Miracles On Ice: All-Time Top 10 Hockey Upsets
Team USA beat the USSR 4-3 in the 1980 Olympics at Lake Placid, New York. The victory was a turning point in Cold War between the two nations. The Soviets were a full-time unit, paid to play in one way or another.
Team USA won the 1980 Olympics by beating the Soviet Union 10-3. Finland won 2018 Winter Olympics. The Finns were +700 to win it before the Games began, while the Russians were -400. Today's betting markets would have Team USA installed at +2000 on and before 1980.
There were many big-time upsets on the ice before and since. None of them match the historic throw-weight of the “Miracle on Ice”.
Team USA won the gold medal in 1980. The team's final cut included Herb Brooks, who later became the coach of the 1980 team immortalized by Kurt Russell's portrayal in "Miracle". Tommy Williams became first American-born player in the NHL.
The Toronto Maple Leafs upset Detroit Red Wings in the Conference Quarterfinals.
The Red Wings were the favorites before the series against the Sharks. The Sharks won the game 7 thanks to Arturs Irbe's play. They lost the next round to the Maple Leafs.
The 1944-45 Montreal Canadiens won 80% of their games during the regular season. The Toronto Maple Leafs finished 14 games back of Montreal in the standings. They beat the Habs in six games, winning all four by one goal. Toronto went on to win the Stanley Cup over Detroit in seven games.
Washington Capitals finished the season with 121 points and the President's Trophy. The Caps were a +645 favorite to eliminate Montreal in the first round of the playoffs. Montreal won the series 3-1. Jaroslav Halak allowed just two goals and stopped 94 shots in two games.
The Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup after coming back from a 3-0 deficit to win the final four games. It was the first and only time a team has won a championship in a seven-game series in the NHL.
The Penguins are the two-time Stanley Cup defending champions. They are +400 to win the championship this year and +100 to three-peat. The Penguins will play the Islanders in the Patrick Division Finals.
The Wild were underdogs against the Avalanche in the first round of the 2003 NHL playoffs. Colorado was a -625 favorite. Wild won the final three games of series.
The Detroit Red Wings were -440 to beat the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the playoffs. The Redwings won the President's Cup trophy with 124 points and were a +96 during the regular-season. Edmonton won 4-3 in Game 6 and went on to upset San Jose and Anaheim. They also beat Carolina in 7 games in Stanley Cup Finals.
The best-of-five series between the Edmonton Oilers and the Los Angeles Kings is a classic example of a hockey upset. The Oilers won the Smythe Division with 111 points and they had 7 future Hall of Famers: Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Jari Kurri, Paul Coffey, Kevin Lowe, Grant Fuhr and Glenn Anderson. They scored 417 goals. Los Angles won in five games.
Team USA won the gold medal at the Olympics. The team was made up of amateurs. They won six straight games and never lost.
