Schedule and 2003 Results
Regular Season Records: Vancouver 45-23-13-1=104pts, Minnesota 42-29-10-1=95pts
Game 1 on Friday, 25 Apr: Minnesota loses at Vancouver, 4-goals-3 (OT)
Game 2 on Sunday, 27 Apr: Minnesota wins at Vancouver, 3-goals-2
Game 3 on Tuesday, 29 Apr: Vancouver wins at Minnesota, 3-goals-2
Game 4 on Friday, 02 May: Vancouver wins at Minnesota, 3-goals-2 (OT)
Game 5 on Monday, 05 May: Minnesota wins at Vancouver, 7-goals-2
Game 6 on Wednesday, 07 May: Vancouver loses at Minnesota, 5-goals-1
Game 7 on Thursday, 08 May: Minnesota wins at Vancouver, 4-goals-2

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 7: Surmounting a 2-goals-nil deficit on Vancouver ice, the Minnesota Wild rallied to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 4-goals-2, thereby winning MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 884, 4-games-3. The win order for the series was LWLLWWW: Best-of-7 series 884 thus becomes the first NHL Quarterfinals-round series, the second Quarterfinals-round series (NBA or NHL), the ninth NHL series (all rounds; the first since Vancouver achieved this win order in series 880 in the previous round), and the 17th MLB, NBA, or NHL series overall (all rounds) to follow this particular win order. The Minnesota Wild have thus become the first NHL team to surmount 3-games-1 deficits in consecutive best-of-7 playoff series, and only the second MLB, NBA, or NHL team to do so since the 1985 MLB Kansas City Royals. The Minnesota Wild are only the second MLB, NBA, or NHL team to surmount 3-games-1 deficits in two separate series in which both Game 7s were on the road -- the first: the NHL New York Islanders, in best-of-7 series 295 (vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1975 NHL Quarterfinals [overcoming a 3-games-nil deficit]), and in series 479 (vs. the Washington Capitals in the 1987 NHL Preliminary round) -- and the first to do so in consecutive series.

After Game 6: The Minnesota Wild hosted and defeated the Vancouver Canucks 5-goals-1, thereby tying MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 884 at 3-games-all. When tied 3-games-all in an NHL playoff series, the Vancouver Canucks have a series record of 4-2, while that for the Minnesota Wild is 1-0 (from the previous round of the 2003 NHL playoffs). In the 880 best-of-7 MLB, NBA, and NHL playoff series from 1905 through the 2003 NHL Preliminary round, when a team opens a series with a WLWWLL win order and an HHVVHV site order (as Vancouver has in series 884), its series record is 6-1: The sole loss occurred in series 479, in which the Washington Capitals were defeated by the New York Islanders in their 1987 NHL Preliminary-round series. In best-of-7 NHL playoff series from 1939 through the 2003 NHL Preliminary round, when a team opens a series with a WLWWLL win order irrespective of site order (as Vancouver has in series 884), its series record is 5-8, including a current three-series losing streak (the latest loss in which was sustained by the St. Louis Blues, in series 880 to ... the Vancouver Canucks). The Minnesota Wild are trying to become only the second MLB, NBA, or NHL team to fall behind 3-games-1 and win the series in two consecutive best-of-7 playoff series. The only team to do so thus far was the 1985 MLB Kansas City Royals, in series 456 (vs. the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Championship Series or MLB Semifinals) and series 458 (vs. the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series or MLB Finals). The Minnesota Wild apparently have become only the fourth team to fall behind 3-games-1 but tie the series 3-games-all in consecutive best-of-7 playoff series: The first three were the NHL Los Angeles Kings (in series 833 vs. the Colorado Avalanche in the 2001 NHL Quarterfinals; in series 853 vs. those same Avalanche in the 2002 NHL Preliminary round), the 1987 NHL New York Islanders (in series 479 vs. the Washington Capitals in the Preliminary round; in series 485 vs. the Philadelphia Flyers in the Quarterfinals round), and the 1975 NHL New York Islanders (in series 295 vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Quarterfinals; in series 296 vs. the Philadelphia Flyers in the Semifinals [the Islanders tied these series after trailing 3-games-nil in both cases]). Minnesota has outscored Vancouver by nine goals in Games 5 and 6. Best-of-7 series 884 is the 34th NHL series in which a team fell behind 3-games-1 but rallied to tie the series 3-games-all: In those previous 33 series, only twice has the rallying team outscored its opponent by an equal or greater margin in Games 5-6 -- in best-of-7 series 42, the Toronto Maple Leafs outscored the Detroit Red Wings also by nine goals in Games 5-6 of the 1942 NHL Finals; in best-of-7 series 607, the Vancouver Canucks outscored the Winnipeg Jets by 11 goals in Games 5-6 of their 1992 NHL Preliminary-round series. Both the 1942 Leafs (from a 3-games-nil deficit for the first time ever) and the 1992 Canucks completed their comebacks; of course, both the 1942 Leafs and the 1992 Canucks played Game 7 on home ice (whereas Game 7 for the 2003 Wild will be in Vancouver).

After Game 5: Playing on Vancouver ice, the Minnesota Wild erupted for seven goals to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 7-goals-2, thereby reducing the Canucks' series 884 lead to 3-games-2. When leading a best-of-7 playoff series 3-games-2, the Vancouver Canucks have a 2-0 series record; when trailing 3-games-2, the Minnesota Wild have a 1-0 series record (having won in this manner in the previous round). The favorable precedents set in best-of-7 series 479 and 739 (as discussed below) remain in effect for the Minnesota Wild.

After Game 4: The Vancouver Canucks win for a second consecutive game in the Twin Cities, defeating the Minnesota Wild 3-goals-2 at 15:52 into the first overtime to take a 3-games-1 lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 884. Vancouver trailed the Wild 2-goals-1 until tying the game 2-goals-all with 2:06 left in regulation play. In NHL best-of-7 playoff series games from 1939 through 2002, when the road team trailed by one goal with 2:07 left in regulation (one second before the Canucks' tying goal), its game record was 13-402 (.031). Teams in the NHL/NBA Quarterfinals that open a best-of-7 series with an LWLL win order have (from 1939 through 2002) a series record of 1-36; the single victory occurred in best-of-7 series 739, in which the NBA Miami Heat defeated the New York Knickerbockers to win their 1997 NBA Quarterfinals series. The 1997 NBA Miami Heat thus set a favorable precedent for the 2003 NHL Minnesota Wild. From 1939 through the 2003 NHL Preliminary round in best-of-7 NHL playoff series (all rounds), when a team has an LWLL win order and a VVHH site order, its series record is 1-23; the sole victory occurred in best-of-7 series 479, in which the New York Islanders rallied to defeat the Washington Capitals in a 1987 NHL Preliminary-round series. The 1987 New York Islanders thus set a favorable precedent for the 2003 Minnesota Wild. When leading a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 3-games-1, the Vancouver Canucks have a series record of 5-0; when trailing 3-games-1, the upstart Minnesota Wild have a 1-0 series record (with that series victory occurring in the 2003 NHL Preliminary round vs. the Colorado Avalanche).

After Game 3: With MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 884 having shifted to Minnesota for its third and fourth games, the visiting Vancouver Canucks defeated the Minnesota Wild 3-goals-2 to take a 2-games-1 lead in series 884. When leading a best-of-7 series 2-games-1, the Vancouver Canucks have a series record of 6-2; when trailing 2-games-1, the Minnesota Wild have a series record of 1-0 (with that decision coming in the previous round of the 2003 NHL playoffs).

After Game 2: The Minnesota Wild defeated the Vancouver Canucks in Vancouver 3-goals-2 to tie series 884 at 1-game-all. When tied 1-game-all in a best-of-7 NHL playoff series, the Minnesota Wild have a series record of 1-0, while the Vancouver Canucks have a series record of 7-7. Both Minnesota and Vancouver were tied 1-game-all in the 2003 NHL Preliminary round; obviously, both won to advance to the 2003 NHL Quarterfinals and face each other in this series.

After Game 1: MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 884 brings together the two teams that surmounted 3-games-1 deficits in the previous round. In Game 1, however, the Vancouver Canucks surmounted a deficit in an unprecedented manner by way of defeating the Minnesota Wild 4-goals-3 in Vancouver, thus giving the home club a 1-game-nil lead. The Vancouver Canucks in Game 1 were two seconds away from a 3-goals-2 defeat at the hands of the upstart Minnesota Wild, but scored with 1.2 seconds on the clock to tie the game 3-goals-all, and won the game early in the first overtime. Officially, the tying goal occurred 19:58 into the third period. How rare is it for a winning team in an NHL best-of-7 playoff game to trail with as few as two seconds left on the clock? The previous record for how deeply into the third period a game-winning team ever took a deficit was nine seconds left in that period (in Game 4 of series 704 in the 1996 NHL Preliminary round: Trailing 1-goal-nil, the Chicago Blackhawks [in the last playoff series they have won] tied the Flames in Calgary with a goal 19:51 into the third period; the Blackhawks would go on to win the game 2-goals-1 and sweep series 704 with a goal 10:02 into the third overtime). In best-of-7 NHL playoff series from 1939 through 2002, inclusive, when a home or road team trailed by one goal with three seconds left in the third period (one second before the official time of the Vancouver tying goal), its game record was a perfect 0-567, and when a team trailed by 1+ goal with three seconds left in the third, its game record was 0-2086. The Vancouver Canucks are now overwhelming favorites to win recognition in Tested Mettle 2003, when it appears after the Fall 2003 MLB playoff season. The Minnesota Wild -- in only their second NHL playoff series -- are down 1-game-nil for the first time ever; the Vancouver Canucks have a 5-5 series record when leading a best-of-7 series 1-game-nil.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2002-03 regular season, the Vancouver Canucks finished nine points ahead of the Minnesota Wild. From 1939 through the 2003 NHL Preliminary round, when an NHL team led its best-of-7 playoff series opponent by nine regular-season points, it has gone on to post a 12-10 (.545) best-of-7 series record in that series against that opponent. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 884 is the first best-of-7 series between Minnesota and Vancouver. The Vancouver Canucks have a best-of-7 series record of 9-11 and a Game 1 record of 10-10 (all rounds), and have a series record of 2-4 and a Game 1 record of 3-3 (NHL Quarterfinals only). The Minnesota Wild have a series record of 1-0 and a Game 1 record of 1-0 (all rounds), and are making their first appearance in a best-of-7 NHL Quarterfinals round.