Cup finals you would have loved to see , but didn't happen

[Jungosi]

In which years you've been really looking forward to a certain final pairing , that didn't happen. My favourite is 1992-1993 : the incredible stacked Penguins against the Kings. Gretzky vs. Lemieux. Damn you David Volek. Also great would have been a Avs vs. Sabres final in '99 , the ultimate goaltending match-up between Hasek and Roy.

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[VanIslander]

Hasek vs. the Senators 2007

 

[Big Phil]

Toronto vs. Detroit in 2002 was one that I was dying to see once the final four hit. Somehow Toronto and Cujo lost to a pop gun offence in Buffalo. Yes Hasek was there bu not for the whole series remember Dwayne Roloson played in the beginning of that series.

In '79 an Islander/Habs finals would have been great. The Habs still win but I think the Isles would still start winning in '80.

Pittsburgh vs. Colorado in '96 would have been good not just for me but for Hockey. Pittsburgh had Lemieux, Francis, Jagr and Nedved (who had 99 points), vs. Sakic Forsberg and Roy. What a series that would have been. But Florida and their lunch pail gang of Dave Lowry-type players bored their way through. Too bad.

Throw in 2001 as another what if. New Jersey was clearly better than Pittsburgh but still if Mario and co face the Avs in the finals it would have been a classic.

 

[rmchahn]

1992-93 During the 100th anniversary of the Stanley Cup, it would have been fitting to see the Habs vs the Leafs in the Cup final. I wanted to see it so badly that year, but didn't happen. Now the way things are going for both teams, I'm not sure whether it will ever happen in my lifetime.

 

[Snap Wilson]

Habs-Islanders in 1979. I was looking forward to that one all season. The Rangers upset was a crushing disappointment.

Even nearly thirty years later, I don't think I could envision a final with two better teams.

 

[CaptBrannigan]

Sharks-Lightning in 04. My two favorite teams.

 

[MuzikMachine]

1992-93 During the 100th anniversary of the Stanley Cup, it would have been fitting to see the Habs vs the Leafs in the Cup final. I wanted to see it so badly that year, but didn't happen. Now the way things are going for both teams, I'm not sure whether it will ever happen in my lifetime.

That's the series I thought of when I saw that thread, and it was soooo close to happening - but then LA had to win game 7. Now that the Leafs & Habs are in the same conference, you'll never see them play in the Stanley Cup Final under the currernt system. If both teams can get it together, you could see a Toronto-Montreal series in one of the first three rounds.

1993 (was Mon/LA) - Montreal vs Toronto
2002 (was Det/Car) - Detroit vs Toronto
* I'll also add that if Montreal beat Carolina in the 2nd round, it would have been a Montreal-Toronto Eastern Conferance Final
2003 (was NJ/Ana) - Ottawa vs Vancouver

Ottawa lost to New Jersey in the ECF while Vancouver lost to Minnesota in the 2nd round. Both teams were good in the regualar season, the Western Conference was in transition as the big 3 (Detroit, Colorado, and Dallas) were in decline, and it would have been an all Canadian final since it had been 9 years since a team had qualified.

While not a SCF matchup, if Calgary would have won Game 7 against Anaheim in last years playoffs, there would have been a Battle of Alberta for the first time since 1991.

 

[doc5hole]

I've got a couple: Flyers-Canadiens in 75, before the Habs got too big and strong and the Flyers lost Parent to injury. Neither team faced the other at its very best.

Edmonton vs. Pittsburgh in '91. The Stars upset the Oilers, who were still very good, but Minn. was no match for the Penguins when they turned it on.

Bruins-Islanders, 77.
The NYIs did reach a pinnacle of talent in 78-79 (116 pts., first overall), but had seemed to lose some of that blue-collar attitude that made them so tough 75-77. It wasn't until they were humbled early in the 79-80 with some poor play that would have threatened a new-NHL playoff position and then the Goring spark that they finally deserved the breaks they'd get to win the '80 Cup. They validated that over the next three seasons but in '79 were paper tigers.
Too bad the Bruins were on the downside by 1980 when the NYIs got them in a five-gamer featuring three OT GWGs and mucho fisticuffs. A Bruins-Islanders in '77 would have been most appropriate because those up-and-coming Isles crushed the Sabres and extended the 60-8-12=132 Habs to a Game 6, while the late-surging Bruins swept the Flyers and hit the wall in a sweep in the finals by Montreal.

 

[CareyClutch]

92-93 habs-leafs

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

One that we couldn't have seen, but that would have been epic. Edm v. Cal in the 80s.

That would have been an amazing final.

 

[Bear of Bad News]

Toronto vs. Detroit in 2002 was one that I was dying to see once the final four hit. Somehow Toronto and Cujo lost to a pop gun offence in Buffalo. Yes Hasek was there bu not for the whole series remember Dwayne Roloson played in the beginning of that series.

Surely you mean 1999, and not 2002?

 

[CoupeStanley]

The Buffalo Wings finals...

 

[albathegreat*]

Surely you mean 1999, and not 2002?

He must.

1999 was the year Toronto lost to Buffalo to go to the cup

2002 would have been Toronto and the Wings if Toronto would have beat Carolina

 

[The refs love me]

Both years Colorado won, 1996 and 2001 the Pens were eliminated in the Conference finals, by Florida in 1996 and New Jersey in 2001. Both times I would of loved to of seen an Avs/Pens final.

 

[MuzikMachine]

He must.

1999 was the year Toronto lost to Buffalo to go to the cup

2002 would have been Toronto and the Wings if Toronto would have beat Carolina

There's a little mix up in the years.

1999 - Toronto lost to Buffalo, but the winner played Dallas. Detroit was eliminated by Colorado in the second round.

2002 - Toronto lost to Carolina, Detroit represented the West.

I wonder what would have happend if Detroit was in the Eastern Conferance? The Detroit - Colorado matchups in the SCF would have been soemthing worth watching.

 

[byrne14]

i would have loved to c habs vs leafs 1993.the leafs where robbed that year

 

[Big Phil]

Surely you mean 1999, and not 2002?

Yes of course. Yeah '99 would have hardly been a classic if Dallas and Toronto met. I'm thinking 2002. When Toronto met Carolina I had it down in stone that they'd meet Detroit/Colorado in the final. I was personally hoping for Detroit but it hardly mattered since Toronto couldnt make it past Carolina in a loss that shook my faith in the Leafs even more.

How about in 1969? I know the format was different but a Habs/Bruins series would have been great. It turned out to be a classic semi-finals though. The Blues were not match for either team in '68, '69 or '70.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

1985 -- Flyers-Blackhawks. Both teams made their Conference Finals.

The 1984-85 Flyers were reborn but were emotionally drained when the Cup Finals commenced and were overwhelmed by the Oilers. I was kinda, hopin' for a Chicago win over Edmonton in the Western Finals for more reasons than one. Chicago entered that series scoring 5+ goals in eight of their nine PO games so they had the firepower. Edmonton was obviously too good at that period.

 

[PromNite]

Last year I was hoping for a Sabres-Oilers final.

Hopefully Oil would have taken it...

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

Both years Colorado won, 1996 and 2001 the Pens were eliminated in the Conference finals, by Florida in 1996 and New Jersey in 2001. Both times I would of loved to of seen an Avs/Pens final.

The 96 final especially, since in 01 i think the avs wouldve smoked the pens. In 1995-96, the pens and avs played each other earlier in the season to a 6-6 tie. would've been a classic final no doubt.

 

[19nazzy]

Canucks vs. Sens a few years ago.

 

[seventieslord]

Toronto vs. Detroit in 2002 was one that I was dying to see once the final four hit. Somehow Toronto and Cujo lost to a pop gun offence in Buffalo. Yes Hasek was there bu not for the whole series remember Dwayne Roloson played in the beginning of that series.

In '79 an Islander/Habs finals would have been great. The Habs still win but I think the Isles would still start winning in '80.

Pittsburgh vs. Colorado in '96 would have been good not just for me but for Hockey. Pittsburgh had Lemieux, Francis, Jagr and Nedved (who had 99 points), vs. Sakic Forsberg and Roy. What a series that would have been. But Florida and their lunch pail gang of Dave Lowry-type players bored their way through. Too bad.

Throw in 2001 as another what if. New Jersey was clearly better than Pittsburgh but still if Mario and co face the Avs in the finals it would have been a classic.

You need a refill on your medication!

Toronto lost to pop gun Buffalo in 1999 and would have faced Dallas in the final.

In 2002 it was pop gun Toronto losing to Carolina, if they had won that, then they would have faced Detroit.

 

[BChockeyfan]

79 Finals. Would've loved to see Bruins vs. Rangers, Espo and Park against their old teams.

 

[Golden Foppa]

Pittsburgh vs. Colorado in '96 would have been good not just for me but for Hockey. Pittsburgh had Lemieux, Francis, Jagr and Nedved (who had 99 points), vs. Sakic Forsberg and Roy. What a series that would have been. But Florida and their lunch pail gang of Dave Lowry-type players bored their way through. Too bad.

I couldn't believe it when Florida beat Pittsburgh. 1996 Avs vs Penguins would have been incredible to watch and would have gone much longer than 4 games.

 

[billcanuck]

Okay, I'm going to be a total homer. But the Bertuzzi/Naslund/Jovo Canucks (preferably against the Sens). There were times during the regular season when that team were jaw-droppingly good. Alas, the goaltending did us in every time (ironically given the situation now). Crawford and Burke's loyalty to Cloutier will never cease to baffle me. That team was so close...