The history of the NHL is filled with nail-biting, decisive Game 7s—the kinds of contests that will live forever. Who can forget the Easter Epic, or the Pittsburgh Penguins' heart-stopping Stanley Cup win over the Detroit Red Wings, or the Boston Bruins' legendary comeback against the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2013?
These are not those kinds of games.
Sometimes two teams get to a Game 7 and one, completely gassed, folds before the other. Sometimes the sweetest two words in sports turn sour. Sometimes a thriller just isn't in the cards.
With that in mind, here's a look at the most lopsided Game 7s in NHL history—with commentary to follow.
Biggest Game 7 Blowouts in NHL History
Not included in this list are two six-goal Game 7 blowouts in the World Hockey Association. The New England Whalers defeated the Indianapolis Racers 6–0 in the 1976 quarterfinals, and the Quebec Nordiques shelled the Winnipeg Jets 8–2 in the 1977 Avco Cup finals.
How Did the Biggest Game 7 Blowouts in NHL History Unfold?
Game 7 of the 2002 Western Conference finals—a 7–0 Red Wings win over the Colorado Avalanche—effectively closed the book on one of hockey's great rivalries. It marked the fifth playoff meeting in seven years between the two teams since the Avalanche's relocation from Quebec. The game quickly became a laugher, with Detroit exploding for four goals in the first period and goalie Dominik Hasek pitching a shutout.
The two games tied for second on the all-time list both involve the snakebitten St. Louis Blues of the early 1990s. In both 1990 and 1993, the Blues had superstars—the league's leading goalscorer (right wing Brett Hull) in the former and its save-percentage leader (goalie Curtis Joseph) in the latter. It didn't matter—Hull was held to one assist in '90's debacle and Joseph was tagged for six goals in '93.
The most recent game on this list is the Florida Panthers' 6–1 win over the Maple Leafs on Sunday. The authoritative victory sent Florida—the envy of the Eastern Conference—to its third consecutive conference finals. Toronto, meanwhile, was left to wonder what went wrong as the team's Stanley Cup drought grew to 59 years.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Looking Back on the Biggest Game 7 Blowouts in NHL History.
