By winning three playoff series 4-3 in 2014, the Los Angeles Kings staked a claim to being the best single-season do-or-die team in the history of the NHL. Indeed, they went 7-0 in elimination games that year; the other team to win three Game Sevens in one year, the Boston Bruins, only were at risk of being knocked out in four games.
This is a countdown commemorating LA’s 50-year history, though, so it’s fair to ask: how do the previous 47 years back up the Kings’ heroics? As it turns out, pretty well; the Kings have the fourth-best winning percentage of any NHL team in Game Sevens, and if you like cherry-picking, they’re the best among teams who have found themselves in at least ten Game Sevens.
Turns out the Wild come out on top; two major upsets over top-seeded Colorado squads in overtime and a win over Vancouver comprise their entire Before 2014, LA had an up-and-down history in these types of games; you can refresh your memory by reading about the other eight here. Now? They’re still not the overall kings of 4-3, but they’ve got a pretty solid history.
Tomorrow: the number 42 only represents one athlete in Los Angeles, and it’s not Mikko Eloranta.