How Often Does #8 Beat #1?

With the Canadiens trying to create a monumental upset of the Capitals tonight, NHL.com answers the question.


Since the NHL switched the current playoff format in 1994 -- seeding teams 1-8 in a conference format -- the No. 8 seed has upset the No. 1 seed eight times out of 30 instances (26.7 percent).

The Montreal Canadiens can make it 9-for-32 should they knock off the Washington Capitals in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals on Wednesday at Verizon Center (7 p.m., VERSUS, TSN, RDS).

You don't have to go back far to find the most recent instance of No. 8 prevailing over No. 1. In the 2009 Western Conference Quarterfinals, No. 8 Anaheim upset the No. 1 Sharks, the Presidents' Trophy winner, in six games.

Of the eight upsets, five have come in six games and three others in seven games. Those series that went the distance are San Jose over Detroit in 1994, Pittsburgh over New Jersey in 1999 and San Jose over St. Louis in 2000.

The Sharks are the only team to twice win a playoff series as the No. 8 against a No. 1. San Jose also is the only team to win as a No. 8 and lose a series as No. 1.

Two teams -- Detroit and New Jersey -- have been upset as a No. 1 by a No. 8 seed twice. The Devils lost to Ottawa in six games in 1998 and in seven games to Pittsburgh in 1999. The Red Wings were knocked off in seven games by the Sharks in 1994 and in six games by Edmonton in 2006.

After the euphoria of pulling a shocking upset subsides, the No. 8 seed historically has had very little luck in the next round.

Of the eight upset-pulling teams, only the 2006 Edmonton Oilers made it out of the next round. Not only did those Oilers advance past the conference semifinals, they eliminated No. 5 San Jose (in six games) and No. 6 Anaheim (in five games) to meet Carolina, the No. 2 seed in the East, in the Stanley Cup Final. Edmonton fell behind 3-1 in the series and almost pulled off a monumental comeback, but lost Game 7 at Carolina.