Favorite team that didn't win the Cup?

[The Macho King]

Agreed on the Red Wings even through they won 4 in 12 years I feel like they should have won 2 or 3 more. You know how the Chicago Bulls had the double 3 peat, I feel like the Red Wings could have had a triple repeat. 97 and 98 obviously. 02 and 03, remember in 03 they were a disallowed goal,blown lead, and an ot awayfrom being up 3-1 on the Ducks had they beat Anaheim they probably march right to the cup. Although they made it to the final in 09 in 07 they were 2 ot goals away from winning the wcf in 5. I really think that team would have run over Ottawa too in the finals. In 09 idk they were really beat up vs Pitt and just never seemed in control after game 2.

The post-lockout Wings should have more than one Cup. I honestly consider it somewhat of a failure that they don't.

 

[GMR]

The post-lockout Wings should have more than one Cup. I honestly consider it somewhat of a failure that they don't.

It is, but you can't just focus on them. The teams they lost to all made it far. Anaheim, Calgary, and Edmonton made game 7 of the Finals. Calgary and Edmonton likely win the Cup if not for an injury to Roloson and the disallowed Gelinas goal. Yes, those teams were huge underdogs but they had great goaltending and could play a tight checking game and block shots.

Anaheim and Pittsburgh both won the Cup. Not much shame losing to a Cup winner.

After 2009, the Red Wings weren't a real Cup contender.

 

[The Macho King]

It is, but you can't just focus on them. The teams they lost to all made it far. Anaheim, Calgary, and Edmonton made game 7 of the Finals. Calgary and Edmonton likely win the Cup if not for an injury to Roloson and the disallowed Gelinas goal. Yes, those teams were huge underdogs but they had great goaltending and could play a tight checking game and block shots.

Anaheim and Pittsburgh both won the Cup. Not much shame losing to a Cup winner.

After 2009, the Red Wings weren't a real Cup contender.

Gelinas' shot wasn't in, and it wasn't disallowed - it was no goal on the ice.

 

[GMR]

Gelinas' shot wasn't in, and it wasn't disallowed - it was no goal on the ice.

Looked like it to me. At the very least, it's strange that it wasn't even reviewed. Kind of an important play.

 

[Big Phil]

Rangers in 92 weren't the same after the strike but I get what you're saying. Having to play 7 games against a far inferior Devils team in Round 1 didn't help the Rangers much. But the Penguins were defending champs and deserve credit. That long Richter shot in Game 4 was a killer.

93 Lemieux was a beast and yeah to this day I don't get how an Isles team WITHOUT Turgeon beat them. Rangers played almost the same team in 94 and destroyed them in a 4 game thrashing. Hockey is weird sometimes.

What is it that you think changed for them after the strike in 1992?

 

[CharlestownChiefsESC]

What is it that you think changed for them after the strike in 1992?

Alot of injuries occurred due to the players not doing anything. Messier as you know was a staunch union guy and when he got wind of some players renting ice in Westchester County to keep in shape he put an end to it. Remember in the Devils and Pittsburgh series he was hurt quite often. I believe the stopping and immediate return contributed to that.

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

Agreed on the Red Wings even through they won 4 in 12 years I feel like they should have won 2 or 3 more. You know how the Chicago Bulls had the double 3 peat, I feel like the Red Wings could have had a triple repeat. 97 and 98 obviously. 02 and 03, remember in 03 they were a disallowed goal,blown lead, and an ot awayfrom being up 3-1 on the Ducks had they beat Anaheim they probably march right to the cup. Although they made it to the final in 09 in 07 they were 2 ot goals away from winning the wcf in 5. I really think that team would have run over Ottawa too in the finals. In 09 idk they were really beat up vs Pitt and just never seemed in control after game 2.

I've always felt (and said as much on these forums) that the loss to Anaheim in 07 was worse than the loss to the Pens in the Finals in 09. I felt the 07 team was probably better. Some bad luck and some individual mistakes cost the Anaheim series...meanwhile I felt the Pens were younger, faster and stronger in 09. I thought the loss in the series was a lot less surprising than the lead the Wings had built in it.

 

[GMR]

I've always felt (and said as much on these forums) that the loss to Anaheim in 07 was worse than the loss to the Pens in the Finals in 09. I felt the 07 team was probably better. Some bad luck and some individual mistakes cost the Anaheim series...meanwhile I felt the Pens were younger, faster and stronger in 09. I thought the loss in the series was a lot less surprising than the lead the Wings had built in it.

Maybe from an independent observer. Not from a fan. The loss in 2007 sucked, but they had choked in the early rounds in 2003, 2004, and 2006. 2007 felt like a success after that. Yes, there's some regrets. The puck deflecting off Lidstrom's stick in the last minute of game 5 was a bad bounce. They weren't beating Anaheim in game 6 on the road. And yes, they'd likely beat Ottawa, which was a one line team.

Still, they won the following year and that erased the pain somewhat. The loss in 2009 still hurts more because they've had no success since then.

 

[Brodeur]

I suppose I can't complain since the 2001 Devils were sandwiched by Cup wins in 2000 and 2003. In a weird way, I would trade the 2003 Cup for the 2001 Cup. The 2003 team was the low scoring, boring stereotype that most fans associate with the team from that era. But the 2000-01 Devils led the league in scoring and that was with Jason Arnott / Scott Niedermayer holding out for new contracts for the first 20 games of the season.

2000-01 Devils: 295 GF, 195 GA
2001-02 Red Wings: 251 GF, 187 GA

Just for comparison since the 2002 Red Wings were a powerhouse.

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

Maybe from an independent observer. Not from a fan. The loss in 2007 sucked, but they had choked in the early rounds in 2003, 2004, and 2006. 2007 felt like a success after that. Yes, there's some regrets. The puck deflecting off Lidstrom's stick in the last minute of game 5 was a bad bounce. They weren't beating Anaheim in game 6 on the road. And yes, they'd likely beat Ottawa, which was a one line team.

Still, they won the following year and that erased the pain somewhat. The loss in 2009 still hurts more because they've had no success since then.

I'm a Wings fan and was borderline obsessed with the team at the time (no way I'm going to remain that tightly focused on the team through a decade of rebuilding and there's also no real point in posting on the Wings board much during those years especially since every thread for a while evolved into an argument on whether it's time to tank).

The loss in 2009 to me was softened by the fact they won the Cup in 08. But in 07 there was no way of knowing that they'd ever win the Cup with that group *especially* after the major playoff failures in previous seasons.

 

[Strawberry Fields]

2010 Flyers, only team in my 16 years watching them that's sniffed it

 

[Big Phil]

Alot of injuries occurred due to the players not doing anything. Messier as you know was a staunch union guy and when he got wind of some players renting ice in Westchester County to keep in shape he put an end to it. Remember in the Devils and Pittsburgh series he was hurt quite often. I believe the stopping and immediate return contributed to that.

Never thought of it that way. But it was just too short of a time to make an impact, I think. Like I said, the Rangers beat the Penguins 7-1 on the final game of the season. They should have been ready.

On a side note, the NHLPA was dense back then as well with that sort of mindset Messier had with the players renting ice. Obviously you want to keep in shape.

 

[quoipourquoi]

1993 Maple Leafs
2003 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
2017 Ottawa Senators

But I also really liked the 2014 Colorado Avalanche, and the drama from every time they pulled the goalie with 3 or 4 minutes left. Too bad they couldn’t keep Stastny and MacKinnon together for more than just the one season.

 

[quoipourquoi]

Never thought of it that way. But it was just too short of a time to make an impact, I think. Like I said, the Rangers beat the Penguins 7-1 on the final game of the season. They should have been ready.

On a side note, the NHLPA was dense back then as well with that sort of mindset Messier had with the players renting ice. Obviously you want to keep in shape.

Every division winner went to Game 7 in the opening round, and they were all bounced by the end of round two; I definitely think it was a curveball thrown into the end of the season (though not on the scale of the end of the season stoppage in 2020).

 

[Big Phil]

Every division winner went to Game 7 in the opening round, and they were all bounced by the end of round two; I definitely think it was a curveball thrown into the end of the season (though not on the scale of the end of the season stoppage in 2020).

Interesting. So does this help the weaker team with a 10 day layoff? Just asking. Because I am not sure myself. I think in some cases like the Habs, they should have never gotten to a Game 7 overtime vs. Hartford. That was on them.

I just had never heard of the 1992 strike changing anything with the playoffs, although maybe it is an unspoken idea.

I agree with 2020 though. In the first round everyone looked flat, and in the qualifying round they did too. Thank goodness that in this unusual year there were still the normally good teams that won it, and ones that were arguably favoured to win it anyways (Tampa 2020, Lakers 2020, Dodgers 2020).

 

[pbgoalie]

‘75 (I think) Sabres
Beat by my least favorite team I. The finals

I was a Rangers fan, but Perrault and that team were just fun to watch

 

[CHIMO]

1987 Flyers and 2004 Flames. Both gritty underdogs with hard-nosed coaches and excellent goaltending. The Flyers were much more skilled than the Flames. I think of the Flyers more as an underdog against Edmonton, whereas the Flames had the tag for the whole season. Still trying to figure out what to do with my Flyers Hextall socks after this week’s events...

 

[MarkusNaslund19]

I suppose I can't complain since the 2001 Devils were sandwiched by Cup wins in 2000 and 2003. In a weird way, I would trade the 2003 Cup for the 2001 Cup. The 2003 team was the low scoring, boring stereotype that most fans associate with the team from that era. But the 2000-01 Devils led the league in scoring and that was with Jason Arnott / Scott Niedermayer holding out for new contracts for the first 20 games of the season.

2000-01 Devils: 295 GF, 195 GA
2001-02 Red Wings: 251 GF, 187 GA

Just for comparison since the 2002 Red Wings were a powerhouse.

Didn't you used to be "Trottier" and weren't you and Islanders fan until like the last 4 or 5 years? I know there was a good poster from San Diego who joined around the same time with that name.

 

[Brodeur]

Didn't you used to be "Trottier" and weren't you and Islanders fan until like the last 4 or 5 years? I know there was a good poster from San Diego who joined around the same time with that name.

He is a different poster, haven't seen him posting for a few years.

 

[MarkusNaslund19]

I'm a Canucks fan so. I won't be including my team.

I choose the 00-01 Penguins.

You had Lemieux's incredible comeback which reignited Jagr.

You had one of the best offensive second lines in recent history (in my opinion) in Kovalev, Straka, and Lang (Kovalev and Straka were two of my top 5 favourite players).

You had Hedberg come in during the playoffs out of relative obscurity to take them to the Conference Finals.

The Kasparaitis goal and celebration to beat Hasek in his last game as a Sabre.

 

[Puck Dogg]

'92-93 Kings, or any other year that Gretzky was part of. He should've won the Cup in LA.

 

[MuzikMachine]

I would have loved the '06 Oilers to win, but alas...

A couple teams around the lockout era include the 2003 Senators and the 2006/7 Sabres or Senators. It bugged me for a time that the Hurricanes won in '06 and went on to miss the playoffs in subsequent seasons. If the Oilers were going to loose, I would have preferred the Sabres would have won.

It may be a little soon and cliche, but the Ovechkin Capitals deserve more than 1 cup.

 

[DeysArena]

1992-93 Leafs. The Leafs had been bad for so long. This run seemed to come out of nowhere. It was a fun team to watch. Plus, I was 12. When you are 12, nothing is more important than a winning sports team.

 

[GMR]

I'm a Canucks fan so. I won't be including my team.

I choose the 00-01 Penguins.

You had Lemieux's incredible comeback which reignited Jagr.

You had one of the best offensive second lines in recent history (in my opinion) in Kovalev, Straka, and Lang (Kovalev and Straka were two of my top 5 favourite players).

You had Hedberg come in during the playoffs out of relative obscurity to take them to the Conference Finals.

The Kasparaitis goal and celebration to beat Hasek in his last game as a Sabre.

I was also pulling for the 2001 Penguins. Unfortunately, they were New Jersey's easiest opponent during that playoff. Every other series Jersey played in 2001 lasted at least six games.

 

[Davenport]

Emile Francis' New York Rangers - particularly the 1971-72 edition - were a team good enough to win the Stanley Cup.