What year has the "best" team won the Cup?

[Akrapovince]

Just out of curiosity, in what years do you believe the best team won the cup?

I definitely think last years Penguins and that 8th seed Kings team, any others?

I kinda base this on the theory:

Out of the 15 teams in the playoffs, a team could beat 14/15 teams,

but if they draw that 1/15 team first round, they're out of luck. (resulting from match ups. etc)

Bold statement of the day? If the Preds take it this year, they're in that elite company above.

What do you guys think? Is my line of thinking flawed?

And thoughts on memorial cup format, does the best team get crowned champion from that?

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[JT Kreider]

2010 and 2013 Blackhawks were powerhouses.

That 2010 team was stacked and didn't the Blackhawks win like their first 20 games coming out of the lockout?

2012 Kings, though the 8th seed, were pretty much the best team from the moment the playoffs started.

And I thought it was obvious the Penguins were winning the Cup last year pretty much from the jump.

 

[Pi]

Lockout Blackhawks...I think everyone knew they were going to win the cup from the moment they went on a tear to start the season.

 

[Akrapovince]

I wish I had recollection of that 2010 team,

I think my only memory of that stretch was watching Sam Gagner score 8 points against them.

You guys are really making me feel like I missed out on something great in 2010.

 

[SpookyTsuki]

Almost every year.

 

[Juicy Pop]

Can you really even make a case that a Cup winner isn't by necessity the best team?

 

[Carolinas Identity*]

2006 #hcanes

no superstars but that team was deep as ****

three legit scoring lines, adams//adams//larose was the best 4th line of the past 20 years insane defensive depth

also ward and gerber were pretty okay as goalie mans

 

[Akrapovince]

Can you really even make a case that a Cup winner isn't by necessity the best team?

I get where you're coming from,

and by default I do agree.

But I think the mentality of you can't be the best without beating the best comes to mind.

I understand this is just paper and logistics,

but the fact that a team could win the cup without coming close to facing the defending champs is wild.

 

[Akrapovince]

2006 #hcanes

no superstars but that team was deep as ****

three legit scoring lines, adams//adams//larose was the best 4th line of the past 20 years insane defensive depth

also ward and gerber were pretty okay as goalie mans

Oilers fan here,

I think Ward played exceptionally well...

Do you think the series would've been different if Roloson wasn't injured?

I understand hockey isn't a game of "ifs", but just curious.

 

[tony d]

That 2013 Blackhawks team definitely.

 

[93LEAFS]

2008 Detroit qualifies for this.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Who was better than the Pens last year...

Game is played on the ice...The better team at that time wins

 

[Akrapovince]

2008 Detroit qualifies for this.

Top three roster ever assembled?

 

[Carolinas Identity*]

Oilers fan here,

I think Ward played exceptionally well...

Do you think the series would've been different if Roloson wasn't injured?

I understand hockey isn't a game of "ifs", but just curious.

you will have to ask marc-andré bergeron about that

i am just an idiot fan

not the person who caused the injury

 

[Akrapovince]

Who was better than the Pens last year...

Game is played on the ice...The better team at that time wins

I understand,

but what happens if the team doesn't get to play at all?

I think the best way to re-word this thread is:

"What team had the highest potential of beating all other 15 teams"

But yes, you're right; there's a reason we actually play the games.

And I think the general consensus from the post above was that Pens fall in that category.

 

[Johnny Tomala]

Top three roster ever assembled?

2002 Detroit Red Wings is probably best roster ever assembled, the number of HOF'ers on this team is crazy.

 

[Akrapovince]

2002 Detroit Red Wings is probably best roster ever assembled, the number of HOF'ers on this team is crazy.

Just searched that up right now... Holy.

 

[Aerchon]

Oilers fan here,

I think Ward played exceptionally well...

Do you think the series would've been different if Roloson wasn't injured?

I understand hockey isn't a game of "ifs", but just curious.

Not fair to Hurricanes fans to ask that.

Oilers shot themselves in the foot that series. Hurricanes legitimately won that cup.

Marc Andre Bergeron crushed Roli and injured him in a bone headed play.

Mac T or whoever decided to wait till the cup finals to bring in the third string goalie who couldn't stop a beach ball just to get his name on the cup. Darn Conklin/Mac T. 6 to 5 loss... really.

Markenen played awesome for us and in game 7 the Oilers didn't really show up. Pronger practically refused to shoot the puck for some reason despite numerous opportunities. Oilers played extremely tentative game 7 and Canes earned the win.

 

[Akrapovince]

Not fair to Hurricanes fans to ask that.

Oilers shot themselves in the foot that series. Hurricanes legitimately won that cup.

Marc Andre Bergeron crushed Roli and injured him in a bone headed play.

Mac T or whoever decided to wait till the cup finals to bring in the third string goalie who couldn't stop a beach ball just to get his name on the cup. Darn Conklin/Mac T. 6 to 5 loss... really.

Markenen played awesome for us and in game 7 the Oilers didn't really show up. Pronger practically refused to shoot the puck for some reason despite numerous opportunities. Oilers played extremely tentative game 7 and Canes earned the win.

Without a doubt I agree, I would never discredit the merit of a Stanley Cup team.

And I've always had the stance that injuries, durability and depth, is a factor of a Cup winning team.

Reason I jumped at the chance to ask a Hurricanes fan was because I didn't want the typical,

"If Roli wasn't injured" or "If Ty wasn't the guy" remarks.

Prefaced the response was I understand the game of hockey doesn't account for "ifs",

but I was 6 years old during that Oilers run, wanted more insight to it to be honest.

 

[Pierre from Orleans]

The team that wins it every year is the best team..

 

[BigT2002]

2002 Detroit Red Wings. One of the most dominant teams assembled in the expansion era.

 

[Akrapovince]

The team that wins it every year is the best team..

I think you missed my point,

and if you didn't; feel free to point out the flaw of my logic (point of the thread),

A Stanley cup champion just has to be better than four teams,

I was just asking which of the previous Stanley cup champions do you guys BELIEVE could

hypothetically beat the majority of the other 11 teams in the playoffs.

It's just crazy to me to think that there's a possibility that lets say for example,

Boston this year could've beaten every team in the NHL except the Sens,

but it just so happened that they drew each other in the first round.

A lot of emphases on believe and hypothetically, as I'm sure many are willing to point out,

and I undoubtedly know, this is all speculation.

 

[Aerchon]

Without a doubt I agree, I would never discredit the merit of a Stanley Cup team.

And I've always had the stance that injuries, durability and depth, is a factor of a Cup winning team.

Reason I jumped at the chance to ask a Hurricanes fan was because I didn't want the typical,

"If Roli wasn't injured" or "If Ty wasn't the guy" remarks.

Prefaced the response was I understand the game of hockey doesn't account for "ifs",

but I was 6 years old during that Oilers run, wanted more insight to it to be honest.

I think the reason us Oilers fans lament the 06 loss as much as they do is because the things that went wrong were very avoidable.

If a Canes player just crashed the net on a standard hockey play and injured Roli and we had Markenen on the bench. We probably would be less sensitive about it.

 

[tucker3434]

2001 Avs. Didn't exactly cruise through the playoffs but it just seemed they were destined to win it.

 

[Terry Yake]

2007 Ducks
2008 Wings
2010 Hawks

those are the three that stand out post-lockout