Spring 2014 Day 8:
On Wednesday 23 April in the NHL, the Columbus Blue Jackets hosted and defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-goals-3 in overtime, the Chicago Blackhawks hosted and defeated the St. Louis Blues 4-goals-3 in overtime, and the Dallas Stars hosted and defeated the Anaheim Ducks 4-goals-2; all three of those series are now tied 2-games-all. On Wednesday 23 April in the NBA, the Miami Heat hosted and defeated the Charlotte Bobcats 101-pts-97, the Dallas Mavericks visited and defeated the San Antonio Spurs 113-pts-92, and the Portland Trailblazers visited and defeated the Houston Rockets 112-pts-105.

Columbus Comeback:
Columbus trailed Pittsburgh in Game 4 of their series at home by three goals as late as 16:38 into the first period, by two goals as late as 14:19 into the second period, and by one as late as 19:35 into the third period. In the history of best-of-7 NHL playoff games from 1939 through 2013, inclusive, home teams down three goals 16:38 into the first period had a 2-44 (.043) game record, home teams down two goals 14:19 into the second period had a 36-299 (.107) game record, and home teams down a goal 19:35 into the third period had a 8-397 (.020) game record.

Same Scores:
All four games thus far in the Pittsburgh-Columbus series have ended in a 4-goals-3 score, thus making their series the fourth best-of-7 NHL playoff series in which the first four games all ended in the same score. In the 1993 NHL Quarterfinals, the Montreal Canadiens swept the Buffalo Sabres 4-games-nil via four 4-goals-3 scores (en route to the 1993 NHL championship). Overall, ten of 28 best-of-7 NHL playoff games through 23 April 2014 have ended in a 4-goals-3 score - no other final score has accounted for any more than four best-of-7 NHL playoff game endings in 2014. The 4-goals-3 score has been the final score of 35.7% of the 2014 NHL playoff games to date - the largest such percentage in an NHL playoff season since 1951, in which six of 16 best-of-7 NHL playoff games (37.5%) ended 3-goals-2.

Five and Five in Five:
Tied 2-games-all in a best-of-7 NHL playoff series (as they now are against the St. Louis Blues), the defending NHL champion Chicago Blackhawks have an active five-series winning streak and an active five-Game 5 winning streak. Likewise tied 2-games-all (as they now are against the Anaheim Ducks), the Dallas Stars for their part have an active seven-series winning streak.

Just One Victory:
With their Game 2 loss to the defending NBA champion Miami Heat, the Charlotte Bobcats see their overall best-of-7 NBA playoff game record fall to 0-6, which ties that of the MLB Detroit Tigers for second-worst at the start of an MLB/NBA/NHL team best-of-7 playoff game history. Worst was that of the NBA Memphis Grizzlies at 0-12: Charlotte will not reach that mark in 2014 (if, they would hope, at all).

Rebounding Hard:
The 21-point margin of victory posted by the Dallas Mavericks in their Game 2 against the Spurs in San Antonio is the largest ever in a best-of-7 NBA playoff Game 2 by a road team that had also won Game 1 on the road, and breaks the previous record of a 16-point margin of victory in that situation (set in the pre-shot clock era by the old Chicago Stags against the old Washington Capitols, in the 1947 NBA Semifinals).

Two for One:
The Houston Rockets, having lost Game 1 at home to Portland, loses Game 2 in a best-of-7 NBA playoff series upon having lost Game 1 for the eleventh consecutive time.

BEST-OF-7 FEATURES
Articles on best-of-7 series phenomena.