Which Final Loser Should Have Won the Cup the Following Year?

[NotTheRocketman]

2020 Bruins. President Trophy winners after the cup finals loss then Covid hit and lost in the bubble.

I'd argue the Blues were in just as good a position to repeat. Going into the Covid break, the Bruins and Blues were #1-2 in the entire league. We could have had a SCF Rematch for the first time since 2008-2009, but Covid put an end to that.

 

[FoxyClean]

2015 Rangers. Won the President’s Trophy. Tampa got us by 1 goal in Game 7 of the ECF. I firmly believe we would’ve had Chicago, we did well against them in the regular season.

 

[DieSendungmitderMaus]

2020 Bruins. President Trophy winners after the cup finals loss then Covid hit and lost in the bubble.

Heh as a Bruins fan I didn't think of 2020 first, but 2014. Followed the Finals loss up with a really strong season but couldn't get past the Habs. "Should" have won the cup is a strong word though, obviously the top of the West was very good. Given that the Rangers lost the Final in 5 though, not getting there was a disappointment.

 

[Crow]

2015 Rangers. Won the President’s Trophy. Tampa got us by 1 goal in Game 7 of the ECF. I firmly believe we would’ve had Chicago, we did well against them in the regular season.

No one was beating Duncan Keith that year imo

 

[JaegerDice]

I was shocked Tampa didnt win the whole damn thing in 2016 after going to war with them in the 2015 SCF.

Then again, I didnt foresee the Penguins turning into a freaking monster half-way through the season either

 

[McGarnagle]

2014 Bruins for sure.

 

[JaegerDice]

2015 Rangers. Won the President’s Trophy. Tampa got us by 1 goal in Game 7 of the ECF. I firmly believe we would’ve had Chicago, we did well against them in the regular season.

That’s funny cause pretty much every Hawks fan I know was way more nervous about the potential Tampa matchup than a Rangers matchup.

 

[FoxyClean]

No one was beating Duncan Keith that year imo

That’s funny cause pretty much every Hawks fan I know was way more nervous about the potential Tampa matchup than a Rangers matchup.

I mean you guys have the advantage of being the winners to be able to say all this but nobody knows what would've happened had the Rangers won 1-0 instead of lost 1-0 in Game 7. They were hungry as f*** after losing in the Final the year before, and Lundqvist was a demon. I really thought that was the year. I still have nightmares about Alex Killorn going 5-hole.

 

[CokenoPepsi]

Lol, that's such weird back-to-back years because both teams made it again, I think it loses some of its appeal that the Penguins won it after losing since the Red Wings also made it.


That one stings because they absolutely would have been the favourites.

No, the Flames would not have been the favorites...the 04 team was Cinderella lucky to even win in the first round

 

[mr figgles]

Devils probably?

Stevens who was injured and couldn't play in the 2004 playoff stated that he was ready for the 2005 season, Niedermayer would still be there for the run before heading to the Ducks.

Brian Gionta, and Jamie Lagenbrunner both became dominant in 2006 so I'd think/hope that they would have done the same in the 2005 season.

That series with the Flyers wasn’t really close in 04. I doubt getting back an 84-year-old Stevens in 05 would have made them a cup favorite.

 

[HisIceness]

I would say Carolina in 2003 but 29 teams got in the way and finished higher in the standings. Damn.

The 2017-18 Predators were the team that fits this bill for me.

 

[BonMorrison]

People are forgetting what a wagon the 2017-2018 Preds were, eh?

Unfortunately ran into a Jets team that they matched up very poorly against plus Rinne blowing up in the second round that year.

 

[JaegerDice]

While I appreciate Boston had a great season in 2014, I really dont see them beating either the Hawks or Kings that year.

Would a Kings/Bruins or Hawks/Bruins rematch have been more fun than what we got? With love to the NYR fans, yes. But it still leaves Boston in 2nd place IMO

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

People are forgetting what a wagon the 2017-2018 Preds were, eh?

Unfortunately ran into a Jets team that they matched up very poorly against plus Rinne blowing up in the second round that year.

Ah yes, those legendary 2018 Jets, if only such a dynasty didn’t exist.

 

[PromisedLand]

whoever beats the Leafs this season will be the loser in the SCF

Proof:
- Bruins, Habs, Tampa, Florida, TBD

 

[BonMorrison]

Ah yes, those legendary 2018 Jets, if only such a dynasty didn’t exist.

Where did you gather that from my post?

 

[FissionFire]

Both the 1996 and 2009 Wings should have won Cups.

1996 was a major choke job. They were clearly the best team and I still can’t believe they screwed it up.

2009 they barely lost with Datsyuk and Lidstrom badly injured from the Chicago series. The league moving up the Finals start date really hurt them as they desperately needed those extra days to heal up.

 

[JaegerDice]

Both the 1996 and 2008 Wings should have won Cups.

1996 was a major choke job. They were clearly the best team and I still can’t believe they screwed it up.

2008 they barely lost with Datsyuk and Lidstrom badly injured from the Chicago series. The league moving up the Finals start date really hurt them as they desperately needed those extra days to heal up.

The 2008 Wings did win the cup.

 

[Voight]

I think the 2012 Canucks, they barely lost in 2011 and repeated as the President's Trophy champion.

Then Duncan Keith elbowed Daniel Sedin in the head two weeks before the playoffs started, concussing him and taking him out for a month. The Canucks would then lose to the Kings who went on a miracle run to the cup.

Sedin would only return in game 4, but it was too late.

Had more or less the same roster too, plus wouldn't have had to face Tim Thomas at his peak.

That is crazy that they walked away from him, especially when he went on to captain the Panthers for a few more productive years. I hated seeing him and Williams go.

Lol I've never heard Willie being a horrible person.. whats the story there?

Check reddit

(I was also confused, googled his name and it lead me to reddit)

 

[DJN21]

I probably can't post it on here, you'll have to google.

edit: also the Canucks had 6 top 4 D that year, Hamhuis, Bieksa, Edler, Ehrhoff, Ballard, and Salo.

As much as I liked Mitchell, he didn't really fit. The Capitals on the other hand, they absolutely should have signed him.

What a weird cop out "I cant mention it here" so go do research despite the fact I already in fact mentioned it here....like " I didn't gossip so you didn't hear it from me....Buttttttt....."

 

[Rowlet]

What a weird cop out "I cant mention it here" so go do research despite the fact I already in fact mentioned it here....like " I didn't gossip so you didn't hear it from me....Buttttttt....."

I've talked about alleged crimes players have committed and had the posts deleted before.

If you really want me to try again, he (allegedly) raped one of his unconscious restaurant employees in the work bathroom in the middle of a fishing event. She (allegedly) regained consciousness in the middle of it, and the entire staff walked off the job leading to the restaurant & resort, owned by Willie Mitchell & Dan Hamhuis, shutting down. A lot of the staff lived in staff housing and were (allegedly) forced to leave with no notice and became homeless as much of the resort staff in BC is out of town workers.

High-profile Tofino fishing tournament cancelled after 'inappropriate behaviour'

A high-profile fishing tournament and concert series at the Tofino Resort and Marina, which partly owned by former Vancouver Canucks Willie Mitchell and Dan Hamhuis, have been cancelled.

theprovince.com

 

[BringTheReign]

They definitely were very underrated, they struggled a lot in the beginning and added Jeff Carter halfway through, which was a huge boost.

I still think the Canucks take this one if they have their leading scorer, though it would be very close.

It’s one thing to say the series would’ve been closer but this is a bold take, especially when the team that won went on to a 16-4 run and had the best goalie in the world for that season.

 

[Rowlet]

It’s one thing to say the series would’ve been closer but this is a bold take, especially when the team that won went on to a 16-4 run and had the best goalie in the world for that season.

I don't think it's especially bold, I think the Canucks and Kings were the two best teams going into that post season. The west was pretty terrible and the East was full of upsets.

I firmly believe that with how the playoffs played out, whoever won that series would have gone on that crazy run to the cup.

 

[BringTheReign]

I don't think it's especially bold, I think the Canucks and Kings were the two best teams going into that post season. The west was pretty terrible and the East was full of upsets.

I firmly believe that with how the playoffs played out, whoever won that series would have gone on that crazy run to the cup.

Ah, I see what you were saying. Agreed.

 

[Treb]

Obviously all the career ending injuries don't happen and the Habs win.