The Edmonton Oilers have little margin for error.
Connor McDavid and Co. are set to host the franchise’s first Stanley Cup Final game since 2006 Thursday night at Rogers Place in Edmonton. But the contest will come under less-than-ideal circumstances for the home team.
That’s because the Oilers are starting down a potential 3-0 series deficit against the Florida Panthers. The two-time reigning Eastern Conference champions protected home ice to open the 2024 Cup Final, winning the first two games in Sunrise, Florida, by a combined score of 7-1.
The Oilers now need to at least win four of the next five games in order to capture the franchise's first Cup since 1990. And if they're able to pull that comeback off, Edmonton will join some very exclusive company:
Has a team ever come back from down 2-0 in the Stanley Cup Final?
There have been multiple Stanley Cup Finals where the winning team once trailed 2-0 in the series.
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How many teams have come back from down 2-0 in the Stanley Cup Final?
Since moving to a best-of-seven format in 1939, teams facing a 2-0 series deficit have emerged victorious five times in 54 attempts, according to TSN. Four of those five series comebacks were decided in seven games.
Who was the last team to come back from down 2-0 in the Stanley Cup Final?
The Boston Bruins were the most recent club to rally back from a 2-0 Cup Final deficit.
After falling into a 2-0 hole in the 2011 Cup Final, Boston won two straight over the Vancouver Canucks to even up the series. Vancouver regained the series lead in Game 5, but Boston then twice staved off elimination to capture the franchise’s first Cup in nearly four decades.
Here’s a full look at the five teams to come back from down 2-0 in the Cup Final:
- 2011: Boston Bruins over Vancouver Canucks in seven games
- 2009: Pittsburgh Penguins over Detroit Red Wings in seven games
- 1971: Montreal Canadiens over Chicago Blackhawks in seven games
- 1966: Montreal Canadiens over Detroit Red Wings in six games
- 1942: Toronto Maple Leafs over Detroit Red Wings in seven games
Has a team ever come back from down 3-0 in the Stanley Cup Final?
The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs weren’t just the first team to overcome a 2-0 series deficit in the Cup Final. That Leafs team also lost Game 3 to the Detroit Red Wings before reeling off four straight to complete a historic comeback.
The 1942 Leafs were the first and only team to ever overcome a 3-0 Cup Final deficit. They're also one of just four teams in NHL postseason history to come back from a 3-0 series deficit.
