NHL Playoffs Kickoff With New York Rangers at Washington Capitals and Detroit Red Wings at Vancouver Canucks: 8-Seed First-Round Upsets

Rangers vs. Capitals Game 1 Tonight (Getty Images)

The 2011 NHL playoffs kick off tonight with five games, including both 8-seed:1-seed matchups from each conference.

Of the four major American sports, hockey has the highest incident of lowest-seed (8 over 1) upsets in the first round of the playoffs: 28%.

The current playoff-seeding format was introduced in 1993.  Since then, an 8-seed has defeated a 1-seed 9 of 32 times.   That’s the Sports List of the Day.

1. 1994 San Jose Sharks 4 – Detroit Red Wings 3

2. 1995 New York Rangers 4 – Quebec Nordiques 2

3. 1998 Ottawa Senators 4 – New Jersey Devils 2

4. 1999 Pittsburgh Penguins 4 – New Jersey Devils 3

5. 2000 San Jose Sharks 4 – St. Louis Blues 3

6. 2002 Montreal Canadiens 4 – Boston Bruins 2

7. 2006 Edmonton Oilers 4 – Detroit Red Wings 2

8. 2009 Anaheim Ducks 4 – San Jose Sharks 2

9. 2010 Montreal Canadiens 4 – Washington Capitals 3