Best team to not win a cup?

Lost Kangaroo

Registered User
Jun 4, 2002
456
0
Brooklyn
Visit site
What is the best team in the eyes of you posters to make the finals and not win a cup. I dont mean teams that won one year and lost the next. I mean teams that got there once and didnt win. In other words the '79 Rangers would be eligable for consideration, but the '84 Islanders would not. The '03 Ducks are, and the '86 Oilers are not. "06 Oilers would be however.
I would be interested to know your thoughts. I remember the Bruins team that lost to the Oilers was pretty good.
 

sonnyisles

Registered User
Apr 6, 2006
368
0
What is the best team in the eyes of you posters to make the finals and not win a cup. I dont mean teams that won one year and lost the next. I mean teams that got there once and didnt win. In other words the '79 Rangers would be eligable for consideration, but the '84 Islanders would not. The '03 Ducks are, and the '86 Oilers are not. "06 Oilers would be however.
I would be interested to know your thoughts. I remember the Bruins team that lost to the Oilers was pretty good.

I always though that the 1972 Rangers were good enough to win a cup...although the Bruins were obviously better that year.
 

Lost Kangaroo

Registered User
Jun 4, 2002
456
0
Brooklyn
Visit site
Being that I was only 9 years old when the Isles won their first, I dont have that much info on teams from the 70's and earlier. There must have been some great teams in the 70's and 50's that just couldn't get past the great habs teams. Anyone recal any of those teams? I would think the further you go back the better the losing team would be based on there being fewer teams for the talent.
 

sonnyisles

Registered User
Apr 6, 2006
368
0
Being that I was only 9 years old when the Isles won their first, I dont have that much info on teams from the 70's and earlier. There must have been some great teams in the 70's and 50's that just couldn't get past the great habs teams. Anyone recal any of those teams? I would think the further you go back the better the losing team would be based on there being fewer teams for the talent.

How about the Bruins teams from the late 70's. If not for Montreal they probably would have won at least one cup.
 

Lost Kangaroo

Registered User
Jun 4, 2002
456
0
Brooklyn
Visit site
How about the Bruins teams from the late 70's. If not for Montreal they probably would have won at least one cup.

Yeah, I just looked up the '78 Bruins on hockeydb.com and they were a strong squad. Park, Middleton, Ratelle, O'Rielly, McNab, to name a few. Not mention solid goaltending. That was a real solid club. They had 11 over 20 goal scorers including McNabs 41. Looking at the teams penalty minutes tells me they must have been a ***** to play against. Looks like their only drawback was the Habs and Isles in the late '70s and early '80s.
 
By decade:

The 70s: The French Connection era Buffalo Sabres were a fantastic team, particularly the 74-75 team that lost the final to the Flyers. But the "winners" here are the late 70s edition of the Boston Bruins. They won the division 4 straight years from 75-79 losing in the conference finals twice (including the infamous too many men call) and the Stanley Cup Final twice. True to form it was their rivals from Montreal who eliminated them 3 of the 4 trips.

The 80s: You could make an argument here for the team that time forgot: the Washington Capitals. Probably the best defensive squad of the era, they were consistent; won their division once, finished second four times and third twice; over 90 pts 4 times over 100 twice. But their path was always blocked by the "winner" here. The Philadelphia Flyers. Early in the 80s they were stymied by the Dynasty Isleanders. They then won the division 4 times and lost in the Cup Final twice in 3 years to the Oilers. A solid and balanced team that deserved a better fate IMO.

The 90s: Well there's Gilmours' Leafs; Gretzkys' Kings, Roenicks' Hawks. The runner-up here is probably the Canucks, who were dominant in the early half of the decade and came so close in '94. But my pick here is the Blues. They made the playoffs every single season. And thrashed the entire league in '99 only to get upset by the upstart Sharks.

The 2000s: A little over halfway into the decade now and there are a couple of contenders for the throne. Certainly the Leafs qualify. As do their provincial brothers in Ottawa. The winner here is again Philly. They have been a home-ice seed every year it seems but they get nowhere. Clarke's inability to get a goalie who doesn't flake out at the least opportune time has really hamstrung what is otherwise an excellent team.
 

slapsht25

Registered User
Aug 3, 2005
366
12
By decade:

The 70s: The French Connection era Buffalo Sabres were a fantastic team, particularly the 74-75 team that lost the final to the Flyers. But the "winners" here are the late 70s edition of the Boston Bruins. They won the division 4 straight years from 75-79 losing in the conference finals twice (including the infamous too many men call) and the Stanley Cup Final twice. True to form it was their rivals from Montreal who eliminated them 3 of the 4 trips.

The 80s: You could make an argument here for the team that time forgot: the Washington Capitals. Probably the best defensive squad of the era, they were consistent; won their division once, finished second four times and third twice; over 90 pts 4 times over 100 twice. But their path was always blocked by the "winner" here. The Philadelphia Flyers. Early in the 80s they were stymied by the Dynasty Isleanders. They then won the division 4 times and lost in the Cup Final twice in 3 years to the Oilers. A solid and balanced team that deserved a better fate IMO.

The 90s: Well there's Gilmours' Leafs; Gretzkys' Kings, Roenicks' Hawks. The runner-up here is probably the Canucks, who were dominant in the early half of the decade and came so close in '94. But my pick here is the Blues. They made the playoffs every single season. And thrashed the entire league in '99 only to get upset by the upstart Sharks.

The 2000s: A little over halfway into the decade now and there are a couple of contenders for the throne. Certainly the Leafs qualify. As do their provincial brothers in Ottawa. The winner here is again Philly. They have been a home-ice seed every year it seems but they get nowhere. Clarke's inability to get a goalie who doesn't flake out at the least opportune time has really hamstrung what is otherwise an excellent team.

In 80 the flyers were "stymied' by an off sides and a high stick goal .. both weren't called. i sometimes wonder if the isles didn't win in 80 if they woul dhave won in 83 as well?
 

pappyline

Registered User
Jul 3, 2005
4,587
182
Mass/formerly Ont
There must have been a blackhawks team in the '60's that would fit this description pretty well.
For sure. After winning in 61, blackhawks should have won several more from 62 to 71. Were in the finals 5 times (I count being in the last round of the original 6 in 68 & 70 as Finals). Had a power house team with Hull, Mikita, Hall, Pilote, Vasko, Wharram etc. In 63-64, they had 5 players on the fiirst alll star team & one on the second but that year they didn't even make the finals. Seemed to always be out coached & out goalied when the cup was at stake.
 

Snap Wilson

Registered User
Sep 14, 2003
5,838
0
I attempted to answer the question statistically here. Ottawa's 2006 season hasn't changed anything obviously. I go with the '80s Flyers and recent Sens as the best unrewarded teams. Most teams that dominate over a moderate period of time tend to be rewarded.
 

reckoning

Registered User
Jan 4, 2005
7,012
1,251
My vote would be the `89 Habs. Very solid defence: Chelios, Ludwig, Robinson, Svoboda, Green. Incredible depth up front, led by one of the most underrated players of the 80s- Bobby Smith. They also had Naslund, Richer, Courtnall, Corson, McPhee, Skrudland, Gainey plus two guys who in my opinion deserve to be in the Hall of Fame: Guy Carbonneau and Claude Lemieux. Oh yeah, they also had Patrick Roy in goal.

They were just a well-oiled machine all season; 1st in the East over 20 points ahead of the next highest team, 1st overall in the league in goals against (Roy and Chelios won best goalie and defenceman respectively) 4th overall in goals for, despite having no players in the 25 scorers (a sign of how deep they were). Most years that team would be a Cup winner, but that year Calgary was just a tad better.
 

pappyline

Registered User
Jul 3, 2005
4,587
182
Mass/formerly Ont
My vote would be the `89 Habs. Very solid defence: Chelios, Ludwig, Robinson, Svoboda, Green. Incredible depth up front, led by one of the most underrated players of the 80s- Bobby Smith. They also had Naslund, Richer, Courtnall, Corson, McPhee, Skrudland, Gainey plus two guys who in my opinion deserve to be in the Hall of Fame: Guy Carbonneau and Claude Lemieux. Oh yeah, they also had Patrick Roy in goal.

They were just a well-oiled machine all season; 1st in the East over 20 points ahead of the next highest team, 1st overall in the league in goals against (Roy and Chelios won best goalie and defenceman respectively) 4th overall in goals for, despite having no players in the 25 scorers (a sign of how deep they were). Most years that team would be a Cup winner, but that year Calgary was just a tad better.
Holy crap, with all the cups the Habs won, you are saying they should have won another!!

Oh well, I can think of several the Habs should not have won.
 

MuzikMachine

Registered User
Nov 14, 2005
800
5
Here's a couple...

Boston Bruins (late 80's-early/mid 90's)
- made the Stanley Cup Finals twice, loosing both times to the Oilers
- won the Presidents Trophy in 1990
- had 3 consecutive 100 pt seasons
- finished either first or second in their division (flip-flop with Montreal)

Philadelphia Flyers (mid 90's-present)
- made the Stanley Cup Finals once, swept by the Wings
- 7 100 pt seasons since the 1994/95 season
- finished either first or second in their division (flip-flop with New Jersey)

Ottawa Senators, as preveously mentioned

Los Angeles Kings from 88-93
- had Gretzky (nearing the end of his prime) and only got past 2nd round once
- after the Kings lost to Montreal in the finals, they missed the playoffs the next 4 years
 
My vote would be the `89 Habs. Very solid defence: Chelios, Ludwig, Robinson, Svoboda, Green. Incredible depth up front, led by one of the most underrated players of the 80s- Bobby Smith. They also had Naslund, Richer, Courtnall, Corson, McPhee, Skrudland, Gainey plus two guys who in my opinion deserve to be in the Hall of Fame: Guy Carbonneau and Claude Lemieux. Oh yeah, they also had Patrick Roy in goal.

They were just a well-oiled machine all season; 1st in the East over 20 points ahead of the next highest team, 1st overall in the league in goals against (Roy and Chelios won best goalie and defenceman respectively) 4th overall in goals for, despite having no players in the 25 scorers (a sign of how deep they were). Most years that team would be a Cup winner, but that year Calgary was just a tad better.

Except that the core of that team was around for '86. I took the question in a more general sense as opposed to specific years. Montreal wasn't "the best team not to win" in their own province. The Nords had some very good teams and had nothing to show for it until the left for Denver.
 

MarkusNaslund19

Registered User
Dec 28, 2005
5,415
7,645
I'm not sure about "all time" but when the 96-97 Flyers lost to Detroit I was both shocked and exceedingly pleased. Watching the Legion of Doom dismantle Pittsburgh and the Rangers (can't remember who they played in the second round at the moment) was one of the more dominating performances I've seen from a line, they looked unstoppable, until they ran into Bowman. Bowman outcoached Murray so badly in the that series that it wasn't even funny. To the point that Murray discombobulated and called his team chokers before..I think it was before game 3 or 4. If the series wasn't already over, it certainly was at that moment.
 

Nifty=HHOF

Registered User
Jul 8, 2004
1,551
0
Depressed Yankee Land
Here's a couple...

Boston Bruins (late 80's-early/mid 90's)
- made the Stanley Cup Finals twice, loosing both times to the Oilers
- won the Presidents Trophy in 1990
- had 3 consecutive 100 pt seasons
- finished either first or second in their division (flip-flop with Montreal)

The 1990 Bruins were the first team that came to my mind. They had a great season and a great playoff run only to run into a red hot Bill Ranford and a Mark Messier lead OIlers team. Triple OT in game 1 set the stage :cry:
 

Ogopogo*

Guest
The 28-29 Bruins still hold the NHL record for compiling an .875 winning percentage during the regular season. They are the best team to not win the cup. Incidentally, they captured the title the next season.
 

God Bless Canada

Registered User
Jul 11, 2004
11,793
17
Bentley reunion
In terms of a team whose core was together for several years, those late 70s Bruins come to mind. Even after Bobby retired and Espo was traded, there was a lot of talent. Many years, it was Montreal and Boston 1-2.

The Flyers had some fine teams in the mid-to-late 80s, too. As stated before, Brian Propp deserved better than an 0-5 record in the Stanley Cup Final.

I wouldn't rate the 1988-1991 Bruins that high. For much of the time, they were a three-man team: Bourque, Neely and Moog. (Oates didn't arrive until 1992). Even when they won the President's Trophy in 1990, Calgary was viewed as the team to beat, and Edmonton was the favourite in the final. You could make a case for 1991, but the three-man team argument became so apparent when you saw them fold after Neely went down.
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->