How Common is a Reverse Sweep in Pro Sports?
After being down 3–0 in the Stanley Cup Finals, the Edmonton Oilers have fought their way back into the series, trying to complete an elusive "reverse sweep" against the Florida Panthers.
Three of the major sports leagues in North America have best-of-seven playoff series match-ups. So, many times has a team come back after being down 3–0 in a playoff series? The short answer? Almost never.
The NHL
If history is any guide, successful reverse sweeps are most likely to occur in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Still though, the success rate for teams in that situation sits at about 2%.
The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs are noteworthy because they are the only professional sports team to win in the finals after being down 3–0.
The MLB
The reverse sweep is incredibly rare in baseball, but it has happened. In 2004, the Boston Red Sox reversed the curse to become the first team in MLB history to overcome a 3-0 deficit defeating the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series.
The NBA
Once a team has been down 3–0 in a series, around 3% of the time they've been able to force game seven. As of today though, no team has ever come back to win. So, if you lose your first three games in an NBA series, you're basically cooked.