The Stanley Cup does not feature a top-two team from either conference, making it only the ninth time that has happened in the past 80 seasons in major U.S. sports.
The last 20 Super Bowls and NBA Finals have included a team finishing the regular season with the best or second best record from at least one conference. Tampa Bay ranked third in the NHL East and Chicago fourth in the West this season.
Here are the only nine series in the last 20 years to lack a top-two team:
| Year | Sport | Champion | Conf Rnk | Runner-up | Conf Rnk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | MLB | New York Yankees | 5 | New York Mets | 4 |
| 2001 | MLB | Arizona Diamondbacks | 3 | New York Yankees | 3 |
| 2002 | MLB | Anaheim Angels | 3 | San Francisco Giants | 4 |
| 2006 | MLB | St. Louis Cardinals | 5 | Detroit Tigers | 3 |
| 2007 | NHL | Anaheim Ducks | 4 | Ottawa Senators | 3 |
| 2012 | NHL | Los Angeles Kings | 8 | New Jersey Devils | 6 |
| 2012 | MLB | San Francisco Giants | 3 | Detroit Tigers | 7 |
| 2014 | MLB | San Francisco Giants | 4 | Kansas City Royals | 4 |
| 2014 | NHL | Los Angeles Kings | 6 | New York Rangers | 5 |
| 2015 | NHL | Tampa Bay? | 3 | Chicago? | 4 |
However, there is usually one surprise. The top team in each conference has met for the title only 13 times in the past 80 seasons.
Most upsets come in the NHL. That trend continues as Tampa Bay already upset the top two teams in the East, and Saturday rallied to beat the fourth best team in the West 4-3 to even the Stanley Cup Finals at a game apiece with Chicago. The Lightning overcame needing to insert backup goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy twice and losing a lead for the second straight game.
Meanwhile, on Sunday night in Oakland, LeBron James’ monster triple-double performance grabbed a game for Cleveland in impossible Oracle Arena. The overtime victory marks the first Finals win in franchise history.
The average standing of the champion and runner up in each sport during their regular season is below:
| Sport | Champion Conf Rnk | Runner-Up |
|---|---|---|
| Hockey | 2.8 | 4.1 |
| Basketball | 1.9 | 2.2 |
| Football | 2.7 | 1.7 |
| Baseball | 2.4 | 2.6 |
The top-seeded NBA teams have been much more likely to make and win the finals. The champion’s average standing in their conference has been 1.9 and Golden State was the No. 1 seed this year and won game one. The average runner-up’s average seed has been 2.2, and Cleveland was the No. 2 seed in the East this season.
Upsets are much less in the NBA than any other league once you consider that baseball and football have fewer teams make the playoffs and therefore would be expected to have a much lower average conference standing.
The following are the last 20 champions in each of the four traditional major sports in the US:
| Year | Sport | Champion | Conf | Runner-Up | Conf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | NBA | Golden State Warriors ? | 1 | Cleveland Cavaliers ? | 2 |
| 2015 | NHL | Tampa Bay? | 3 | Chicago? | 4 |
| 1994 | NHL | New York Rangers | 1 | Vancouver Canucks | 7 |
| 1995 | MLB | Atlanta Braves | 1 | Cleveland Indians | 1 |
| 1995 | NBA | Houston Rockets | 6 | Orlando Magic | 1 |
| 1995 | NHL | New Jersey Devils | 5 | Detroit Red Wings | 1 |
| 1996 | NBA | Chicago Bulls | 1 | Seattle SuperSonics | 1 |
| 1996 | NHL | Colorado Avalanche | 2 | Florida Panthers | 4 |
| 1996 | NFL | Dallas Cowboys | 1 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 2 |
| 1996 | MLB | New York Yankees | 2 | Atlanta Braves | 1 |
| 1997 | NBA | Chicago Bulls | 1 | Utah Jazz | 1 |
| 1997 | NHL | Detroit Red Wings | 3 | Philadelphia Flyers | 2 |
| 1997 | MLB | Florida Marlins | 2 | Cleveland Indians | 4 |
| 1997 | NFL | Green Bay Packers | 1 | New England Patriots | 2 |
| 1998 | NBA | Chicago Bulls | 1 | Utah Jazz | 1 |
| 1998 | NFL | Denver Broncos | 2 | Green Bay Packers | 2 |
| 1998 | NHL | Detroit Red Wings | 2 | Washington Capitals | 4 |
| 1998 | MLB | New York Yankees | 1 | San Diego Padres | 3 |
| 1999 | NHL | Dallas Stars | 2 | Buffalo Sabres | 8 |
| 1999 | NFL | Denver Broncos | 1 | Atlanta Falcons | 2 |
| 1999 | MLB | New York Yankees | 1 | Atlanta Braves | 1 |
| 1999 | NBA | San Antonio Spurs | 1 | New York Knicks | 8 |
| 2000 | NBA | Los Angeles Lakers | 1 | Indiana Pacers | 1 |
| 2000 | NHL | New Jersey Devils | 4 | Dallas Stars | 2 |
| 2000 | MLB | New York Yankees | 5 | New York Mets | 4 |
| 2000 | NFL | St. Louis Rams | 6 | Tennessee Titans | 1 |
| 2001 | MLB | Arizona Diamondbacks | 3 | New York Yankees | 3 |
| 2001 | NFL | Baltimore Ravens | 3 | New York Giants | 1 |
| 2001 | NHL | Colorado Avalanche | 1 | New Jersey Devils | 1 |
| 2001 | NBA | Los Angeles Lakers | 2 | Philadelphia 76ers | 1 |
| 2002 | MLB | Anaheim Angels | 3 | San Francisco Giants | 4 |
| 2002 | NHL | Detroit Red Wings | 1 | Carolina Hurricanes | 3 |
| 2002 | NBA | Los Angeles Lakers | 3 | New Jersey Nets | 1 |
| 2002 | NFL | New England Patriots | 2 | St. Louis Rams | 1 |
| 2003 | MLB | Florida Marlins | 3 | New York Yankees | 1 |
| 2003 | NHL | New Jersey Devils | 2 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | 6 |
| 2003 | NBA | San Antonio Spurs | 1 | New Jersey Nets | 2 |
| 2003 | NFL | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1 | Oakland Raiders | 1 |
| 2004 | MLB | Boston Red Sox | 2 | St. Louis Cardinals | 1 |
| 2004 | NBA | Detroit Pistons | 3 | Los Angeles Lakers | 2 |
| 2004 | NFL | New England Patriots | 1 | Carolina Panthers | 3 |
| 2004 | NHL | Tampa Bay Lightning | 1 | Calgary Flames | 6 |
| 2005 | MLB | Chicago White Sox | 1 | Houston Astros | 3 |
| 2005 | NFL | New England Patriots | 2 | Philadelphia Eagles | 1 |
| 2005 | NBA | San Antonio Spurs | 2 | Detroit Pistons | 2 |
| 2006 | NHL | Carolina Hurricanes | 2 | Edmonton Oilers | 7 |
| 2006 | NBA | Miami Heat | 2 | Dallas Mavericks | 4 |
| 2006 | NFL | Pittsburgh Steelers | 5 | Seattle Seahawks | 1 |
| 2006 | MLB | St. Louis Cardinals | 5 | Detroit Tigers | 3 |
| 2007 | NHL | Anaheim Ducks | 4 | Ottawa Senators | 3 |
| 2007 | MLB | Boston Red Sox | 1 | Colorado Rockies | 2 |
| 2007 | NFL | Indianapolis Colts | 3 | Chicago Bears | 1 |
| 2007 | NBA | San Antonio Spurs | 3 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 2 |
| 2008 | NBA | Boston Celtics | 1 | Los Angeles Lakers | 1 |
| 2008 | NHL | Detroit Red Wings | 2 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 2 |
| 2008 | NFL | New York Giants | 4 | New England Patriots | 1 |
| 2008 | MLB | Philadelphia Phillies | 2 | Tampa Bay Rays | 2 |
| 2009 | NBA | Los Angeles Lakers | 1 | Orlando Magic | 3 |
| 2009 | MLB | New York Yankees | 1 | Philadelphia Phillies | 2 |
| 2009 | NHL | Pittsburgh Penguins | 4 | Detroit Red Wings | 2 |
| 2009 | NFL | Pittsburgh Steelers | 2 | Arizona Cardinals | 6 |
| 2010 | NHL | Chicago Blackhawks | 2 | Philadelphia Flyers | 7 |
| 2010 | NBA | Los Angeles Lakers | 1 | Boston Celtics | 4 |
| 2010 | NFL | New Orleans Saints | 1 | Indianapolis Colts | 1 |
| 2010 | MLB | San Francisco Giants | 2 | Texas Rangers | 4 |
| 2011 | NHL | Boston Bruins | 3 | Vancouver Canucks | 1 |
| 2011 | NBA | Dallas Mavericks | 3 | Miami Heat | 2 |
| 2011 | NFL | Green Bay Packers | 5 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 2 |
| 2011 | MLB | St. Louis Cardinals | 4 | Texas Rangers | 1 |
| 2012 | NHL | Los Angeles Kings | 8 | New Jersey Devils | 6 |
| 2012 | NBA | Miami Heat | 2 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 2 |
| 2012 | NFL | New York Giants | 6 | New England Patriots | 1 |
| 2012 | MLB | San Francisco Giants | 3 | Detroit Tigers | 7 |
| 2013 | NFL | Baltimore Ravens | 5 | San Francisco 49ers | 2 |
| 2013 | MLB | Boston Red Sox | 1 | St. Louis Cardinals | 1 |
| 2013 | NHL | Chicago Blackhawks | 1 | Boston Bruins | 4 |
| 2013 | NBA | Miami Heat | 1 | San Antonio Spurs | 2 |
| 2014 | NHL | Los Angeles Kings | 6 | New York Rangers | 5 |
| 2014 | NBA | San Antonio Spurs | 1 | Miami Heat | 2 |
| 2014 | MLB | San Francisco Giants | 4 | Kansas City Royals | 4 |
| 2014 | NFL | Seattle Seahawks | 1 | Denver Broncos | 1 |
| 2015 | NFL | New England Patriots | 1 | Seattle Seahawks | 1 |
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