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5 teams in major sports to come back down 0-3

Shaun Best / REUTERS

There hasn't been many.

After Tuesday's 4-2 loss to the Cleveland Indians, the Toronto Blue Jays fell into an 0-3 hole in the American League Championship Series, which seems like a near-impossible rut to get out of.

Over the history of the five major sports, three of them possess a seven-game playoff series: NHL, MLB, and NBA. In those three sports, four NHL teams have overcome an 0-3 deficit to win it all, one team in MLB history has ever done it, and not a single NBA team has achieved the feat.

While it may seem like all hope is lost for the Blue Jays, here's a look at some teams that did the impossible:

New York Islanders, 1974-75

What makes this even more amazing is that the Islanders were only in their third-ever season, and first postseason series. After going down 0-3 to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1974-75 quarterfinals, New York somehow won the series in seven games.

Boston Red Sox, 2004

The only club in MLB history to ever do it, the 2004 Boston Red Sox went down 0-3 to the New York Yankees before storming back to win four straight. Boston would go on to win its first World Series since 1918.

Toronto Maple Leafs, 1941-42

Another Toronto team that had its back against the wall, but didn't give up. On the verge of elimination in the 1942 Stanley Cup finals, the Maple Leafs were the first team in major professional sports history ever to win a series after going down 0-3, defeating the Detroit Red Wings after benching their starters in Game 4.

Los Angeles Kings, 2013-14

A team that featured Anze Kopitar, Jonathan Quick, and a number of high-profile players stunned the San Jose Sharks in the first round of the 2014 NHL playoffs. The Los Angeles Kings would end up winning the Stanley Cup that year after being a loss away from elimination.

Philadelphia Flyers, 2009-10

The Boston Bruins were well on their way to winning the 2010 Eastern Conference title, but the Philadelphia Flyers - led by Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, and Chris Pronger - completed the comeback. Unfortunately, the Flyers would fall short to the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Finals.

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