Best Individual Player Performances on Teams That Got Swept
When teams gets swept in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, it can be caused by many things. Whether one team was simply much better than the other, or one team matched up really well against the other based on their play styles, there are numerous factors. What doesn't usually happen, however, are players having extraordinary performances on the team that got swept. Typically, there are very few bright spots when a team goes down in four games.
There are a few notable instances in the salary cap era, beginning in 2005-2006, where a player or goalie on the losing team in a sweep had an outstanding series performance. Coincidentally, these instances all took place in the Western Conference.
Patrick Marleau - 2010 Western Conference Finals
In the 2010 WCF, the San Jose Sharks were defeated in four games by the Chicago Blackhawks. However, the series was closer than it seems, as the largest goal differential in a single game was two goals, and if you exclude empty net goals, three of the four games were decided by one goal. Chicago outscored the Sharks 13-7, where the Sharks struggled offensively despite outshooting the Blackhawks in the first three games. However, of these seven goals, Patrick Marleau scored five of them, and added an assist for good measure. He was their only goal scorer in the four goals that the Sharks scored in games two and three, and had a power play goal, a shorthanded goal, and three even strength goals. Marleau was tied with Jonathan Toews of the Blackhawks for the series lead with six points, however, Marleau scoring over 70% of his teams goals, while being involved in all but one, is truly remarkable.
Sean Monahan - 2017 Western Conference Quarter Finals
For many years in the salary cap era, the Anaheim Ducks have been the Calgary Flames' kryptonite, especially at the Honda Center in Anaheim. This series was no exception, as the Ducks made quick work of the Flames in four games. However, of the Flames' players, Sean Monahan was one player who could hold his head high. Although four goals and an assist for five points in four games doesn't seem like anything special, what makes Monahan particularly noteworthy is his consistency, as he scored a goal in all four games. It is also noteworthy to point out that the Flames as a team scored nine goals, making Monahan responsible for nearly half of them. Additionally, all four of his goals were on the power play, so despite the fact that the Ducks swept the Flames, Monahan put a dagger in the Ducks’ penalty kill percentage.
Jonathan Quick - 2018 Western Conference Quarter Finals
The 2018 WCQF series between Los Angeles Kings and Vegas Golden Knights went down as one of the most iconic goaltending battles of all time. Jonathan Quick, goalie of the Los Angeles Kings, allowed just seven goals in four games, and posted a 0.947 save percentage. The problem? Marc-Andre Fleury was even better at the other end, allowing just three goals and posting a 0.977 save percentage. The total combined score in the series was 7-3, including two separate 1-0 Golden Knight's wins, and a 2-1 double overtime game where both goalies stood on their head. In games one and two, Quick posted an astonishing 0.964 save percentage, and a 0.952 save % in game four. Surprisingly, Quick's game three performance was rather mediocre statistically, posting a 0.885 save %. However, none of the three goals were ones he should have saved, especially the last two which were a combination of defensive breakdowns and excellent plays by the Golden Knights’ forwards. Typically, this type of goaltending performance would usually be on the giving end of a sweep, but whether it was a lack of Kings' ability to score, or Fleury playing that much better at the other end, Quick found himself on the receiving end of a sweep despite the incredible performance.
Connor McDavid - 2022 Western Conference Finals
The 2022 Edmonton Oilers loved scoring goals, but had a shaky defensive unit and two inconsistent goaltenders. Because of this, the Oilers had two games in this series against the Colorado Avalanche where they scored five or more goals, yet still managed to lose. A big culprit for this was the performance of Connor McDavid, who had arguably the best playoff performance in the salary cap era. McDavid posted seven points in these four games (3G, 4A), including three points in games one and four. Additionally, the Avalanche were a very good team defensively, and the Oilers were the only team they faced that scored more than three goals per game against them. Cale Makar, widely seen as the best defenseman in the league in the 2021-2022 season, was noticeably concentrated on checking McDavid throughout the series. Despite his best efforts, McDavid still managed to put up nearly two points per game in the series sweep.
There have been many other instances of impressive individual performances on teams that got swept, however, these are the most noticeable in the salary cap era.
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