Something that I just posted in the Playoff forums that I wanted to share with my dear friends here:
A new feature is being rolled out today where senior writer and respected poster
Guffman provides various Top 10 List Rankings based on historical record.
Top 10 Teams: Longest Conference Final Berth Drought
Columbus | Never (team existed in 2000-2001 season) |
Toronto | 2002 |
Minnesota | 2003 |
Calgary | 2004 |
Buffalo | 2007 |
Detroit | 2009 |
Philadelphia | 2010 |
Vancouver | 2011 |
Arizona / Salt Lake City | 2012 |
New Jersey | 2012 |
Guffman Analysis
2023 was an exciting year for some teams to break their Conference Final drought.
The Florida Panthers had the longest drought stretching all the way back to the 1996 season. Under the astute leadership of Paul Maurice, the Panthers defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 in the second round to remove themselves from this ignoble list. For the Maple Leafs, they lost their opportunity to remove themselves from this list and actually move up to second place.
The New Jersey Devils, previously tied for 10th on the list, also failed in their opportunity to advance, losing to the Carolina Hurricanes. They continue to close off the list, along with the Arizona / Salt Lake City franchise.