Few fans were surprised to see the Washington Capitals swept by the New York Rangers in the first round of this series.
So let’s go back in time to remember five surprising sweeps that occurred in recent years.
But just before, know that the National Hockey League (NHL) established 4 of 7 for all its playoff rounds in 1987 (except for the qualifying round of the 2020 series, held in the Toronto and Edmonton bubbles). There were 540 post-season matchups between the inception of this format and the start of the playoffs in 2024. Of those, 76 series ended in a sweep.
Blue Jackets-Lightning, 2019
No team did better than the Tampa Bay Lightning during the 2018-19 regular season. The club won the Presidents’ Trophy and maintained an impressive record of 62-16-4. Few observers, if any, gave the Columbus Blue Jackets a real chance in the first round of the playoffs. And yet, the team led by head coach John Tortorella at the time made short work of the powerful “Bolts”.
It was the first time that a regular season champion team suffered the indignity of a first round sweep. The Lightning, however, recovered well from this humiliation, as the organization participated in three Stanley Cup finals in a row and lifted the big trophy twice.
Mighty Ducks – Wild, 2003
During the playoffs of the 2002-2023 campaign, Anaheim Mighty Ducks goalie Jean-Sébastien Giguère was simply incredible. If his team’s sweep against the Minnesota Wild in the Western Conference final is found in this list, it is because of his outfit which bordered on perfection.
Photo credit: REUTERS/Mike Blake
The Quebecer has conceded only one goal to his opponents in four games! He therefore rejected 124 of the 125 pucks that the Wild players sent in his direction, amassing three shutouts in a row.
The Mighty Ducks then lost the Stanley Cup Final to the New Jersey Devils in seven games, but Giguère still won the Conn Smythe Trophy.
Canadian-Jets, 2021
Cinderella team of the 2021 playoffs, the Montreal Canadiens made it to the Stanley Cup final. During its journey, the Sainte-Flanelle allowed itself to sweep the Winnipeg Jets in the second round. The Manitoba club had just suffered this affront to the Edmonton Oilers and were heavily favored against the team that probably would not have participated in the playoffs if it had not been for the circumstances linked to the COVID pandemic- 19.
Sabres-Bruins, 1993
In 1992-1993, the Boston Bruins finished first in the Adams Division, with 23 points more in the standings than the Buffalo Sabres. The two teams met in the first round of the playoffs.
The Sabers won the first three games, including two in overtime. The fourth and final match was nothing short of epic, as both teams scored five goals each in regulation time. It was Brad May who allowed the Sabers to achieve a sweep by scoring in overtime. The magic of that moment was surpassed by Buffalo announcer Rick Jeanneret’s famous “Mayday.”
Devils-Red Wings, 1995
It was really in the 1995 Stanley Cup Final that the “Dead Puck Era” began in the NHL. For this, we must say thank you to the New Jersey Devils of head coach Jacques Lemaire.
With their hermetic playing system, the future champions defeated the offensive machine represented by the Detroit Red Wings in four short games. This opened the door to a drastic change in the way hockey was played in the Bettman circuit. A little less than six goals were scored on average per game in 1994-1995. This average dropped to 5.19 in 1998-1999…
