Schedule and 2003 Results
Regular Season Records: Vancouver 45-23-13-1=104pts, St. Louis 41-24-11-6=99pts
Game 1 on Thursday, 10 Apr: St. Louis wins at Vancouver, 6-goals-nil
Game 2 on Saturday, 12 Apr: St. Louis loses at Vancouver, 2-goals-1
Game 3 on Monday, 14 Apr: Vancouver loses at St. Louis, 3-goals-1
Game 4 on Wednesday, 16 Apr: Vancouver loses at St. Louis, 4-goals-1
Game 5 on Friday, 18 Apr: St. Louis loses at Vancouver, 5-goals-3
Game 6 on Sunday, 20 Apr: Vancouver wins at St. Louis, 4-goals-3
Game 7 on Tuesday, 22 Apr: St. Louis loses at Vancouver, 4-goals-1

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 7: On home ice for Game 7, the Vancouver Canucks became the first MLB, NBA, or NHL franchise to surmount a 3-games-1 deficit to win a best-of-7 playoff series for an unprecedented third time when they defeated the St. Louis Blues 4-goals-1 to win MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 880, 4-games-3. The 2003 St. Louis Blues thus become the fourth St. Louis team to take a 3-games-1 series lead but lose the series (the MLB St. Louis Cardinals did likewise in 1968, 1985, and 1996). The win order for the Vancouver Canucks was LWLLWWW: Vancouver thus becomes the eighth team in NHL Preliminary-round playoff series, the eighth team in NHL playoff series (all rounds), and the fifteenth team in MLB, NBA, and NHL playoff series (all rounds) to achieve this win order in a best-of-7 playoff series. By surmounting 3-games-1 deficits to win best-of-7 playoff series, the Minnesota Wild and the Vancouver Canucks do so for the 31st and 32nd times in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff history, for the 17th and 18th times in NHL best-of-7 playoff history, and for the 13th and 14th times in NHL Preliminary-round best-of-7 playoff history. In 1992, three NHL teams (the Pittsburgh Penguins, Detroit Red Wings, and Vancouver Canucks) surmounted 3-games-1 deficits to win best-of-7 NHL Preliminary-round playoff series.

After Game 6: The Vancouver Canucks held off the St. Louis Blues on Missouri ice, defeating the Blues 4-goals-3 to tie series 880 at 3-games-all. When tied 3-games-all in a best-of-7 playoff series, the Vancouver Canucks have a Game 7 record of 3-2 (1-0 on Vancouver ice), while the St. Louis Blues have a Game 7 record of 6-7 (3-5 on road ice). In best-of-7 NHL playoff series (all rounds) from 1939 through 2002, teams tied three-games-all @ VVHHVH (such as the St. Louis Blues) are on a seven-series losing streak. Now in their 47th best-of-7 NHL playoff series, the St. Louis Blues can turn to their first best-of-7 series to find a favorable precedent: In MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 189 (in the 1968 NHL Quarterfinals), the St. Louis Blues opened the series WLWWLL @ VVHHVH (just as in series 880) but won Game 7 in Philadelphia vs. the Flyers to win series 189. By winning at home in Game 7, Vancouver would become the first MLB, NBA, or NHL team to achieve three series comeback victories after having faced 3-games-1 deficits.

After Game 5: With series 880 having returned to Vancouver and with the Canucks' backs to the proverbial wall, the Vancouver Canucks topped the St. Louis Blues 5-goals-3, thereby staying alive in series 880 and reducing the Blues' series lead to 3-games-2. In best-of-7 NHL playoff competition, when the St. Louis Blues are leading 3-games-2, their series record is 7-1; when trailing 3-games-2, the Vancouver Canucks have a 2-7 series record. In MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 705 (in the 1996 NHL Preliminary round vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs), St. Louis also won Game 1 but lost Game 2 on the road, won Games 3-4 at home, and lost Game 5 in Toronto: Those 1996 St. Louis Blues won Game 6 in St. Louis and series 705 by a 4-games-2 tally. As such, the 1996 St. Louis Blues set a favorable precedent for their counterparts in 2003. But in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 607 (in the 1992 NHL Preliminary round vs. the old Winnipeg Jets), Vancouver also lost Game 1 but won Game 2 at home, lost Games 3-4 on the road, and won Game 5 at home: Those 1992 Vancouver Canucks won Game 6 in Winnipeg and won Game 7 at home to win series 607, 4-games-3. Accordingly, the 1992 Vancouver Canucks set a favorable precedent for their counterparts in 2003. Proof of Preliminary-round quirkiness: For teams opening a best-of-7 NHL playoff series with a WLWWL win order (as have the St. Louis Blues), their series record is 19-7 (.731) in all rounds, but in the Preliminary round alone their series record is 6-7 (.462). It should accordingly be no surprise that, of the 30 MLB, NBA, and NHL comebacks to surmount 3-games-1 deficits to win best-of-7 playoff series through 2002, 12 (40%) have occurred in the NHL Preliminary round (and 12 of 17 of these comebacks have occurred since best-of-7 NHL Preliminary-round play began in 1987). As the NBA will soon likely discover, the Preliminary round offers surprises generally not seen in the subsequent rounds. Vancouver stays alive to continue its efforts to become the first NBA, NHL, or MLB team to stage a hitherto unprecedented third franchise comeback victory after a 3-games-1 deficit; St. Louis is trying to become the ninth straight NHL team to lead 3-games-2 @ VVHHV after five games and win a Preliminary-round series (thereby extending the eight-series winning streak now on the line).

After Game 4: The St. Louis Blues hosted and defeated the Vancouver Canucks 4-goals-1 to take a 3-games-1 lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 880. When leading a best-of-7 series 3-games-1, the St. Louis Blues have a 6-0 record; when trailing 3-games-1, the Vancouver Canucks have a 2-3 series record (ironically, when Vancouver is tied 2-games-all, its series record [1-5] is worse). In best-of-7 NHL Preliminary-round play, teams beginning the series WLWW (such as St. Louis) have an 8-7 series record but are currently on a five-series winning streak. That teams beginning a best-of-7 NHL playoff series WLWW have a 45-7 series record overall but only an 8-7 series record in the Preliminary round illustrates how this Preliminary round has been a veritable breeding ground for comeback victories. Both the St. Louis Blues and the Vancouver Canucks (along with seven other MLB, NBA, or NHL teams) have twice surmounted 3-games-1 deficits to win best-of-7 series; Vancouver now has the opportunity to do so for an unprecedented third time. In best-of-7 Preliminary-round play, the St. Louis Blues have now registered 55 game victories -- the Detroit Red Wings had previously been the leader in this category with 53, but given the 4-games-nil sweep the Red Wings suffered vs. the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Detroit stays at 53 in this category.

After Game 3: With series 880 having moved to Missouri for Games 3 and 4, the St. Louis Blues on home ice defeated the Vancouver Canucks 3-goals-1 to take a 2-games-1 series lead. Through three games, this series is in perfect alignment with series 876 (Toronto vs. Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals) and series 877 (Edmonton vs. Dallas in the Western Conference Quarterfinals): WLW @ VVH. When leading a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the St. Louis Blues have a series record of 7-6; when trailing 2-games-1, the Vancouver Canucks are 2-6 in the series.

After Game 2: Rebounding from a 6-goals-nil shutout loss in Game 1, the Vancouver Canucks held on to defeat the St. Louis Blues in Vancouver by a 2-goals-1 score, thereby evening their best-of-7 series 880 at 1-game-all. In best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series history, teams losing Game 1 by a 6-goals-nil (or a 6-runs-nil) tally but winning Game 2 hold a perfect 3-0 series record (precedents for Vancouver: the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1947 NHL Finals, the MLB Cincinnati Reds in the 1975 World Series, and the Boston Bruins in a 1989 NHL Preliminary round series). When tied 1-game-all in a best-of-7 NHL playoff series, the Vancouver Canucks own a 6-7 series record, while that for the St. Louis Blues is 8-15.

After Game 1: The St. Louis Blues won Game 1 of MLB/NHL/NBA best-of-7 series 880 over the Vancouver Canucks, 6-goals-nil. In the entire history of NHL best-of-7 format playoff series (1939-2002), when a team wins Game 1 by a shutout, its series record has been 46-24 (.657). When leading a best-of-7 playoff series 1-game-nil, the St. Louis Blues have a franchise series record of 16-8; when trailing a best-of-7 playoff series 1-game-nil, the Vancouver Canucks have a franchise series record of 3-6. The 6-goals-nil victory in Vancouver was the most one-sided shutout victory in St. Louis Blues NHL best-of-7 playoff history, and the most one-sided shutout loss in Vancouver Canucks NHL best-of-7 playoff history. The 6-goals-nil score was the most one-sided NHL best-of-7 Game 1 shutout score since best-of-7 series 727 (in the 1997 NHL Preliminary round by the Colorado Avalanche over the Chicago Blackhawks), and only the second by a road team since the Buffalo Sabres won Game 1 of series 527 (in the 1989 NHL Preliminary round vs. the Boston Bruins; Buffalo then lost the next four games and the series).

Pre-series assessment: In the 2002-03 regular season, Vancouver finished 5 points ahead of St. Louis. From 1939 through 2002, when an NHL team led its best-of-7 playoff series opponent by 5 regular-season points, it has gone on to post a 19-7 (.731) best-of-7 series record in that series against that opponent. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 880 is the 20th best-of-7 playoff series for Vancouver and the 47th for St. Louis. In best-of-7 playoff series, Vancouver has an 8-11 series record, a 4-5 Prelim-round series record, and a 10-9 Game 1 record, while St. Louis has a 19-27 record, a 10-6 Prelim-round record, and a 24-22 Game 1 record. Series 880 is the second best-of-7 meeting between St. Louis and Vancouver; Vancouver leads 1-0.