Canadian Teams that didn’t make the Final that might’ve won it if they did?

[GMR]

2002 Canucks with a NHL calibre goalie

Cloutier on the post game interviews blaming his defense for him letting in goals from centre ice

No way. They were a one line team.

They were not beating Colorado that year.

 

[End on a Hinote]

2017 Senators no doubt would have beaten Nashville had they got past Pittsburgh in game 7 OT.

Also, if Toronto beat Florida this year I think we would have had an all-Canadian final. And Bettman in a mental hospital.

 

[MadLuke]

And Bettman in a mental hospital.

I think he would have preferred the story about the 2025 finals being about some Canadian market record (I am sure they could have found a couple) than the huge drop in the US...

Some regular season WNBA game made 2.2millions rating last Saturday (Clark return, but still early season wnba basketball competing with the NBA finals not over) versus:

Panthers-Oilers among least-watched Stanley Cup Final yet on U.S. airwaves

Panthers-Oilers on TNT/truTV was the least-watched Stanley Cup Final on U.S. airwaves since the pandemic Lightning-Stars series in the fall of 2020, and excluding that, it’s the NHL’s least-watched Cup Final since Ducks-Senators in 2007.

www.sportsbusinessjournal.com

2.5 millions for the Panthers cup winning game 6 going on through TNT/truTV , I am sure it is good for TNT/TruTV hockey on a tuesday night, but I really doubt Betman prefer what happened to 8 millions+ breaking record type of figure making the news..... with the biggest hockey market in the world featured with a Matthews vs McDavid final.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

No way. They were a one line team.

They were not beating Colorado that year.

yeah, absolutely not

a one line team led by two of the weakest playoff performers of any superstars ever

decent grind: linden, matt cooke, artem chubarov, and trevor letowski, but the scoring depth was andrew cassels, the sedins in their second year, and jan hlavac, plus linden and cooke. ouch.

 

[connellc]

An if healthy Hasek Senator squad that still had Chara like in 2005 or 2006 could have been the best Canadian team shots at it

I believe this is the right answer. Assuming no lockout, and Hasek stays healthy in 2006, those two years a Canadian team had a true powerhouse who got derailed from injury.

The rest of them, there are too many question marks. the second best chance in terms of actual team performances is probably the 2011 Vancouver who were up in the series 3-2 and failed to close out the cup win at home. This was a solid team, unlike Calgary who was up 3-2 in 2004, and I didn't feel the flames had enough offense to really push out the victory. The 2011 Canucks are not a Cinderella story and were favored, with the lead and Vegas odds had them favored before the series started. But only scoring 8 goals in the entire series, makes me feel like the offense truly didn't deserve to win the cup. The officating was bad, but you gotta put pucks in the net

 

[vikash1987]

Of the 3 Leafs teams in the ‘90s that lost in the Conference Finals (‘93, ‘94, ‘99), I think the ‘93 team may have had a chance. We’ll never know, of course. But they seemed to have the right ingredients to win the Cup.

In the last 30 years, the only team that honestly fits the bill IMO were the 2003 Senators.

 

[CrosbyIsKing87]

I think the 1993 Maple Leafs would have had a good chance to beat the Habs in the final that year, even though Roy was playing at the top of his career and they were so hot. That series would have been incredible to watch.

 

[MVP of West Hollywd]

I have Predators beating Senators in 2017

Senators 2003 seems like a good pick, 113 pts, lose in 7 to Devils, Ducks are obvious underdog

I think Oilers go all the way in 23 if they beat Knights with Tkachuk being worn down by finals. And yeah, this year's Leafs have a pretty fair chance if they take out Florida.

 

[MadLuke]

I have Predators beating Senators in 2017

I do not get that one, the certainty they would win.

Even with the hyperbole (hockey is not a sport that certain series tend to exist....) say they mean by that 80% chance of winning, a giant huge favorite ... why ? how ?

The Senator were -13 when Karlsson was not on the ice, them winning anything 100% rely on him keeping up an all time run pace, how often in the past we have seen hot 2/3 round run stop before the cup is in the air ? Almost always.

They were strangely loaded that year list of name wise, surprisingly being all healthy for that group and could have won, could have been a big favorite ? Maybe, but a lock like the 1996 Avs (even then Roy was great in that one to make it look like it was an lock, you cannot guarantee something like that from Anderson)?

The Penguins beat them and did not roll over the Predators. I can see someone thinking they had a 66% shots to beat the Predators but the
Laviolette, Rinne, Josi/Subban/Ekhlom/Ellis were a solid playoff teams you cannot be built like that from the net to your top 4D and easy to push around by anyone, they lost in 7 to the sharks in the conference final the year before and will be a 117 pts president trophy the very next year with a very similar group.

Not some below average cup final Cinderella team.

 

[MVP of West Hollywd]

I do not get that one, the certainty they would win.

Even with the hyperbole (hockey is not a sport that certain series tend to exist....) say they mean by that 80% chance of winning, a giant huge favorite ... why ? how ?

The Senator were -13 when Karlsson was not on the ice, them winning anything 100% rely on him keeping up an all time run pace, how often in the past we have seen hot 2/3 round run stop before the cup is in the air ? Almost always.

They were strangely loaded that year list of name wise, surprisingly being all healthy for that group and could have won, could have been a favorite ? A lock like the 1996 Avs (even then Roy was great in that one to make it look like it was an lock, you cannot guarantee something like that from Anderson)?

The Penguins beat them and did not rolls over the Predators.

Yeah I feel the Senators getting to 7 in 2017 is an overperform or underperform by the Penguins, with a limited team outside of Karlsson, and Boucher on first year with teams seems like it's the best before they figure out how to play it (Someone should hire him again? Why not, seems more appealing than Torts). No Predators D man was as good as Karlsson but thier 2nd, 3rd and 4th ones were better, so it made their blueline on one at a greater level overall. Plus their performance against Pittsburgh was pretty good and arguably looked better in the first 2 games despite Pittsburgh winning both of them, which ended up being too big a hole to make up with Pittsburgh playing better later in the series. Predators 2017 felt like a wagon to me starting with being the Blackhawks pallbearers.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Ya I think the Senators in 2017, and 2003 both had a good chance.
The 2006 Senators might have been their best team, until Hasek went to the Olympics, and didn’t play again that season.

 

[Kyle McMahon]

I'm not unconvinced Jacques Martin doesn't play it too conservative in the 2003 final and lose a series with a bunch of 1-0 games. 2017 Ottawa was just not that good of a team, it's hard to believe they got as far as they did. Nashville was no juggernaut, but I think they win over that Sens team. 2003 is probably the only "answer" to the question though.

2002 is certainly a missed chance. At the outset of the second round there appeared a very good chance a Canadian team would emerge from the East. But Montreal let Carolina off the hook after Michel Therrien's infamous meltdown. Then you had a good Ottawa team poised to beat Toronto, but Chara gets hurt and misses Game 7 and an injury-riddled Leaf team gutted it out. They ran out of gas against Carolina, a surprise finalist. I don't see Ottawa losing to that Hurricanes team if they get past the Leafs. Sure, Detroit loomed in the Final. But they didn't have to. That was the year of the Cloutier gaffe. Serious Canadian self-sabotage in this post season.

2006 isn't wildly different. Montreal again had Carolina on the ropes, and again the Hurricanes came back and eventually reached the final and beat Edmonton for the Cup. If the Habs don't blow that series (assisted by the Williams missed high stick), they play Ottawa in round 2, Buffalo plays Jersey. Gotta figure Ottawa or Buffalo is the finalist in this alternate reality. If all of Buffalo's defensemen still get injured in the conference final, one of Ottawa or Edmonton wins the Cup. And even if it's the Sabres, they're basically a Canadian team lol.

Boston was probably the worst possible matchup for Vancouver in 2011. How'd the Bruins get there? Oh yeah, Montreal blew a 2-0 lead against them in the first round. A pattern is emerging here...

The auto-final 4 spot in the unique 2021 season could have given a fairly strong Toronto or Edmonton team a reasonable shot...but naturally the Canadian division sent a long shot instead. Of course it was Montreal.

I think the Habs just really don't want to lose the distinction of last Canadian team to win the Cup.

But the very best chance of all was the one just witnessed. If Toronto doesn't blow a two-goal lead in game 3 against Florida and lose in OT, there's no rational universe where one of them or Edmonton doesn't win the Cup. So many close calls, so much self-sabotage.

 

[Thenameless]

I'm a Habs fan and think super highly of Carey Price - but that 2014 Kings team was insane. Habs 100% are the underdogs in this matchup. Now - could the Habs have won the cup? Yes definitely - but they would have been a bigger underdog than the majority of other Canadian teams who did make the finals since 94.

I'm a Habs fan too, but a realist first. The 2014 Kings would have killed us. It would be similar to our 2021 Cinderella run. Price was not enough against the Lightning. He would not have been enough against the Kings either.

 

[Mike C]

'74-'75 Canadiens might have beaten Flyers had they not been taken down in semis by Buffalo

That would have been a finals for the ages

 

[EpochLink]

2003 Senators are the biggest what if honestly, you had 2 emerging in their prime defensemen coming of age in Redden and Chara in the top 4, with Phillips and Volchenkov along right with them.

Loaded on the wings with Hossa, Alfredsson, Havlat, Arvidsson. White, Bonk, Fisher are your centremen wasn’t too bad. They had a very good bottom six and a heavy top 6.

2003, the lost 2005 and 2006 Ottawa Senators with Hasek would’ve made a run. Jason Spezza would’ve had his run starting in 2005 season.

 

[JianYang]

I'm not unconvinced Jacques Martin doesn't play it too conservative in the 2003 final and lose a series with a bunch of 1-0 games. 2017 Ottawa was just not that good of a team, it's hard to believe they got as far as they did. Nashville was no juggernaut, but I think they win over that Sens team. 2003 is probably the only "answer" to the question though.

2002 is certainly a missed chance. At the outset of the second round there appeared a very good chance a Canadian team would emerge from the East. But Montreal let Carolina off the hook after Michel Therrien's infamous meltdown. Then you had a good Ottawa team poised to beat Toronto, but Chara gets hurt and misses Game 7 and an injury-riddled Leaf team gutted it out. They ran out of gas against Carolina, a surprise finalist. I don't see Ottawa losing to that Hurricanes team if they get past the Leafs. Sure, Detroit loomed in the Final. But they didn't have to. That was the year of the Cloutier gaffe. Serious Canadian self-sabotage in this post season.

2006 isn't wildly different. Montreal again had Carolina on the ropes, and again the Hurricanes came back and eventually reached the final and beat Edmonton for the Cup. If the Habs don't blow that series (assisted by the Williams missed high stick), they play Ottawa in round 2, Buffalo plays Jersey. Gotta figure Ottawa or Buffalo is the finalist in this alternate reality. If all of Buffalo's defensemen still get injured in the conference final, one of Ottawa or Edmonton wins the Cup. And even if it's the Sabres, they're basically a Canadian team lol.

Boston was probably the worst possible matchup for Vancouver in 2011. How'd the Bruins get there? Oh yeah, Montreal blew a 2-0 lead against them in the first round. A pattern is emerging here...

The auto-final 4 spot in the unique 2021 season could have given a fairly strong Toronto or Edmonton team a reasonable shot...but naturally the Canadian division sent a long shot instead. Of course it was Montreal.

I think the Habs just really don't want to lose the distinction of last Canadian team to win the Cup.

But the very best chance of all was the one just witnessed. If Toronto doesn't blow a two-goal lead in game 3 against Florida and lose in OT, there's no rational universe where one of them or Edmonton doesn't win the Cup. So many close calls, so much self-sabotage.

Regarding the 2-0 series lead for montreal against Boston, it didn't feel like the Habs blew it because even when they won the first two games, you could not take anything for granted because the Habs were quite shorthanded to begin with. Cautious optimism would probably be the feeling at the time rather than the typical confidence that a 2-0 lead usually provides.

This was the year that the famous chara and pacioretty incident happened, so he was not available. Neither was their anchor in markov who missed most of the regular season as well.

This series ended up going to game 7 OT, and although the habs had the bruins number in the regular season, it just never felt the series was secure. It would have been quite an upset if the Habs ended up winning.

 

[hitman9172]

I think all 3 of these teams had a legitimate chance at winning the Cup:

2003 Senators if they win that close game 7 ECF vs New Jersey.

2006 Senators if Hasek doesn’t get injured at the Olympics.

2003 Canucks if Cloutier plays well in the playoffs.

 

[SharksFan1992]

There’s always talk about Canadian teams that were in the cup final (and were close to winning) that obviously faced the outcome of them losing.

But what about Canadian teams that were close to making the cup final (that lost due to injury or something) that would’ve definitely won the cup had they made it.

Teams that come to mind for me are the 2017 Ottawa Senators, they pushed the defending champs to Game 7 and lost by one goal in overtime. Had they scored, they (in my opinion) would’ve 100% beat the predators in the cup final.

Another great example is the 2014 Montreal Canadiens. That team was deadly—with a prime Carey Price who stood on his head
, and a prime P.K. Subban, who helped take out the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Boston Bruins. They made it to the Eastern Conference Final, but then the worst possible thing happened: Carey Price got injured. I truly believe that if they had a healthy Price, especially with the way he was playing, they would have gone on to win the Cup.



What you guys think? Any other Canadian Teams I missed? Sorry for the somewhat weird post bored at my night shift job rn lol.

Not quite applicable, but the 2006 Sens would have won the Stanley Cup had Hasek never gotten injured during the Olympics. Ray Emery was decent, but nowhere near the GOAT Hasek who was posting insane numbers that year (2.09 GAA, 925 save %). Ottawa was dominant with him in net.

 

[SharksFan1992]

I don't think sens "100%" beat the preds. Actually, I wouldn't even even think the sens would be favourites.

2014 canadiens probably beat Rangers with price, but LA was a machine and a terrible matchup in general. They would have had a similar fate as the Rangers in that final.

One team team that didn't make the finals but probably had a great shot if they did were the 2003 senators. They lost in a compeitive conference final against NJ, but if they had advanced, they would have played the Cinderella ducks in the final. Cinderella teams are fun but they never really end up winning the cup, as history shows.

2012 Kings were a #8 seed and won the Cup. Nobody picked them to win, let alone defeat the top-seeded Canucks. That's 1 Cinderella winning. Besides them, just some #5 seeds who can't be considered "Cinderellas."

 

[JianYang]

2012 Kings were a #8 seed and won the Cup. Nobody picked them to win, let alone defeat the top-seeded Canucks. That's 1 Cinderella winning. Besides them, just some #5 seeds who can't be considered "Cinderellas."

Placement aside, I dont consider that to be a Cinderella roster. One of the characteristics of a Cinderella roster is that they are a flash in the pan, but that roster already had alot of peices in 2012 which is highlighted by the fact that they would go on to win another cup only two years later.

 

[bobholly39]

I'm a Habs fan too, but a realist first. The 2014 Kings would have killed us. It would be similar to our 2021 Cinderella run. Price was not enough against the Lightning. He would not have been enough against the Kings either.

Price was at his peak in 2014 - moreso than in 2021. Though he did have more experience in 2021, so it's a bit of a trade-off. The overall team (outside of Price) was definitely better in 2014 though.

That being said - Price didn't play great against Tampa. Which is fine - his overall playoff run was ridiculous - but he could have actually done better vs Tampa early on in the series. Reason why I say this is - a Carey Price playing at the absolute top of his game probably had a chance to beat Tampa in 2021 - and also the Kings in 2014. But the margin for error is non-existant.

Would Habs have beaten Kings in 2014? Probably not - but i'd say there's a ~25% chance or so.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

2003 Senators

 

[Crosby2010]

2003 Sens for sure. Let's face it, Devils/Sens was the true Cup final. Or at least I thought. Yes Giguere was hot, but the Sens were better.

2006 Sens as well beat Edmonton.

2003 Canucks something tells me would self-destruct against the Devils, so no.

The Leafs and Oilers would have been extra fun to watch in 2025, and in 2024 now that I think of it.

Maybe no one has mentioned this yet, but with all of the upsets of 2019, I get the feeling the Leafs march to the Cup final if they get past Boston. Do they beat the Blues? Hard to say, they were a little greener then.

 

[MadLuke]

Devils were a playoff-cups veteran (mix of 2000 winner and 1999 Dallas Stars winners) with a better roster, you give them the advantage cleanly face of Cloutier Canucks vs at his very peak Brodeur (ended that year with a 49W-29L, .922, 1.75 GAA, 14 SO playoff streak, GSAA of 30 in just 78 games when each goals were worth DPE money).

 

[JianYang]

Price was at his peak in 2014 - moreso than in 2021. Though he did have more experience in 2021, so it's a bit of a trade-off. The overall team (outside of Price) was definitely better in 2014 though.

That being said - Price didn't play great against Tampa. Which is fine - his overall playoff run was ridiculous - but he could have actually done better vs Tampa early on in the series. Reason why I say this is - a Carey Price playing at the absolute top of his game probably had a chance to beat Tampa in 2021 - and also the Kings in 2014. But the margin for error is non-existant.

Would Habs have beaten Kings in 2014? Probably not - but i'd say there's a ~25% chance or so.

I think the 2014 Habs mirrored the 2014 Rangers in many ways. They were pretty good teams both of whom had their biggest star playing goal. Both had the same achilees heel at the number 1 center position. Watching zuccarello and Desharnais play key roles at center was mirroring in itself.

The Rangers generally kept the games close and tight, but there was a decisive series winner at the end of the day. I think it plays out very similarly for montreal too.

I say even 25% chance is giving them higher odds than they deserve, but even 25% is not enough to qualify as a valid answer to the question that the OP poses.