A Game 7 is a glorious thing. Unless you're in one. Then it becomes a gut-wrenching, mind-twisting thing. Unless, and until, you win it.
Here's a list of all the Game 7s ever played by a team in the New York Tri-State Area.
Note that, being football teams, the Giants and Jets only play one-off Playoffs. And that, prior to 1939, the Stanley Cup Finals was a best-of-five. The NBA Finals have always been a best-of-seven, although not every earlier round has been. The World Series has been best-of-seven, with the only exceptions being best-of-nine affairs in 1903, 1912 (and that was due to a tie forcing a Game 8), 1919, 1920 and 1921. But in those years, it never got to a Game 9. The League Championship Series was best-of-five until 1984, then became best-of-seven in 1985.
Note also that MLB went from 1 postseason round to 2 in 1969, and to 3 in 1995; the NBA from 3 to 4 in 1970; and the NHL from 3 back down to 2 in 1939, to 3 in 1967, and 4 in 1974. And that the NHL didn't bring in American teams until 1924, and that the NBA wasn't founded until 1946. That's why there's so many fewer prior to the 1970s, and especially prior to the 1950s.
1924 New York Giants: Lost World Series to Washington Senators, in 12 innings.
1926 New York Yankees: Lost World Series to St. Louis Cardinals, at home.
1939 New York Rangers: Lost Stanley Cup Semifinals to Boston Bruins.
1947 New York Yankees: Won World Series over...
1947 Brooklyn Dodgers.
1950 New York Rangers: Lost Stanley Cup Finals to Detroit Red Wings, in overtime.
1951 New York Knicks: Lost NBA Finals to Rochester Royals.
1952 New York Knicks: Lost NBA Finals to Minneapolis Lakers.
1952 Brooklyn Dodgers: Lost World Series, at home, to...
1952 New York Yankees.
1955 New York Yankees: Lost World Series, at home, to...
1955 Brooklyn Dodgers.
1956 Brooklyn Dodgers: Lost World Series, at home, to...
1956 New York Yankees.
1957 New York Yankees: Lost World Series to Milwaukee Braves, at home.
1958 New York Yankees: Won World Series over Braves, on the road.
1960 New York Yankees: Lost World Series to Pittsburgh Pirates.
1962 New York Yankees: Won World Series over San Francisco Giants, on the road.
1964 New York Yankees: Lost World Series to St. Louis Cardinals.
1970 New York Nets: Lost ABA Eastern Division Semifinals to Kentucky Colonels.
1970 New York Knicks: Won NBA Eastern Division Semifinals over Baltimore Bullets. Then won probably the most famous Game 7 in the history of New York sports over the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals.
1971 New York Rangers: Lost Stanley Cup Semifinals to Chicago Blackhawks, after winning Game 6 in triple overtime on Pete Stemkowski's goal.
1972 New York Nets: Won ABA East Finals over Virginia Squires.
1973 New York Knicks: Won NBA East Finals over Boston Celtics. The first time the Celtics ever lost a Game 7 at the Boston Garden.
1973 New York Mets: Lost World Series to Oakland Athletics.
1974 New York Knicks: Won NBA East Quarterfinals over Washington Bullets.
1974 New York Rangers: Lost Stanley Cup Semifinals to Philadelphia Flyers.
1975 New York Islanders: Won Stanley Cup Quarterfinals over Pittsburgh Penguins, on the road, then lost Semifinals to Philadelphia Flyers.
1976 New York Nets: Won ABA Semifinals over San Antonio Spurs.
1978 New York Islanders: Lost Stanley Cup Quarterfinals to Toronto Maple Leafs, at home.
1984 New York Knicks: Lost NBA East Semifinals to Boston Celtics.
1986 New York Mets: Won World Series over Boston Red Sox.
1987 New York Islanders: Won NHL Patrick Division Semifinals over Washington Capitals in overtime in the "Easter Epic." Then lost to Philadelphia Flyers in Division Finals.
1988 New Jersey Devils: Won NHL Patrick Division Finals over Washington Capitals, on the road, then lost NHL Wales Conference Finals to Boston Bruins.
1988 New York Mets: Lost NLCS to Los Angeles Dodgers.
1991 New Jersey Devils: Lost NHL Patrick Division Semifinals to Pittsburgh Penguins.
1992 New York Knicks: Lost NBA East Semifinals to Chicago Bulls
1992 New York Rangers: Won NHL Patrick Division Semifinals over...
1992 New Jersey Devils.
1993 New York Islanders: Won NHL Patrick Division Finals over Pittsburgh Penguins, on the road.
1994 New York Rangers: Won Stanley Cup Finals over Vancouver Canucks. The Curse of 1940 is dead. This came after winning a double-overtime Game 7 of the NHL Eastern Conference Finals on a goal by Stephane Matteau against...
1994 New Jersey Devils: Who had previously won NHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals over Buffalo Sabres.
1994 New York Knicks: Three Game 7s. Won NBA East Semifinals over Chicago Bulls, then won East Finals over Indiana Pacers, before falling in NBA Finals to Houston Rockets.
1995 New York Knicks: Lost NBA East Semifinals to Indiana Pacers.
1997 New York Knicks: Lost NBA East Semifinals to Miami Heat.
1999 New Jersey Devils: Lost NHL East Quarterfinals to Pittsburgh Penguins.
2000 New York Knicks: Won NBA East Semifinals over Miami Heat.
2000 New Jersey Devils: Won NHL East Finals over Philadelphia Flyers, on the road, to complete a 3-games-to-1 comeback. This was when Scott Stevens introduced Eric Lindros to Mr. Shoulder.
2001 New Jersey Devils: Won NHL East Semifinals over Toronto Maple Leafs, but lost Stanley Cup Finals to Colorado Avalanche.
2001 New York Yankees: Lost World Series to Arizona Diamondbacks.
2002 New York Islanders: Lost NHL East Quarterfinals to Toronto Maple Leafs.
2003 New Jersey Devils: Won NHL East Finals over Ottawa Senators on the road, then won Stanley Cup Finals over Anaheim Ducks.
2003 New York Yankees: Won ALCS over Boston Red Sox, in 11 innings.
2004 New Jersey Nets: Lost NBA East Semifinals to Detroit Pistons.
2004 New York Yankees: Lost ALCS to Boston Red Sox, at home. The Curse of the Bambino is dead.
2006 New York Mets: Lost NLCS to St. Louis Cardinals, at home.
2009 New Jersey Devils: Lost NHL East Quarterfinals to Carolina Hurricanes, at home. Aside from the Matteau Game, this was the most shocking defeat in Devils history: Blew a 3-2 lead with a minute and a half left and lost 4-3.
2009 New York Rangers: Lost NHL East Quarterfinals to Washington Capitals.
2012 New York Rangers: Won NHL East Quarterfinals over Ottawa Senators.
2012 New Jersey Devils: Won NHL East Quarterfinals over Florida Panthers.
*
Rangers: 5-4, including 0-1 in Finals.
Devils: 7-7, including 1-0 in Finals.
Knicks: 7-7, including 1-3 in Finals.
Nets: 2-2, but only 0-1 since moving to the NBA.
Yankees: 6-7, including 5-6 in "Finals."
Islanders: 3-4, never played a Game 7 in Finals.
Mets: 1-3, including 0-1 in "Finals."
Giants (baseball): 0-1, and that was in a "Final."
Dodgers: 1-3, all in "Finals."
Who would've thought that the Rangers, legendary losers and choke artists, would have the best record in Game 7s? In fact, they're the only NYTSA team over .500 in this regard!
1 comment:
In regards to the Rangers record, heard a stat that the Rangers have never lost a Game 7 of any series at home...And interesting note of the 75 Islanders series, of course it's been well documented that they won the series over Pittsburgh after trailing 3 games to None--In the series against Philadelphia that followed, they nearly repeated the feat, forcing a seventh game after trailing 3-0. As for that 2004 ALCS, for the past seven and a half years I've done all I could to erase that from my memory...)
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