How Daunting Is Buffalo's Challenge?

The Sabres, down 3-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals going into tonight's game, have to do something that no other Eastern Conference playoff team has done this year: win, when facing elimination! That's right.. according to my research, all six series prior to this (four in the 1st round, two in the 2nd) have ended as soon as one team had a chance to close it out. In Round One, the Rangers swept Atlanta, the Sabres beat the Islanders in five with NYI winning Game 2, the Devils beat Tampa Bay in six after the series had been tied at 2-2, and Ottawa lost Game 2 to the Penguins but took the series in five. In Round Two, the Sabres prevailed against the Rangers in six after the series had been tied 2-2, and the Sens dispatched the Devils in five after losing Game 2. All in all, not a single win could be bought by a team facing elimination! That's pretty wacky, especially when you consider how many close games there've been! (And obviously this stat implies no Game 7's, which is also true.)

The Western Conference teams have fared better, with a 3-5 record when facing elimination, although no team actually came all the way back to win a series after being on the verge.

[Update:] The game's now over, and Buffalo managed to avoid elimination and force a Game 5 back at home. With the 3-1 series here and a 2-1 lead by Detroit in the other one, there'll be no sweeps in Round 3, just like there were none in Round 2. In fact, the only sweep so far in the 2007 NHL Playoffs was masterfully delivered by... you guessed it, the New York Rangers! If we don't have a sweep in the Final series - whoever makes it there! - then the boys will be the only broom-holders for the entire year! That's another nice feather in the cap of a great playoff year.