News Article: Golden Sigh of Relief - a Look at Cup Droughts and Why Vegas Losing "Mattered"

[Daisy Jane]

I admit. this was v. v. late i was looking at my drafts and went "wait I didn't publish it?"

I wanted to look at why this mattered for a lot of fans, and it basically was looking at the cup droughts of a few teams. Thoughts and opinions is always welcome. (I'm hoping to get another piece done for Hawkey Intangibles before i leave on Holidays).

HockeyIntangibles: A Golden Sigh of Relief - Why Vegas Losing in the Cup Final Matter

Enjoy!

Click to read more...

 

[Stephen]

I was all on board the Vegas bandwagon, but realized that the Caps were building the way we are/want to, so it's nice to see that process rewarded, even if it took Washington longer than anticipated. Keep with the process, even if it takes 15 years.

 

[saltming]

I admit. this was v. v. late i was looking at my drafts and went "wait I didn't publish it?"

I wanted to look at why this mattered for a lot of fans, and it basically was looking at the cup droughts of a few teams. Thoughts and opinions is always welcome. (I'm hoping to get another piece done for Hawkey Intangibles before i leave on Holidays).

HockeyIntangibles: A Golden Sigh of Relief - Why Vegas Losing in the Cup Final Matter

Enjoy!

I think Vegas running 4 lines strong also helped them along but the biggest message I got is how really hard it is to make it to the cup final, much less win it.

 

[Daisy Jane]

I think Vegas running 4 lines strong also helped them along but the biggest message I got is how really hard it is to make it to the cup final, much less win it.

it really is. like. i think we all get wrapped up in how Pittsburgh, LA and Chicago all won cups with their star players on ELCs so we're like. okay. come on, Leafs, but it might be another 10 years. (ugh). it's a hard road to hoe, the path of the Cup.

 

[saltming]

it really is. like. i think we all get wrapped up in how Pittsburgh, LA and Chicago all won cups with their star players on ELCs so we're like. okay. come on, Leafs, but it might be another 10 years. (ugh). it's a hard road to hoe, the path of the Cup.

I could be wrong but I recall something about the Stanley cup being one of the most difficult championships to win in pro sports

 

[Spirit of 67]

Sorry DJ, I didn't read it.

But has seemed to me that since the turn of the century, the sports gods seem to be righting the wrongs of the past.

In baseball we've seen both sets of Sox win as well as the Cubs.
Cleveland has it's first championship in decades and while it's only the AHL, TO has it's first professional hockey championship since I was only months old.
Canada won Olympic gold in Mens Hockey
England has now won a PK competition at the WC and is only 2 wins away from ultimate glory.
Long suffering Eagles and Capitals fans finally have their day too.

It just seems like the sports gods got old and forgot which teams to toy with.
That should be good for us.

 

[Daisy Jane]

I could be wrong but I recall something about the Stanley cup being one of the most difficult championships to win in pro sports

i think so anyway.

 

[saltming]

i think so anyway.

Me too

 

[Buds17]

Wouldn't have cared if Vegas won. They entered the league with better conditions compared to past expansion teams (salary cap, even NMCs potentially affecting teams if they're attached to players they want to leave unprotected) but they weren't competing against those teams this past season for the Cup. OTOH, Washington finally overcame a tough foe in Pittsburgh on the way and also went from 2nd round elimination to Cup winner in a year. Good stories with both; whether they'll apply to any not-so-distant future teams is something time will tell.

 

[nsleaf]

I could be wrong but I recall something about the Stanley cup being one of the most difficult championships to win in pro sports

According to this ranking site it is
The Hardest Professional Sports Trophy To Win

 

[ShaneFalco]

For me it would have been a little bit of a kick in the arse had Vegas one. All these years the Leafs have stumbled, fumbled, and generally sucked only to watch a team in the first year nail it.

Most teams fail in the playoffs (usually after making it fairly deep) before winning it all - the Leafs haven't even made it past the 1st round in ....how long?

 

[saltming]

According to this ranking site it is
The Hardest Professional Sports Trophy To Win

Thanks! It's good to know I'm not imagining thing hahaha

 

[saltming]

For me it would have been a little bit of a kick in the arse had Vegas one. All these years the Leafs have stumbled, fumbled, and generally sucked only to watch a team in the first year nail it.

Vegas has the luck of starting with a deep skilled team. Imo Bettman made those expansion rules specifically to make the team succeed. It's to help the NHL break into those southern markets. All about the Benjamins

 

[Prince N]

I could be wrong but I recall something about the Stanley cup being one of the most difficult championships to win in pro sports

I think you are quoting Eddy Olczyk from NHL 17

 

[Daisy Jane]

For me it would have been a little bit of a kick in the arse had Vegas one. All these years the Leafs have stumbled, fumbled, and generally sucked only to watch a team in the first year nail it.

Most teams fail in the playoffs (usually after making it fairly deep) before winning it all - the Leafs haven't even made it past the 1st round in ....how long?

twenty years, or something stupid like that.

 

[Brown Dog]

Would've been stupid if VGK had won.

 

[Tall Morty]

Good read. Nice job, Daisy

 

[egd27]

Sorry DJ, I didn't read it.

But has seemed to me that since the turn of the century, the sports gods seem to be righting the wrongs of the past.

In baseball we've seen both sets of Sox win as well as the Cubs.
Cleveland has it's first championship in decades and while it's only the AHL, TO has it's first professional hockey championship since I was only months old.
Canada won Olympic gold in Mens Hockey
England has now won a PK competition at the WC and is only 2 wins away from ultimate glory.
Long suffering Eagles and Capitals fans finally have their day too.

It just seems like the sports gods got old and forgot which teams to toy with.
That should be good for us.

Odd......I was thinking some of these things just the other day.

 

[Daisy Jane]

Good read. Nice job, Daisy

thanks v. much

 

[Spirit of 67]

Odd......I was thinking some of these things just the other day.

 

[Daisy Jane]

Odd......I was thinking some of these things just the other day.

honestly, i was really hoping we'd win it, a great way to tribute Johnny Bower win it for him and drink his champagne.

 

[pheasant]

I admit. this was v. v. late i was looking at my drafts and went "wait I didn't publish it?"

I wanted to look at why this mattered for a lot of fans, and it basically was looking at the cup droughts of a few teams. Thoughts and opinions is always welcome. (I'm hoping to get another piece done for Hawkey Intangibles before i leave on Holidays).

HockeyIntangibles: A Golden Sigh of Relief - Why Vegas Losing in the Cup Final Matter

Enjoy!

You're a superb writer.

 

[rojac]

It’s only been !6 years not 20 since the Leafs were in the conferrece final. In fact, in the past 20 years, the Leafs have been there twice.

 

[rojac]

twenty years, or something stupid like that.

It’s only been 14 years since the Leafs won a first round series (2004 vs. Ottawa).

 

[Daisy Jane]

You're a superb writer.

oh thank you, that's very nice of you to say

It’s only been 14 years since the Leafs won a first round series (2004 vs. Ottawa).

thanks for the correction