During S40 and some 3-1 leads back then, I decided to prove to the VHL that there is no such thing as a 3-1 curse. After a couple incidents in S40 and since then which have further somehow consolidated some members' (“cough”Green“cough”) false beliefs, plus with two 3-1 leads currently in the conference finals, it seems like a good time to update this.
So here we go (S27-S39 was done in the original article here: http://www.vhlforum.com/index.php?/topic/14517-dispelling-a-playoff-myth/
CODE:
Bland boring text: team with 3-1 lead won in 5 or 6 games
Bold: team with 3-1 lead won in 7 games
RED AND BOLD: team with 3-1 lead lost the series
S27: New York 3-1 Seattle
S28: New York 3-1 Davos
S29: Toronto 3-1 New York, Toronto 3-1 Davos
S30: Seattle 3-1 New York, Calgary 3-1 Seattle
S31: Riga 3-1 Helsinki, Davos 3-1 Riga, New York 3-1 Calgary, New York 3-1 Davos
S32: New York 3-1 Quebec, New York 3-1 Calgary, Riga 3-1 New York
S33: Davos 3-1 Riga, Helsinki 3-1 Riga, Calgary 3-1 New York
S34: Calgary 3-1 Quebec
S35: Cologne 3-1 Davos. Toronto 3-1 Calgary, Quebec 3-1 Calgary
S36: Toronto 3-1 Quebec, Davos 3-1 Helsinki, Toronto 3-1 Davos
S37: No 3-1 leads
S38: Riga 3-1 Vasteras, Toronto 3-1 Seattle, Davos 3-1 Riga
S39: Seattle 3-1 Calgary, New York 3-1 Seattle, New York 3-1 Davos
S40: Quebec 3-1 Calgary, New York 3-1 Calgary, Riga 3-1 New York
S41: Quebec 3-1 Calgary, Helsinki 3-1 Cologne, New York 3-1 Quebec
S42: New York 3-1 Toronto, Cologne 3-1 Helsinki, Cologne 3-1 Quebec
S43: Cologne 3-1 Davos, Seattle 3-1 Quebec, Cologne 3-1 Stockholm, Cologne 3-1 Seattle
So we have had three comebacks and of those, two successful comebacks from a 3-1 deficit in the past four seasons, despite 13 such instances, not including Calgary finishing off a 3-1 lead over New York in the first round. No need to note any percentages or the like, the trend is quite clear from the above.
What does this mean? Well not that I've posted this, we're probably guaranteed at least one Game 7 in these conference finals. But more likely is a repeat of last season, where Cologne finished off Stockholm and the Meute were upset by a supposedly inferior (but much more likeable) squad. I guess we'll see what happens tomorrow.