The better team doesn't always win. The whole reason the NHL playoffs are the most exciting is because there are so many upsets in the playoffs. Would you call the Canes the best team in 05-06, or how about the Bruins in 10-11 or the Kings in 11-12. Very rarely does the best team in the NHL regular season win the cup & even if you include the top 4 or so teams in the league they rarely win it.
If you were talking about the NBA you'd be right but in the NHL if you make the playoffs you have a chance to win the cup.
I didnt say the best team wins the Cup, I said the best team wins a 7 game series. The only importance of the regular season is number of home games per series and even that is overrated.
When I say "team", I dont just mean players; I mean coaches too. To use one of your examples of the 10-11 Bruins.
Great regular season, but not spectacular. Vancouver just railroaded the entire year from start to finish.
However, once a successful regular season team enters the playoffs, none of that matters. The other coach has time to watch, plot and strategize against the very things you do best. Claude Julien outcoached a lot of people that year...having Thomas play out of his mind and a prime, nasty Chara with a healthy Bergeron certainly helped. But he outcoached his rivals, he stuffed the Canucks to the outside and let them pepper Thomas with high volume, low percentage shots. Stop me if youve read this script before as a Wings fan of the 90s and 00s.
They had size, toughness, skill and played a very net front game with no PP to speak of. They were the better team and that series proved it.
How about the 06 Canes? Upsets happened in the early rounds and the Canes got the 8th seed out of the West. Edmonton wasnt an 8 seed after trading for prime Pronger, but they werent world beaters either. I can comfortably say that Edmonton team was better than the Wings, absolutely. They had speed to burn all over their lineup, a one year wonder goaltender and Chris-freaking-Pronger chewing up 35 minutes a night.
So again, the best doesnt always win the Cup, true. But whether its due to injury, coaching, will, grit, size, speed, matchup, some combination thereof, the best
team always wins a 7 game series, imo.