Big Phil
Registered User
- Nov 2, 2003
- 31,703
- 4,146
Why 20 years? It is simple. Everyone is going to have the 1996 Red Wings on here, that's a given. Plus the 1993 Pens, 1986 Oilers, 1971 Bruins, etc. We all know this, but let's make it more recent and a little harder to think about.
What teams starting in 1997 are the best to never win a Cup. The top 5.
#1 1997 Avalanche - Led the NHL in points and were defending Cup champs, all with Sakic and Forsberg missing 20% of the season. But they had everything. Two star centres down the middle, a HHOF goalie, Ozolinsh on defense and a very good defensive corps behind him of stay at home types. Very capable wingers: Kamensky, Claude Lemieux, Young, Deadmarsh, etc. Won their division by 22 points and ultimately lost to the eventual champs.
#2 2010 Capitals - Ovechkin in perhaps his greatest season, Mike Green in a Norris caliber year and a team that just powered it's way offensively all year. 121 points as well. Backstrom, Semin, not to mention good depth up front. It almost seemed as if it didn't matter what Theodore or Varlamov did in net. This team scored 318 goals, the most since the 1996 Penguins. It's funny, because even though Montreal beat them by the skin of their teeth, it still doesn't feel like they even lost to them that year. How do you lose a series when in the last two games you outshot your opponent 54-21 and 41-14?
#3 2011 Canucks - This really looked like their year. Luongo at the peak of his powers, the Sedins too. Kesler winning the Selke. They just had it rolling too. 117 points, murdered their division that year. Won 6 in a row twice, won 7 once, won 8 once. Maybe a puck rushing defenseman would have helped, but then again that's not why Boston beat them.
#4 2003 Senators - This is strange, but at the time you'd have taken Redden over Chara. Either way, a good defensive corps, good chemistry with Yashin long gone and they looked to finally shed their choker label. Led the NHL in points too. I honestly have to wonder if the Leafs would have beaten this dialed in 2003 version even though they did 4 times in 5 years.
#5 2000 Blues - Led the NHL in points with 114. The Blues were always a good team, but they exploded this year and just seemed poised to become a western superpower. Pronger in his Hart year on defense with MacInnis. Turgeon down the middle perhaps ready to shed his "soft" label. Demitra on the wing, and in general some balanced scoring. The wild card was Roman Turek coming out of nowhere that year in net. They looked legit. The Hockey News picked them to win it at the beginning of the playoffs.
What teams starting in 1997 are the best to never win a Cup. The top 5.
#1 1997 Avalanche - Led the NHL in points and were defending Cup champs, all with Sakic and Forsberg missing 20% of the season. But they had everything. Two star centres down the middle, a HHOF goalie, Ozolinsh on defense and a very good defensive corps behind him of stay at home types. Very capable wingers: Kamensky, Claude Lemieux, Young, Deadmarsh, etc. Won their division by 22 points and ultimately lost to the eventual champs.
#2 2010 Capitals - Ovechkin in perhaps his greatest season, Mike Green in a Norris caliber year and a team that just powered it's way offensively all year. 121 points as well. Backstrom, Semin, not to mention good depth up front. It almost seemed as if it didn't matter what Theodore or Varlamov did in net. This team scored 318 goals, the most since the 1996 Penguins. It's funny, because even though Montreal beat them by the skin of their teeth, it still doesn't feel like they even lost to them that year. How do you lose a series when in the last two games you outshot your opponent 54-21 and 41-14?
#3 2011 Canucks - This really looked like their year. Luongo at the peak of his powers, the Sedins too. Kesler winning the Selke. They just had it rolling too. 117 points, murdered their division that year. Won 6 in a row twice, won 7 once, won 8 once. Maybe a puck rushing defenseman would have helped, but then again that's not why Boston beat them.
#4 2003 Senators - This is strange, but at the time you'd have taken Redden over Chara. Either way, a good defensive corps, good chemistry with Yashin long gone and they looked to finally shed their choker label. Led the NHL in points too. I honestly have to wonder if the Leafs would have beaten this dialed in 2003 version even though they did 4 times in 5 years.
#5 2000 Blues - Led the NHL in points with 114. The Blues were always a good team, but they exploded this year and just seemed poised to become a western superpower. Pronger in his Hart year on defense with MacInnis. Turgeon down the middle perhaps ready to shed his "soft" label. Demitra on the wing, and in general some balanced scoring. The wild card was Roman Turek coming out of nowhere that year in net. They looked legit. The Hockey News picked them to win it at the beginning of the playoffs.