The #1 Best NHL Team You've Seen in any Playoff year

[JackSlater]

In 1988 8 of the 16 playoff teams had a negative goal differential, which is mind blowing. That's where I question the competition of the 1980s.

Is a top 5 team from 1988 the same as a top 5 team from 2002? I dont think so.

Doesn't that point to the late 80s being a top heavy period, and therefore the top five teams likely being very strong? Those 8 playoff teams with negative goal differential were being beaten badly by some teams, and it wasn't the teams below them in the standings.

I would have to say it is the 2012 King for me. Not that I think they were the best team, but they never looked shaky at any point, which can't be said for most Stanley Cup winning teams that were actually stronger.

 

[Canadiens1958]

Doesn't that point to the late 80s being a top heavy period, and therefore the top five teams likely being very strong? Those 8 playoff teams with negative goal differential were being beaten badly by some teams, and it wasn't the teams below them in the standings.

I would have to say it is the 2012 King for me. Not that I think they were the best team, but they never looked shaky at any point, which can't be said for most Stanley Cup winning teams that were actually stronger.

Definitely the best playoff run to the SC in the latest Salary Cap era.

 

[quoipourquoi]

Honestly don't understand the 2002 Detroit Red Wings in this thread when they trailed in three series, including 0-2 to an 8th Seed. Especially when the 1997 version curbstompted better Conference Finalists and Finalists.

 

[Evincar]

Doesn't that point to the late 80s being a top heavy period, and therefore the top five teams likely being very strong? Those 8 playoff teams with negative goal differential were being beaten badly by some teams, and it wasn't the teams below them in the standings.

I would have to say it is the 2012 King for me. Not that I think they were the best team, but they never looked shaky at any point, which can't be said for most Stanley Cup winning teams that were actually stronger.

But you had top heavy teams in the dead puck era, and yet how many teams with negative goal differential make the playoffs? I view the 70s and 80s of the nhl no different than what the NBA is today. A few stacked teams and no parity.

As for the 2012 Kings its hard to look shaky against Arizona and New Jersey as your last 2 opponents.

 

[c9777666]

How about the 1985 Oilers? One of the first great runs I remember seeing and a great title defense in its own right.

Had only one more loss than the 1988 team and looked more unstoppable on offense at times.

Swept a Jets team that was better in 1985 than 1988

Beat a Flyers team that was perhaps better than the ‘88 Bruins

1985 LA Kings were sneaky decent (Only winning record from 1982-1988) and EDM still swept them.

And of course that epic goalfest that was the 1985 Campbell Finals with Chicago

(OK, maybe these teams were not the 1988 Flames, but not exactly cupcake city in terms of a playoff road)

The 1985 Oilers were I thought maybe the best version- coming off a Cup, lot to prove, and this version was 3 years younger than 1988, had peak Coffey

And like the 1988 team, they were undefeated at Northlands in the playoffs

This version of defending Cup champ Oilers that repeated I think gets overlooked compared to the 1988 squad, but at their best..... I would definitely go to battle with that squad

Oh, and after seeing the negative goal differential discussion.... I should note that 13 of the 16 playoff teams in 1985 had positive goal differential

 

[The Panther]

How about the 1985 Oilers?

Yap, I think either the '85 Oil or the '88 Oil were the two most dominant playoff teams from Edmonton. The '85 team was in full swagger-mode. They were mid-way through the third-round before they lost a game. To that point, they were 9-0 and had out-scored the opposition 51 to 23. Obviously such numbers are not possible today, but it certainly shows how strong they were.

The '88 team was more mature and more ready to handle any style of game. The 1985 team is my favorite-ever Oilers' squad, though!

 

[JackSlater]

But you had top heavy teams in the dead puck era, and yet how many teams with negative goal differential make the playoffs? I view the 70s and 80s of the nhl no different than what the NBA is today. A few stacked teams and no parity.

As for the 2012 Kings its hard to look shaky against Arizona and New Jersey as your last 2 opponents.

Sure, but as noted the Oilers faced off against the 1, 4 and 5 ranked teams in the NHL that year. If the league is very top heavy, that is actualy a very difficult schedule. That was the point of what I said.

I'm aware that opposition is partially why the LA Kings looked strong, but you also have to keep in mind that due to low seeding they played the 1 and 3 ranked teams in the NHL in the first two rounds.

 

[Aladyyn]

I am young.

2012 Kings

 

[Supreme King]

1988 Edmonton Oilers- Basically after the first round against Winnipeg, they were a tour de force. There was no question after the shocking sweep of Calgary, they were going to win the Cup.

Gretzky was marvelous and the Oilers defence was physical and stifling. That 16-2 march to their 4th cup in 5 years was sensational and it always leaves the question would could have been in '89?

 

[crump]

Pick any of the 75-78 Habs but the 75/76 Habs lost one game on the way to the cup.

 

[Boxscore]

1987 Philly Flyers are my personal favorite (best). What they accomplished, due to circumstance, was amazing IMO. No Kerr; rookie goalie, and they took the Oil Machine to 7 games and down to the last few minutes. Remarkable amount of heart.

 

[Leafsmann]

2008 detroit should be in the convo. highest cf% I think in modern era

 

[HisIceness]

2008 Red Wings. That teams 2nd and 3rd line I thought was better than several teams top line. The way they would just grind other teams down and not allow the opposition to come into the Wings zone was as dominating as anything I've ever seen. They played several nationally televised games that season and even then it was like watching an NHL All-Star team play a team full of beer-leaguers. I could sense that they were going to at the very least win the West that year.

HM to the 2002 Wings, but I don't have them as the clear-cut favorite here because Colorado could have beaten them if not for Roys blunder in game 6. The 2008 Wings didn't have a scare like that.

 

[The Panther]

Re-reading this thread has reminded me of how strong the '97 Wings were. I was wrong to name the '02 squad. 1997 was better.

 

[quoipourquoi]

HM to the 2002 Wings, but I don't have them as the clear-cut favorite here because Colorado could have beaten them if not for Roys blunder in game 6. The 2008 Wings didn't have a scare like that.

Having to switch goalies during Round 1 probably isn't disqualifying, but it's not a great look.

For another two-goaltender team, would anyone say Montreal in 1969?

 

[TheGoldenJet]

Gotta go with the 97 Red Wings. Even though they had a scare vs the blues, that team was written off by everyone then managed to rip through all of their competition. Minus 1 bad game vs the Avs that team was straight dominant. They also pretty much took the cup away from Lindros and the Flyers whom everyone thought would finally get over the hump that year. As much as I hate the Flyers that 97 team was pretty dominant as well until they ran into Detroit.

That 1997 team was special. You're right, they had a hard fought 6 game series against a tough Pronger-led Blues team in round 1, but their lineup was discombobulated for the first couple games (Fedorov was on defence to start the playoffs).

Once Bowman set the lines right in the middle of the first round, they crushed the Blues, swept the NHL #8 ranked Ducks in the second round, beat the NHL #1 ranked Avalanche (who were both the defending SC champions and the President trophy winners) in 6, and swept the ECF champion Flyers (NHL #5 ranked, 1 point back of #2) in the SCF. Just dominant hockey.

Besides that team, the 2012 Kings deserve some love.

 

[TheGoldenJet]

1959-1960 Montreal Canadiens. I was at the 3rd game of the Stanley Cup Final and saw them beat Toronto 5-2. They won the next game to make it a four game sweep and 5 Cups in a row. In the Semi Final they swept Chicago four games to zero.

Five Cups in a row. Three is incredibly difficult in any era, but typing "5 cups in a row" gives me the shivers.

 

[Pominville Knows]

Besides that 1988 might have been top heavy, only five teams missed the playoffs back then so that many playoff teams would have a negative plus/minus is actually a given.

For me it is the 2012 Kings. By the second round i said to myself that they ARE GOING TO win it.

 

[GMR]

That 1997 team was special. You're right, they had a hard fought 6 game series against a tough Pronger-led Blues team in round 1, but their lineup was discombobulated for the first couple games (Fedorov was on defence to start the playoffs).

Once Bowman set the lines right in the middle of the first round, they crushed the Blues, swept the NHL #8 ranked Ducks in the second round, beat the NHL #1 ranked Avalanche (who were both the defending SC champions and the President trophy winners) in 6, and swept the ECF champion Flyers (NHL #5 ranked, 1 point back of #2) in the SCF. Just dominant hockey.

Besides that team, the 2012 Kings deserve some love.

From memory, the Wings played Anaheim in the 1st round and St. Louis in the 2nd round.

 

[WarriorOfGandhi]

First of all they are the best possession team since we've started tracking cf%.

it's downright ridiculous that the 08 Wings allowed fewer Corsi events in 82 games than the 13 Leafs did in 48 games

 

[CharlestownChiefsESC]

From memory, the Wings played Anaheim in the 1st round and St. Louis in the 2nd round.

Nope other way around. StL in round 1 Ducks in Round 2

 

[These Are The Days]

I know I'm not picking a truly phenomenal team here but the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 Sabres were f***ing ridiculous. You could give them everything you had and they'd laugh and say "Bruh this isn't even my final form" and proceed to drop 3 goals in 10 minutes. I'll never forget that playoff game against Ottawa that they won 7-6. That game was a track meet and the Sabres just made it look easy. Briere, Drury, Vanek, Pominville, Afinogenov... it's been 10 years and I still have nightmares about those guys. If not for the injuries they suffered on their defense by the 2005-2006 ECF they go to the finals instead of the Canes where they would have DESTROYED Edmonton 4-0 and probably would've outscored the 2:1

That was a bonafide Stanley Cup contender that just dismantled itself seemingly overnight.

 

[Thenameless]

I know I'm not picking a truly phenomenal team here but the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 Sabres were ****ing ridiculous. You could give them everything you had and they'd laugh and say "Bruh this isn't even my final form" and proceed to drop 3 goals in 10 minutes. I'll never forget that playoff game against Ottawa that they won 7-6. That game was a track meet and the Sabres just made it look easy. Briere, Drury, Vanek, Pominville, Afinogenov... it's been 10 years and I still have nightmares about those guys. If not for the injuries they suffered on their defense by the 2005-2006 ECF they go to the finals instead of the Canes where they would have DESTROYED Edmonton 4-0 and probably would've outscored the 2:1

That was a bonafide Stanley Cup contender that just dismantled itself seemingly overnight.

I completely agree. That Sabres team is among the very best ever to not win a Cup. I remember that they were my clear mid-late season pick to win it all. It's almost like the Sabres and the Canucks (two teams that came into the NHL in the same year) have some kind of a curse on them.

 

[Howie Hodge]

Pick any of the 75-78 Habs but the 75/76 Habs lost one game on the way to the cup.

This.

Robinson, Lapointe, and Savard were so dominant......

 

[These Are The Days]

I completely agree. That Sabres team is among the very best ever to not win a Cup. I remember that they were my clear mid-late season pick to win it all. It's almost like the Sabres and the Canucks (two teams that came into the NHL in the same year) have some kind of a curse on them.

It really is crazy the bad luck those teams have had. Especially Buffalo because they came from out of nowhere to dominate and then after 2006 Briere goes to Philly, Drury to the NYR and by the end of the year Campbell is traded to the Sharks. It was just never the same again after that. I cannot imagine how the Sabres fans must have felt. If I had to guess it must have been similar to how I did as a Bucs fan when Warren Sapp went to the Raiders and John Lynch to the Broncos. Our defense was just a shell of its former glory after that.

As for Vancouver I felt it was very telling of the Canucks when they came "this close" to giving up a 3-0 series lead to the Hawks. I have never... EVER seen an arena so tense as it was in OT. And the reaction from the players and celebration on the bench. You would've thought they had won the Stanley Cup. I can imagine they all thought "Thank God we're not going to lose our job tonight" because I honestly cannot imagine how AV survives a meltdown of that magnitude. For what it's worth Crawford was simply fantastic that night. Then after that the Canucks went on cruise control. They looked like a champion some nights.

But then it was only to turn in the worst game 7 performance I have ever seen. They might've been one of the most talented teams to never win a Cup but they showed a lot of lack of composure and mental fortitude in that Hawks series and against the Bruins. I know we can credit Tim Thomas for almost singlehandedly winning that series for the Bruins but what people don't ever talk about is that Luongo was more than up to the task and out-dueled in 3 times.

If you ask me, the 1994 Canucks (another one of the best teams to never win it) had more fabric of a champion than the 2010-2011 Canucks ever did. When you said "Dig deep" the 1994 Canucks battled back for a game 7 but "dig deep" to the 2010-2011 team meant digging themselves into a bigger hole than they were already in.