Fluke SCF appearances

[Scott Stevens]

Also 2006 Canes

There’s always “that guy” saying stupid shit just to be seen.

I know because I take my reps as that guy.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

they beat my team because the offense disappeared for 2 games. also the refs decided game 6. in fact all 4 teams the caps beat blew a series lead against them.

Come on Dom, it wasn't close. Back-to-back shutouts in Game 6 and 7 and the Caps dominated 80% of the series.

 

[Alexei Yashvalev]

The best team on paper doesn't always make it to the final, but the best team in reality for the duration of the playoffs certainly does.

 

[pbgoalie]

2003 Ducks.......
Giguere and some hard grinding, but unexpected to me at least

 

[FerrisRox]

I don't know if you'd call it a fluke or just riding Hasek to the finals, but '99 Sabres.

Considering Hasek was the reigning league MVP, seems a little odd to say riding the Hart Trophy winner to the finals is a fluke.

 

[Laveuglette]

2010 Flyers. The fact that the ECF was Philadelphia (7) vs. Montreal (8) was already flukey enough as it was. Also I love how the WCF that year was San Jose (1) vs. Chicago (2)

Strongly disagree. The Flyers were one of the most solid team in the NHL on paper, but they had tons of injuries during the season. They also had crazy ones in the playoffs. But Giroux emerged, and they already had a good top 9 and elite top 4 D. Brière was fantastic, won't ever forget that performance. That team was able to keep up with Chicago with an AHLer in net. (Chicago also didn't have a good goalie, though). Went to game 6 OT, and all games but one were 1 goal games. Flyers could very well have won it all in 2010.

 

[GodPucker]

1997-98 Caps didn't have to play a 1-4 seed and went 5-1 in OT during the 1st 3 rounds. I remember the 05-06 Oilers being fluky.

The Oilers had absolutely BRUTAL goaltending that year. They were 2nd in the league behind Detroit in shits allowed per game at around 16.

I remember every Oiler fan saying, "man, if we can just get a goalie. Look out"

I was not surprised at the run.

 

[Oneiro]

A dumb thread because most assessments are made off of the team's rosters with little attention paid to the quality of the team's system and coaching that year - something that is harder to remember.

All year long people whine about how GMs and coaches are holding their team back, not giving this guy a shot, playing this guy too much, blah blah blah. And when it comes time to assess the results, all of a sudden the coach, the system and group chemistry have nothing to do with it.

Stacked rosters flounder just as much as underdog teams supposedly over-achieve. The truth is that most fans are sheep looking to be led. "Oh, a team that looks like it should dominate needs to dominate, otherwise something is wrong!"

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

If you don't repeat, aren't all finalists and winners flukes ?

 

[Whaleafs]

Considering Hasek was the reigning league MVP, seems a little odd to say riding the Hart Trophy winner to the finals is a fluke.

Hart trophy winner, as in most valuable to your team, as in without him they would have been challenging for a first overall draft pick. The Sabres were a 7th seed and had one player in the top 10 in playoff scoring, Jason Woolley at 10, a defencman.

 

[garnetpalmetto]

How about facing Montreal with an injured eye to their best player?

Funny, I don't remember Alexei Kovalev sustaining an eye injury in the Montreal series.

Buffalo was ravaged with injuries. They could barely ice an AHL team by game 7.

Edmonton lost their starting goalie.

I've made my point. Now try and disprove that none of those things happened?

Much is overmade of Buffalo's defensive issues in that series considering their regular defensive starters aside from Numminen (Lydman, Tallinder, Campbell, McKee, and Fitzpatrick) played the lion's share of minutes while guys like Paetsch, Jillson, and Janek played a much lesser role. Roloson choked away Game 1 by the time he got hurt. At the time Roloson went out in Game 1 (after Marc-Andre Bergeron pushed Ladd into Roloson, lest there be any misremembrances about how Roloson got hurt) the game was tied 4-4. Roloson had just blown a 4-0 lead and his stats at that point were a 0.826 save percentage and a 4.44 GAA. I think in terms of just the flow of the game and game momentum, that game was heading Carolina's way even without Conklin coming in in relief of Roloson. He looked shaky and solvable before he got hurt. and Markkanen stood ably in relief of him the rest of the Series.

 

[Hockeyholic]

Funny, I don't remember Alexei Kovalev sustaining an eye injury in the Montreal series.



Much is overmade of Buffalo's defensive issues in that series considering their regular defensive starters aside from Numminen (Lydman, Tallinder, Campbell, McKee, and Fitzpatrick) played the lion's share of minutes while guys like Paetsch, Jillson, and Janek played a much lesser role. Roloson choked away Game 1 by the time he got hurt. At the time Roloson went out in Game 1 (after Marc-Andre Bergeron pushed Ladd into Roloson, lest there be any misremembrances about how Roloson got hurt) the game was tied 4-4. Roloson had just blown a 4-0 lead and his stats at that point were a 0.826 save percentage and a 4.44 GAA. I think in terms of just the flow of the game and game momentum, that game was heading Carolina's way even without Conklin coming in in relief of Roloson. He looked shaky and solvable before he got hurt. and Markkanen stood ably in relief of him the rest of the Series.

It was a 3-0 lead, not 4-0, that Edmonton choked away.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

'18 Golden Knights

 

[garnetpalmetto]

It was a 3-0 lead, not 4-0, that Edmonton choked away.

Apologies for the typo, but thanks for concurring that Roloson choked away Edmonton's lead prior to getting hurt.

 

[NJDevs26]

102 regular season points
4th most wins in the league from Jan 1st - end of regular season
Kovalchuk #5 in the league in points
Elias #10 in the league in points
Three 30 goal scorers
Best PK% in NHL history
Started on the road in all three of their conference playoff series

Yeah you might want to workshop this one a little more.

Plus the best record in the league the second half of the previous season, and perrenial contenders before that. They only get called a fluke cause of what happened after 2012 but they lost Parise, Kovalchuk a year later and other guys got old.

 

[NJ DevLolz]

Plus the best record in the league the second half of the previous season, and perrenial contenders before that. They only get called a fluke cause of what happened after 2012 but they lost Parise, Kovalchuk a year later and other guys got old.

Zajac was out for most of the year, too. Back then, he was good for 45-55 points with Selke level defense

 

[Hockeyholic]

Apologies for the typo, but thanks for concurring that Roloson choked away Edmonton's lead prior to getting hurt.

Edmonton still took it to a game 7 with a backup. Roloson was a Conn Smythe candidate up to that point.

Nonetheless, I agree that Carolina team was a great one. As the years went on, it was obvious they were a one year fluke ( Albeit great that season) .

 

[David Bruce Banner]

The final answer is the 1982 Canucks.

HM: 1991 North Stars. 1996 Panthers

 

[FerrisRox]

Hart trophy winner, as in most valuable to your team, as in without him they would have been challenging for a first overall draft pick. The Sabres were a 7th seed and had one player in the top 10 in playoff scoring, Jason Woolley at 10, a defencman.

Do you think you are proving a point with Woolley's point totals? The Sabres had eight guys with double digits in points. It's considered a strength in the playoffs to have depth and scoring from everywhere, not a weakness.

Additionally, why point how good the Sabres would be without the league MVP? They had him, what's it matter what kind of team it would be without him?

 

[Voight]

2012 Devils, arguably 2014 NYR

2006 Oilers - lolz Detroit really f'ed up that year, Anaheim was 1 year away from winning - younger guys were still green

 

[Rich Nixon]

2010 Flyers. The fact that the ECF was Philadelphia (7) vs. Montreal (8) was already flukey enough as it was. Also I love how the WCF that year was San Jose (1) vs. Chicago (2)

Richards
Carter
Briere
Gagne
Hartnell
Giroux
vanRiemsdyk
Leino (when he was good)
Pronger
Timonen
Coburn
Carle

...and Laviolette took over midseason. That team was absolutely stacked, the fluke wasn't them making the Finals, it was them finishing 7th in the regular season.

 

[Leafs87]

Vegas knights has to be the first team mentioned

 

[BRAINROT]

2004 flames
2006 Oilers
2007 Sens
2012 Kings
2012 Devils
2018 Knights

The play of Jonathan Quick in those playoffs and regular season is anything but a fluke

 

[Bizz]

1968 1969 and 1970 Blues

/thread

 

[Joey Moss]

The 2006 Oilers nearly won the cup with their backup in the finals. Not a fluke at all. They would've been one of the top teams in the league with a starting goaltender the full season. They had 4 goalies with 20 games played that year..