers. After dominating but getting goalied by Sergei Bobrovsky in Game 1 led to being shut out for the first time since the beginning of April and just the fourth time this season, Game 2 was no better. It turned out to be an unmitigated disaster with absolutely no control of the game and increasingly undisciplined play.
Needless to say, the Oilers are down 2–0 in the series and find themselves needing to climb out of a massive hole.
A hole that, unfortunately, does not have history on their side.
Just five of the 54 times a team takes a 2–0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final has the team down come back to win.
But that is still more than zero.
So you’re telling me there’s a chance?
Technically, yes. Even though it is clearly an uncommon outcome, it is possible for the Oilers to still win. The five teams that have done so in the past have paved a path forward for Edmonton. Only three of them have happened since expansion started, however.
1942 Toronto Maple Leafs
Since we’re going way back in history for this one, we can talk about the Leafs winning a Stanley Cup. The 1942 Maple Leafs actually went down 3–0 in this series and to this day remain the only team to accomplish a reverse sweep in the Stanley Cup Final.
The Detroit Red Wings stormed out to a quick series lead and even led Game 4 2–0 before the Leafs battled back to win that game, and eventually the remaining three.
Toronto was led offensively by Billy Taylor, who had eight assists and nine points in the series, while future Hall of Famers Sweeney Schriner had eight points and Turk Broda led the way in net.
1966 Montreal Canadiens
The Detroit Red Wings make their second appearance on this list, but again not in a good way. 24 years after becoming the first team to lose a 2 (and 3)-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final, they also became the second.
The Montreal Canadiens, then led by the likes of J.C. Tremblay, Jean Beliveau, and Henri Richard, started the series by losing the first two games. But a massive turnaround after game two saw the Habs sweep the remaining games to win the Stanley Cup in six.
1971 Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens make another appearance on the list as the third team in NHL history to come down from a 2–0 series deficit to win the Stanley Cup. After doing it five seasons prior against the Red Wings, this Habs team turned things around against the Chicago Blackhawks to win the 1971 Stanley Cup.
After dropping the first two games on the road, Montreal evened things up on their opening homestand to make it a best-of-three series. Each team proceeded to win their home game, leaving a game seven showdown in Chicago. The Canadiens were down 2–0 through the midway point of this game until Montreal scored two late second period goals followed up by Richard’s second goal of the game early in the third that ended up being the game winner.
2009 Pittsburgh Penguins
It took 38 years between this happening again but the 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins were the fourth team in NHL history to accomplish this feat. Against, who would have guessed it, the Detroit Red Wings. The Penguins and Red Wings were facing off in the Stanley Cup Final for the second consecutive season, with Detroit taking the first matchup.
Early indications were that the Red Wings would make it two straight over the Penguins. But the team, led by the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Marc-Andre Fleury, had another plan.
After dropping the first two games on the road by identical 3–1 scores, Pittsburgh swept their homestand with identical 4–2 victories. After again each winning their own home games, Pittsburgh won Game 7 on the road 2–1 to win the first Stanley Cup of the Crosby era. Unlikely hero Maxime Talbot scored both goals for the Penguins.
2011 Boston Bruins
Widely regarded as one of the best teams to not win the Stanley Cup, things took a quick and controversial turn after the 2010–11 Vancouver Canucks won the opening two games of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final.
The Canucks held the Bruins to two goals in the opening two games, one of them being a shutout. But heading back to Boston, the Bruins exploded in games 3 and 4 with 8–1 and 4–0 wins to even the series up. After each winning their next home games, the Bruins dominated Game 7 with another 4–0 win to take the Stanley Cup back to Boston.
Giving up just eight goals in seven games, including two shutouts, Tim Thomas became the oldest winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy at 37 years old.
A team has taken a 2–0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final 54 times in NHL history. These are the only five teams to turn things around to win the Cup. Although history is not in their favour, the Oilers are not done quite yet as they head back to home ice for Games 3 and 4.
Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire
