Has an NHL team ever overcome a 3-0 deficit in the Stanley Cup Playoffs?

The NHL looked like they were going to have a problem. That problem was an uneventful Stanley Cup Final. The Florida Panthers powered their way through the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins, and New York Rangers to reach the Final and looked like they were going to sweep the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers had gotten through the Los Angeles Kings, Vancouver Canucks, and Dallas Stars to make it back to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 2006.

Through the first three games, the Final was all Florida, as they won every game and outscored Edmonton 11-4. It looked as if the Oilers were going to go out with a whimper. But then, they awakened with a fury.

Edmonton took Game 4 by the score of 8-1 and chased Conn Smythe Award favorite Sergei Bobrovsky from the contest early. Then, the Oilers won a thrilling Game 5 by the score of 5-3 behind a video game-like performance from superstar Connor McDavid. Now, the series is back in Edmonton for Game 6, with the Oilers having a chance to tie the series up at three games apiece.

This series of events may have fans wondering -- has an NHL team ever overcome a 3-0 series deficit in the Stanley Cup Playoffs?

Has an NHL team ever successfully overcome a 3-0 series deficit in the Stanley Cup Playoffs?

The answer to that question is yes, four teams have accomplished overcoming a 3-0 series deficit to win. They are as follows:

The very first team to accomplish this goal was the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1942, and it just so happened to be in the Stanley Cup Final. After losing in the first three games, the Maple Leafs outscored the Detroit Red Wings 19-7 in the final four games to come back in the series and hoist the Stanley Cup. This is also the only time a team has overcome a 3-0 series deficit in the Stanley Cup Final.

33 years later, the New York Islanders were the second team to overcome a 3-0 series deficit. In the 1975 Stanley Cup Quarterfinals, the Islanders beat the Pittsburgh Penguins in the final four games to advance to the Semifinals. Ironically, the Islanders faced a 3-0 deficit against the No. 1 seed Philadelphia Flyers, and they forced a Game 7. Unfortunately for the Islanders, they lost Game 7 4-1 to get eliminated. Meanwhile, the Flyers won the Stanley Cup that year.

In 2010, the Flyers were the No. 7 seed and took on the No. 6 Boston Bruins. After going down 3-0 in the series, Philadelphia bounced back and won their next four games. That year, the Flyers made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final, where they lost in six games to the Chicago Blackhawks.

In 2014, the Los Angeles Kings beat the San Jose Sharks in seven games after trailing 3-0 in the series. That proved to be all the momentum the Kings needed, as they made a run to a Stanley Cup victory, where they defeated the New York Rangers in five games.

Can the 2023-24 Oilers become the fifth team in NHL history to overcome a 3-0 series deficit in the Stanley Cup Playoffs?