There's a reason that 3-0 deficits have only been overcome twice in NHL history. So much has to go right for one team and so much wrong for the other, and it has to be done on a sustained streak for four games.
No sport works like that, especially hockey. Think about it, the team that has the 3-0 lead only really needs one break in the span of four games to close out the series. The other team needs them all for four straight games -- it's almost unheard of.
But these things have been close to a more common occurence lately. The Flyers pulled the feat off two years ago, and both the Blackhawks and Red Wings forced a Game 7 from 3-0 deficits last year.
Why? Well, playoff hockey is usually decided on such small margins. The games are always tight, so there isn't a lot needed to flip-flop for things to go the other way. It's especially true in this series -- every game except Game 3 has come down to the final second in a one-goal situation.
And the Kings, as dominating as their record has been, haven't left themselves a lot of room for error. They've only scored more than two goals once in this series, and they haven't broken more than two even-strength goals in a game since the St. Louis series, except for the clincher against Phoenix. So though they've had the better of the play, they're letting the other team hang around. That can be dangerous.
Secondly, the mask that has covered the absence of a productive second and third line has come off the past two games. Without Kopitar and Brown scoring, the Kings have struggled to create enough opportunities, even with Justin Williams chipping in. Drew Doughty is the only D-man providing offense, as well. If that trend continues, the Kings will struggle to find the goals to put the Devils away.
On the other hand, the Kings only need one virtuoso performance from Jonathan Quick. The Devils need team-wide superlative efforts, twice. The law of averages would have you believe the Devils can't keep getting pucks to bounce off Kings into the net, and the Kings are due a bounce like that as well. The Devils are depending on a 40-year-old goalie, and the length of this playoff run could get to him at any point.
And finally, being at home means that Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise can't be as easily smuggled away from Doughty and Rob Scuderi as they were in Game 5, which led to a more effective game from both of them. The Devils aren't getting much from their depth either.
However, this is the first time the Kings have been made to sweat a little in the playoffs. No one wants to face a Game 7 on the road, no matter how good they've been on the road before. So there will be a sense for the Kings they have to win tomorrow night, which they haven't faced. We'll see how they react.
Sam Fels is the proprietor of The Committed Indian, an unofficial program for the Chicago Blackhawks. His work has appeared on NBC Chicago, SB Nation, Yahoo's Puck Daddy and NBC's Pro Hockey Talk. Fels is a lifelong hockey fan and also writes for Second City Hockey.
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