DETROIT -- Whenever a team is down 3-0 in an NHL playoff series, the 1942 Maple Leafs and 1975 Islanders get unearthed. They are, of course, the only two clubs in NHL history to come back from such a deficit. They get lots of love in times like these, as Detroit faces a potential sweep in Thursday's Game 4 at Joe Louis Arena.
It just so happens veteran hockey man Jim Devellano, senior vice president and alternate governor with the Red Wings, was an assistant GM of the 1975 Islanders team that turned the trick on the Pittsburgh Penguins.
So, Jimmy D was indeed sharing those anecdotes Wednesday, not only with the media, but also with Red Wings players.
"I was there in '75 with the Islanders, so it's OK to dream about it," Devellano said with a smile. "The key is to win one game. That's where it starts."
Devellano recalled Al Arbour's speech to the players before Game 4, when he said the Hall of Fame coach just asked his players to win one period. A week later, the miracle was complete.
Devellano said most people forget the next playoff series from that year. The Philadelphia Flyers took a 3-0 series lead on the Islanders before New York rallied again, forcing a Game 7 at the Spectrum.
"Then the Flyers rolled out Kate Smith to sing 'God Bless America' for the first time," laughed Devellano.
The Flyers prevailed in Game 7 en route to an eventual Cup championship.
The Spitfires did it
The Red Wings don't need to go back 35 years for inspiration. It happened less than two weeks ago across the river, where the Ontario Hockey League's Windsor Spitfires erased a 3-0 hole against the Kitchener Rangers to win their semifinal series."We're all aware of what the Windsor Spitfires just did," Red Wings veteran forward Kris Draper said Wednesday after practice. "So, is it possible? Yeah. Has it happened a lot? No. All our preparation is to win one game and make it 3-1."
On Tuesday night, the Spitfires completed a four-game sweep of the Barrie Colts to claim the OHL title. Some of the Wings players were talking about the Spitfires on Wednesday. Hey, at this point, whatever works, right?
When a team is down 3-0, the worst are the clichés that get repeated. Draper laughed when we challenged him not to use a cliché and talk about the situation his team finds itself in.
"Any cliché that's out there, we're clinging to them right now," he said. "To be honest, you look at the big picture and it's tough. But all we can do is focus on Game 4. That's it. Win that game. Hey, we know what's ahead of us. We know the history of the NHL and basically professional sports. It obviously hasn't been done a lot. But when it's done, it's something special."
Special, like the Red Sox
The 2004 World Series champion Boston Red Sox were down 3-0 that year, but posted their famous ALCS comeback against the rival Yankees. It just so happens Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard is a die-hard Red Sox fan."You should have seen our campus get turned inside out after that, oh my god," the University of Maine alum laughed Wednesday. "It can be done. You just have to believe in yourself and believe in your abilities. Watching that in '04, I remember exactly where I was. As soon as David [Ortiz] hit that grand slam, we emptied out of our house, we drove down onto campus and there was absolute mayhem going on. People running around naked, couches getting thrown out of dorm-room windows. It was something to see."
Couture at JLA
Rookie Sharks center Logan Couture already has fond memories at Joe Louis Arena. Of course, Tuesday night's dramatic OT win, including his key tying goal in the third period, won't soon be forgotten. But that's not the only moment he's had here."The first time I played here, I scored my first NHL goal," the 21-year-old said Wednesday after practice. "That was fun. But this is a great rink to play in. A lot of my friends are Wings fans, so hopefully we can finish it off so I can give it to them."
