Just a Bunch of Kids — And a Thrilling Comeback From a 3–0 Series Hole

In 1975, the New York Islanders pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in sports history — and they were barely old enough to know what they were doing.

The Islanders were only in their third season as an NHL team. Young, scrappy, and fearless. In the Stanley Cup quarterfinals, they faced the Pittsburgh Penguins and quickly fell behind 3 games to 0. For most teams, that’s a death sentence. But not for these kids.

They didn’t panic. They didn’t tighten up. They just kept playing.

And then something crazy happened — they started winning. Game 4, Game 5, Game 6. Suddenly the series was tied. Then, in a tense Game 7, they shut out the Penguins 1–0 to win the series. Just like that, they became only the second team in NHL history to come back from a 3-0 series deficit.

Years later, Islanders captain Clark Gillies summed it up perfectly:

“We were a bunch of young kids … we didn’t know any better.”

That quote says it all. No fear. Just heart.

Who Else Has Pulled It Off?

Coming back from a 3-0 series deficit is incredibly rare in pro sports. Here’s the full list across the NHL, MLB, and NBA:

NHL:

• 1942: Toronto Maple Leafs over Detroit Red Wings (Stanley Cup Final)
• 1975: New York Islanders over Pittsburgh Penguins
• 2010: Philadelphia Flyers over Boston Bruins
• 2014: Los Angeles Kings over San Jose Sharks

MLB:

• 2004: Boston Red Sox over New York Yankees (ALCS) — The Sox then went on to win the World Series and end the “Curse of the Bambino.”

NBA:

• None.

No NBA team has ever come all the way back from down 3-0. A few have forced Game 7, but none have finished the job.

Some teams have come back from 2-0 in a best-of-5 series, though. But 3-0? Still unbroken.