So you're telling me there's a chance?
Those aren't just the famous words of Lloyd Christmas, Jim Carrey's iconic character from "Dumb and Dumber."
It's what every Hurricanes and Stars fan should be thinking about for the conference finals
Carolina and Dallas find themselves in the most difficult position in hockey. The Canes are on the brink of elimination, as the Panthers have built a 3-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference Final and are a win away from the franchise's first Stanley Cup Final since 1996.
The same goes for the Stars, who have their backs against the wall after dropping the first three games in the Western Conference Final against the Golden Knights. Vegas is just a win away from clinching their spot in the Stanley Cup Final, making their first appearance since 2018.
In order to keep their respective seasons alive, Carolina and Dallas have to do the improbable, but not impossible task of winning four consecutive games in a row. There have only been four previous instances where a team successfully came back from down three games to none and won a playoff series, and only nine times has a winner-take-all Game 7 been forced.
The odds are certainly not in either the Hurricanes' or the Stars' favor, but until the Panthers and Golden Knights come up with the decisive fourth win, the chances aren't zero.
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The Sporting News takes a look at the four previous times an NHL team came back from down 3-0 and won a playoff series.
How many 3-0 comebacks have there been in the NHL?
Only four teams have successfully battled back from down three games to none to win the series 4-3: the 1942 Maple Leafs, the 1975 Islanders, the 2010 Flyers and the 2014 Kings.
| Team | Year | Round | Opponent |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 1942 | Stanley Cup Finals | Detroit Red Wings |
| New York Islanders | 1975 | Stanley Cup Quarterfinals | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 2010 | Eastern Conference Semifinals | Boston Bruins |
| Los Angeles Kings | 2014 | Western Conference First Round | San Jose Sharks |
1942 Maple Leafs
If the 2023 Maple Leafs can somehow come back from down in their series against the Panthers, it will be the second time in Toronto history that its club has accomplished the incredible feat.
The Maple Leafs were the first team to overcome an 0-3 deficit and remain the only one to do so in the Stanley Cup Final.
The Red Wings built a 3-0 series lead in the 1942 championship series and were leading Game 4 by scores of 2-0 and 3-2 at different points. However, the Leafs stuck around eventually forced overtime and stayed alive thanks to a game-winning goal by Nick Metz.
Toronto went on to dismantle Detroit 9-3 in Game 5, shut out the Wings 3-0 in Game 6 and earn a 3-1 win in Game 7. It marked the first time a Stanley Cup Final went the full seven games and was the Leafs' fourth Stanley Cup in franchise history.
1975 Islanders
The Islanders faced off against the Penguins in the quarterfinals of the 1975 NHL playoffs. Pittsburgh quickly built a 3-0 series lead, causing New York head coach Al Arbour to make a goaltending switch from Billy Smith to Glenn "Chico" Resch.
The change in the crease paid off. Resch allowed just four goals in the final four games of the series, helping the Islanders to four consecutive victories to stun the Penguins. The series was capped off by a 30-save shutout by Resch in Game 7, with captain Ed Westfall scoring the lone goal in the winner-take-all contest.
In the next round, the Islanders lost to the Flyers in the semifinals.
2010 Flyers
It's hard enough to battle back from down three games in a series. It's even harder to come back from a 3-0 deficit in a game where your season is on the line, but the 2010 Flyers accomplished both.
After dropping the first three games in their quarterfinal series against Boston, Philadelphia became the third team to overcome a 0-3 series deficit. The Bruins were a goal away from completing a sweep against the Flyers, but an overtime goal in Game 4 by Simon Gagne kept Philadelphia's season alive.
The Flyers shut out the Bruins in Game 5 and earned a 2-1 victory in Game 6 to set up the decisive Game 7. It looked like the effort was going to be all for naught, as Boston built a 3-0 lead in the first period of Game 7. However, Philadelphia remained determined, tying the game in the second before Gagne scored the eventual game-winning goal in the third period.
Philadelphia went on a run to the Stanley Cup Final, where the team lost to Chicago in six games.
2014 Kings
Things could not have looked bleaker for the 2014 Kings after three games in their first-round series against the Sharks. San Jose pounded Los Angeles 6-3 and 7-2 in the first two games of the series, and a 4-3 overtime win in Game 3 gave the Sharks a 3-0 series lead.
After that, Jonathan Quick and the Kings flipped a switch. Los Angeles ripped off four wins in a row to take down their California rivals. All four victories were decided by at least three goals, as Quick allowed just two goals in the final three contests of the matchup.
It was the start of a magical run for Los Angeles. The Kings went on to defeat the Ducks in seven games in the second round, and then the Blackhawks in seven in the Western Conference Final, a series that is regarded as one of the greatest playoff matchups of all time.
In the finals, the Kings took care of the Rangers in five games to win the club its second Stanley Cup and second in a three-year span. The team set the record for most elimination games won in a single playoff year for a Stanley Cup champion.
