One of the most exciting and engaging elements of hockey is its tendency to change in a split second. One goal, one lucky bounce and even one save can change everything, no matter how one sided the action that preceded the moment was. This phenomenon has only increased since hockey became a more dynamic and fast paced sport after the 2004-05 lockout. It has also led to this conclusion: no lead is safe in the modern era of NHL hockey.
In the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, leads have become an endangered species. It doesn’t matter how solid the life expectancy of the lead seems, none are safe. Between rounds one and two 12 games have seen a lead of two goals or more have evaporated. That means that there has been a major comeback in 16 per cent of playoffs games so far, almost a 1 in 5 chance a game will contain one.
Not only have leads been disappearing, but comebacks have been completed. Only five times has the team that had their two or more goal lead erased won the game. In the first round, only two out of eight teams would fail to complete the comeback. The highest profile failure was the Tampa Bay Lightning, who erased a 3-0 deficit in game 4 of their series with the Montreal Canadiens before losing the game, and the series, on a goal from Max Pacioretty.
But it hasn’t just been single games that have been subject to the incredible frequency of comebacks in this year’s playoffs. No series lead is safe either. The prime example of this is evidently the San Jose Sharks: they who held the 3-0 lead before a historic collapse to the Los Angeles Kings. In the history of the NHL this feat has only been accomplished three other times: by the 1942 Maple Leafs, the 1975 Penguins and the 2010 Flyers.
This was not the only major collapse either, as the Pittsburgh Penguins coughed up a 3-1 series lead against the New York Rangers to send the latter to the Eastern Conference final. While this feat is evidently more common than coming back after being down three games to none, it is still very rare. Only twenty-four other teams have ever completed this particular comeback.
What is the significance of all these rapidly changing games? As mentioned above, the more unpredictable, the better the quality of hockey. With unpredictability being a major theme in this year’s playoffs, it has made them one of the best in recent memory.
Why have there been so many comebacks in this year’s playoffs? For one, teams are now seeing more examples of leads being negated around them. The Game 7 collapse of the Toronto Maple Leafs is one many will point to as a game that gives concrete evidence that very few leads are safe in the modern NHL.
Furthermore, the style of the game being played today is one that frowns upon defensive systems. Teams that try to sit back and absorb the game cannot do so with the effectiveness that they could when the defensive zone trap was still a major part of hockey. Teams are now forced to counter offense with counter attacks, which in turn creates even more offense.
While playing with the lead is still an ideal scenario for teams, especially in the playoffs, it does not bring the same level of security that it did in the past. As a result, the games and series that have been played have been more exciting, and even less predictable than usual in the 2014 NHL Playoffs.
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