Closing Out a Sweep in the Final

The Rangers avoided a Stanley Cup sweep with a home win over the Kings on Wednesday. Back at the dystopian hellscape Staples Center, they look to stay alive for another day in Game Five.

26 teams had fallen behind 3-0 in the Stanley Cup Final, and New York already did something 20 of them could not do, and that's win Game Four. Of the six that avoided the sweep, three won again and three were eliminated.

The Blueshirts look to join the 1942 Maple Leafs, 1945 Red Wings and 2012 Devils as the only teams to force a Game Six after being down 3-0. The '42 Leafs came all the way back on Detroit, who almost returned the favor three years later, but lost in Game Seven. New Jersey won twice to send their series back to L.A., where the Kings clinched their first Cup.

Year	Up 3-0	Down 3-0	Game 4	Game 5	Game 6	Game 7
1941	Bruins	Red Wings	Win
1942	Red Wings	Maple Leafs	Loss	Loss	Loss	Loss
1943	Red Wings	Bruins	Win
1944	Canadiens	Black Hawks	Win
1945	Maple Leafs	Red Wings	Loss	Loss	Loss	Win
1946	Canadiens	Bruins	Loss	Win
1948	Maple Leafs	Red Wings	Win
1949	Maple Leafs	Red Wings	Win
1952	Red Wings	Canadiens	Win
1947	Canadiens	Bruins	Loss	Win
1960	Canadiens	Maple Leafs	Win
1968	Canadiens	Blues	Win
1969	Canadiens	Blues	Win
1970	Bruins	Blues	Win
1976	Canadiens	Flyers	Win
1977	Canadiens	Bruins	Win
1981	Islanders	North Stars	Loss	Win
1982	Islanders	Canucks	Win
1983	Islanders	Oilers	Win
1988	Oilers	Bruins	Win
1992	Penguins	Blackhawks	Win
1995	Devils	Red Wings	Win
1996	Avalanche	Panthers	Win
1997	Red Wings	Flyers	Win
1998	Red Wings	Capitals	Win
2012	Kings	Devils	Loss	Loss	Win
2014	Kings	Rangers	Loss	???

Looking at the NBA, it's surprising that a team has taken a 3-0 lead only 12 times. Would-be sweepers are 8-4 with an 8-1 mark in the last six decades.

Year	Up 3-0	Down 3-0	Game 4	Game 5	Game 6	Game 7
1947	Warriors	Stags	Loss	Win
1949	Lakers	Capitols	Loss	Loss	Win
1951	Royals	Knicks	Loss	Loss	Loss	Win
1959	Celtics	Lakers	Win
1971	Bucks	Bullets	Win
1975	Warriors	Bullets	Win
1983	76ers	Lakers	Win
1989	Pistons	Lakers	Win
1995	Rockets	Magic	Win
1996	Bulls	SuperSonics	Loss	Loss	Win
2002	Lakers	Nets	Win
2007	Spurs	Cavaliers	Win

In baseball, there have been 24 3-0 World Series leads and the teams are brutally efficient at sealing the deal. Only three times has a team staved off the sweep and they survived for merely one more game as the 1910 A's, 1937 Yankees and 1970 Reds all won in five. 

Year	Up 3-0	Down 3-0	Game 4	Game 5	Game 6	Game 7
1907*	Cubs	Tigers	Win
1910	Athletics	Cubs	Loss	Win
1914	Braves	Athletics	Win
1922*	Giants	Yankees	Win
1927	Yankees	Pirates	Win
1928	Yankees	Cardinals	Win
1932	Yankees	Cubs	Win
1937	Yankees	Giants	Loss	Win
1938	Yankees	Cubs	Win
1939	Yankees	Reds	Win
1950	Yankees	Phillies	Win
1954	Giants	Indians	Win
1963	Dodgers	Yankees	Win
1966	Orioles	Dodgers	Win
1970	Orioles	Reds	Loss	Win
1976	Reds	Yankees	Win
1989	Athletics	Giants	Win
1990	Reds	Athletics	Win
1998	Yankees	Padres	Win
1999	Yankees	Braves	Win
2004	Red Sox	Cardinals	Win
2005	White Sox	Astros	Win
2007	Red Sox	Rockies	Win
2012	Giants	Tigers	Win

* I've included the World Series from 1907 and 1922, despite the fact that each had an extra-inning game declared a tie due to darkness. 1907's opener saw the Cubs score two in the bottom of the ninth to extend the game, which was called after 12 frames. Game Two in 1922 was called after the tenth, much to the dismay of fans who believed there was plenty of daylight left. If you don't want to include them, then the Game Four record is 19-3.

Between the three sports combined, the potential sweepers' Game Four record is 49-14. Of the first 13 that stayed alive, six won again in Game Five. Three of those six forced a Game Seven with only those 1942 Maple Leafs completing the comeback. Here's one fan hoping for history to repeat itself 72 years later.