Schedule and 2003 Results
Regular Season Records: Detroit 48-20-10-4=110pts, Anaheim 40-27-9-6=95pts
Game 1 on Thursday, 10 Apr: Anaheim wins at Detroit, 2-goals-1 (3OT)
Game 2 on Saturday, 12 Apr: Anaheim wins at Detroit, 3-goals-2
Game 3 on Monday, 14 Apr: Detroit loses at Anaheim, 2-goals-1
Game 4 on Wednesday, 16 Apr: Detroit loses at Anaheim, 3-goals-2 (OT)

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 4: With a goal 6:53 into overtime, the Anaheim Mighty Ducks defeated the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings 3-goals-2, thereby completing a 4-games-nil sweep of series 878. It was the first 4-games-nil sweep of an NHL best-of-7 playoff series since series 834, in which the St. Louis Blues swept the Dallas Stars in their 2001 NHL Quarterfinals pairing. The 4-games-nil sweep is the first achieved by the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, and the eighth suffered by the Detroit Red Wings. It is the 18th sweep in the best-of-7 NHL Preliminary round, the 92th in best-of-7 NHL playoffs (all rounds), and the 149th in best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series overall. It is the first best-of-7 Preliminary-round sweep of a defending Stanley Cup champion since the NHL Preliminary round went to a best-of-7 format in 1987.

After Game 3: With series 878 having shifted to southern California, the Anaheim Mighty Ducks defeated the Detroit Red Wings 2-goals-1 to take a 3-games-nil series lead. In best-of-7 MLB, NBA, and NHL series from 1905 through 2002, the only team to trail 3-games-nil @ HHV but win the series was the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1942 Stanley Cup Finals (against, ironically, the Detroit Red Wings). As such, the team that defeated the 1942 Detroit Red Wings sets a favorable precedent for Detroit's 2003 counterparts. Anaheim leads a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 3-games-nil for the first time ever in series 878. When trailing a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 3-games-nil, the Detroit Red Wings have a series record of 0-8 (in seven of those eight series, Detroit lost Game 4; in the eighth -- the 1945 Stanley Cup Finals -- the Red Wings won Games 4-6 before finally succumbing in Game 7).

After Game 2: Reaching a decision in regulation, but coming from behind to do it, the Anaheim Mighty Ducks won Game 2 of MLB/NHL/NBA best-of-7 series 878 over the Detroit Red Wings, 3-goals-2, thereby taking a 2-games-nil lead in series 878. Anaheim tied the game 2-goals-all with 6:26 left in regulation, and made the game 3-goals-2 with 4:14 left in regulation. What were the historical odds of an Anaheim win considering their one-goal deficit late in the third period? In best-of-7 NHL playoff games from 1939 through 2002, when the road team trailed by one goal with 6:27 left in regulation, its game record was only 39-386 (.092). In best-of-7 MLB, NBA, and NHL playoff series, nineteen times has a team opened the series LL @ HH but won the series: Within those nineteen, the Detroit Red Wings (four wins) have rebounded to win the series more times than any other MLB, NBA, or NHL franchise. Second on this list (2 wins each) are the Montreal Canadiens and the Philadelphia Flyers. Eleven teams are tied for third (one win each). When leading a best-of-7 series 2-games-nil, the Anaheim Mighty Ducks hold a 1-0 series record; when trailing a best-of-7 series 2-games-nil, the Detroit Red Wings have a 5-14 series record (with four of those wins coming after LL @ HH starts, as noted above).

After Game 1: The Anaheim Mighty Ducks won Game 1 of MLB/NHL/NBA best-of-7 series 878 over the Detroit Red Wings, 2-goals-1 on a goal 3:18 into the third overtime. In the entire history of NHL best-of-7 format playoff series (1939-2002), when a team wins Game 1 by a 2-goals-1 score, its series record has been 36-16 (.692). When leading a best-of-7 playoff series 1-game-nil, the Anaheim Mighty Ducks have a franchise series record of 1-0; when trailing a best-of-7 playoff series 1-game-nil, the Detroit Red Wings have a franchise series record of 14-22. In best-of-7 NHL playoff games from 1939 through 2002, the home team has had a game record of 6-14 with 3:17 of the third overtime elapsed; once again, the deeper a best-of-7 NHL playoff game goes into overtime, the less the historical likelihood of a home-team win.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2002-03 regular season, Detroit finished 15 points ahead of Anaheim. From 1939 through 2002, when an NHL team led its best-of-7 playoff series opponent by 15 regular-season points, it has gone on to post a 17-4 (.810) best-of-7 series record in that series against that opponent. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 878 is the 76th best-of-7 playoff series for Detroit and the 4th for Anaheim. In best-of-7 playoff series, Detroit has a 42-33 series record, a 10-5 Prelim-round series record, and a 39-36 Game 1 record, while Anaheim has a 1-2 record, a 1-1 Prelim-round record, and a 1-2 Game 1 record. Series 878 is the third best-of-7 meeting between Anaheim and Detroit; Detroit leads 2-0 (with two sweeps).