TOP 10 7-GAME-SERIES COLLAPSES OF THE CENTURY

SportsBeat!

Written by Aaron Cantin

There's nothing like the playoffs. The passion, the intensity, the history, the collapses. Today, in light of the Toronto Maple Leafs blowing a 3-1 series lead Monday night at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens, we will focus on the latter. I've decided to level the playing field as much as possible, including only best-of-seven series'. In other words, the greatest collapses in the NBA, NHL and MLB. Also, to keep it relevant, this top 10 list will be the greatest seven-game-series collapses since the turn of the century (2000). Let's dive in.

Photo from ESPN

10. Toronto Maple Leafs blow 3-1 series leads vs Montreal Canadiens - 2021

Let's get this one out of the way. Why isn't it higher on the list? Because it was the first round of the playoffs, and despite the rarity, we have seen a fair share of 3-1 series collapses. So why does it make the list? A couple of reasons.

First, the Toronto Maple Leafs track record in the postseason. It's been nearly two decades since the Leafs have won a single playoff series. It's also not the first time in that span they blew a 3-1 series lead. Considering how dominant the Leafs were after four games, it seemed inevitable the Leafs would prevail.

Secondly, the Maple Leafs finished first in the North Division, facing off against the fourth-seeded Canadiens, who finished almost 20 points back of Toronto in the regular season. The Maple Leafs have legitimate stars in Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, John Tavares and Morgan Reilly. Considering the Leafs' best player was arguably Jason Spezza, should say enough.

Lastly, the history. It has been an eternity since the Leafs and Canadiens faced off in the postseason. This is Red Sox/Yankees-esque history. Celtics vs Lakers. As deep as it gets. To collapse against your largest rival, whom many Leafs fans share homes with, adds just that much more insult to injury. This one will take a very long time to get over.

9. Ducks Sweep Red Wings - 2003

The Ducks only had future Hall of Famer Adam Oates, who was 40 years old, and at the end of his days along with Paul Kariya, Sandis Ozolinsh and J-S Giguere, who had ever played in an All-Star game while the Red Wings were blessed with four 30 goal scorers in a very low scoring era. They were also stacked with seven future Hall of Famers along with five multi-time All-Star game participants. None of this mattered, and the Ducks rode Giguere to a series sweep and all the way to the Stanley Cup Final, which they lost to the New Jersey Devils in a seven-game series. Giguere however was one of only five winners of the Conn Smythe Trophy as a member of the losing team. The Ducks would win a Stanley Cup four years later.

This was a Red Wings team expected to defend their Stanley Cup championship, so to go out in four straight was an incredible disappointment.

8. Dallas Mavericks fall to Golden State Warriors - 2007

After losing a heartbreaking 2006 Finals to Wade and the Heat, the Mavericks came back and won an NBA-best 67 games in 2006-07. Dirk won the league's MVP award after averaging 24.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game, with a 12.5 net-rating swing.

The Warriors, meanwhile, were 42-40 in the regular season. They didn't boast a single All-Star that year. There was no way the Mavericks could lose this series. Except they did, making this Warriors team just the third No. 8 in NBA history to knock off the top seed in the first round.

7. Toronto Maple Leafs collapse in the third period vs Boston Bruins - 2013

The Leafs earn another spot on the list, this time for their collapse against the Bruins. This series was a total roller coaster, and when the Bruins took a 3-1 series lead in this first-round matchup, I thought it was over. However, in typical Maple Leafs fashion, the team stormed back to tie the series only to lose in historically miserable fashion in Game 7.

The Leafs took a 4-1 lead with ten minutes remaining, and against all odds, the Bruins won the game in overtime. This is by far the toughest thing I have had to deal with being a Leafs fan... until this past week.

6. Houston Rockets give-up 3-1 series lead to Golden State Warriors - 2018

James Harden was the MVP. And when he played with CP3, the team was plus-12.5 points per 100 possessions (98th percentile). In the playoffs, they made quick work of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Utah Jazz, eliminating both in five games. Then, they went toe-to-toe with the Warriors.

That season, Houston led the NBA in threes per 100 possessions (15.6) and had a three-point percentage that matched the league average.

In Game 7, the Rockets missed an NBA playoff record 27 consecutive attempts from deep. They finished the game 7-of-44 from downtown and lost 101-92. Of course, the unaddressed elephant in this room is that CP3 was injured and didn't play in this deciding game, but Houston still got a whopping 46 uncontested field-goal attempts. They only made 13 of them. There's no doubt Paul would've helped, but he can't will shots into the basket for teammates.

5. President's Trophy-winning Washington Capitals blow it vs Montreal Canadiens - 2010

The 2009-10 Washington Capitals won the Presidents' Trophy and boasted two 100-point scorers, Ovechkin and his partner in crime Nicklas Backstrom. The team also has two 40-goal scorers in Ovechkin and Alexander Semin and five other 20-goal scorers.

Conversely, the Habs' leading point scorer was Brian Gionta, who only managed 46 points, but the team had Jaroslav Halak, who slammed the door shut on the mighty Capitals and led his team to victory in seven games, with the Capitals blowing a 3-1 series lead. To date, it's the only first seed to blow a 3-1 series lead to an eighth seed.

4. Seattle Mariners blow a chance for a historic season - 2001

Seattle finished that season with 116 wins, mere winning percentage points behind the '06 Cubs. That said, Seattle's choke was and is more painful, both because of their ongoing futility and the early nature of their playoff exit.

A 27-year-old Ichiro Suzuki hit .350 with 56 steals. Second baseman Bret Boone hit .331 with 37 home runs. The M's had future Hall of Famers on the rise and amid ludicrous career years. This was their moment. Or not.

Seattle's playoff foray ended terribly with a 4-1 series loss to the Yankees in the ALCS. The M's didn't even taste the World Series, let alone sip champagne.

3. Bruins collapse at the hands of the Philadelphia Flyers - 2010

This second-round series might be more upsetting than an upset since it was only the third time in NHL history and the first time since 1975 that a team came back from being down 3-0 in a series to win. Not only did the Flyers complete the unlikely comeback, but they also overcame a 3-0 deficit in the series-deciding seventh game. The Flyers were led by little-known goalie Michael Leighton who was their backup, and he actually led them to the Stanley Cup Final, which the Flyers lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in seven games.

2. Golden State Warriors implode vs LeBron James, Cavaliers - 2016

No one in NBA history won more regular-season games than the 73-9 Warriors of 2015-16. They were led by the only unanimous MVP in league history, Stephen Curry, who also happened to post the best single-season offensive box plus/minus of all time that season.

At the start of Game 5, Unpredictable gave Golden State a 68.5 percent shot to win the series and secure a second straight title, even without defensive linchpin Draymond Green, who had been suspended for his swipe at LeBron in Game 4.

Cleveland, of course, staved off elimination in that one. Still, the Warriors had two more games to close out the Cavs, including a Game 7 at home in which they once again started with a 68.5 percent win probability. In the fourth quarter of that one, Golden State peaked at 79.4 percent win probability.

Then, one of the greatest offensive teams in league history failed to score a single point for the final 4:39 of a Finals-deciding game. Their inability to offer any counter to the determined Cavaliers made them not only the league's only 73-win team, but also the league's only team to forfeit a 3-1 lead in the Finals.

1. Boston Red Sox erase 3-0 series deficit vs arch-rivals New York Yankees - 2004

In the 2004 ALCS, the Yankees began the series up 3-0. At the start of Game 4, the general consensus was that the Yankees would wrap up the series that very night.

Then the Boston Red Sox came to life. In Game 4, a Boston walk-off hit in the bottom of the ninth inning turned the entire series around. The Red Sox rallied their way past the Yankees over the next three games to take another shot at breaking the Curse of the Bambino. Well, the time was right.

The Red Sox stayed alive and swept the Cardinals in the World Series to change a century's worth of history for one of the most storied teams in baseball. Great comebacks like this are what make October baseball the magical experience that it is.