Strongest Teams That Didn't Win a Cup

[Dotter]

Post-cap era, Sharks come to mind.

 

[socko]

1992-93 Red Wings. Scored a franchise record 369 goals. Upset by the Maple Leafs in the first round of the playoffs. Was really the end of the run and gun Red Wings teams as Bomwan would turn them into a Left Wing lock team.

 

[Trafalgar Sadge Law]

To me the strongest teams to never win the cup are those that were considered such overwhelming cup favorites that their losses are still considered head scratchers and discussed in depth many years after.

Edmonton Oilers 1985-86: Smack dab in the middle of a dynasty, and won the presidents trophy while both Gretzky and Coffey recorded career highs in points.

Pittsburgh Penguins 1992-93: Two time defending champions that won the presidents trophy with Lemieux having his most memorable season.

Detroit Red Wings 1995-96: Most regular season wins in NHL history coming off 2 straight presidents trophies and a finals appearance and what would be 2 cups in the years immediately following.

 

[firstemperor]

Its funny that you disregard the 2011 Canucks because they relied to much on Lu and he choked, but then say the 2013 Bruins when they lost because their star goalie that they relied on choked in game 6.

When did I say he choked? It's almost as if your reading what you wanted to read/hear. I'm not in the Luongo "choked" boat, like i said, I thought the Nucks got outplayed all series. They were fortunate it even got to 7 games against the Bruins. I'm not a fan of either team.

That team relied way too much on Luongo. If anything, they were overrated. Boston looked like the superior, hungrier, and better team all series...all of the above.

IMO answer to this thread, as per recent years, is the 2013? Bruins. Sucks they had to play an even more dominant Hawks team.

To add, I don't think Rask choked either. I also thought the Hawks team outplayed the Bruins team that year. Like I said, the Bruins were unlucky to have faced a even more dominant Hawks team. IMO, that Hawks team for those couple of years was the most dominant playoff team I've ever seen...going back to 90's.

 

[looseneditforyou]

When did I say he choked? It's almost as if your reading what you wanted to read/hear. I'm not in the Luongo "choked" boat, like i said, I thought the Nucks got outplayed all series. They were fortunate it even got to 7 games against the Bruins. I'm not a fan of either team.



To add, I don't think Rask choked either. I also thought the Hawks team outplayed the Bruins team that year. Like I said, the Bruins were unlucky to have faced a even more dominant Hawks team. IMO, that Hawks team for those couple of years was the most dominant playoff team I've ever seen...going back to 90's.

If you were dominant but unlucky because others were more dominant, you weren't dominant.

 

[olli]

2011 Canucks, 2012 Predators, 2015/2016 Lightning are some underrated ones.

They might have been able to beat Pittsburgh with Stamkos healthy the whole series.

 

[nowhereman]

You've gotta love the revisionist history on here regarding the 2011 Canucks.

"Overrated!"

"Feasted on a weak division"

"Took 7 games to beat the previous year's Stanley Cup Champion"

"Relied too much on Luongo!"

"Luongo sucked"



Never change, HFBoards. Never change.

I guess the answer to this thread is anyone BUT the Canucks, lol.

 

[The Toews Era*]

You've gotta love the revisionist history on here regarding the 2011 Canucks.

"Overrated!"

"Feasted on a weak division"

"Took 7 games to beat the previous year's Stanley Cup Champion"

"Relied too much on Luongo!"

"Luongo sucked"



Never change, HFBoards. Never change.

I guess the answer to this thread is anyone BUT the Canucks, lol.

Previous years stanley cup champions missing like 7 players due to cap casualties*

 

[Reign Nateo]

2011 Canucks for sure. They should have won. Lots of injuries and quite simply blew it. Plus they had (and apparently still do) the entire hockey world against them.

 

[Flair Hay]

If keeping to teams that didn't win at all when their team was great...

Flyers in the 80's
Ovechkin Caps
The Sens and Sabres mid 2000's

 

[LarKing]

2014 Hawks
2009 Wings
2016 Caps

The most recent examples that come to mind. Teams that dominated basically everyone but couldn't finish it out in the playoffs.

 

[McJesu]

Believing the 2011 Canucks were the best team not to win a cup makes me laugh. They totally broke down with home advantage in the finals yet somehow "deserved" the cup more than Boston. Boston was the better team in that series and deserved the cup fair and square. Dealing with physicality is part of winning the cup.

To me the strongest teams to never win the cup are those that were considered such overwhelming cup favorites that their losses are still considered head scratchers and discussed in depth many years after.

Edmonton Oilers 1985-86: Smack dab in the middle of a dynasty, and won the presidents trophy while both Gretzky and Coffey recorded career highs in points.

Pittsburgh Penguins 1992-93: Two time defending champions that won the presidents trophy with Lemieux having his most memorable season.

Detroit Red Wings 1995-96: Most regular season wins in NHL history coming off 2 straight presidents trophies and a finals appearance and what would be 2 cups in the years immediately following.

These are the best answers in the thread so far.

 

[Matty Sundin]

Sabres in 2005-07
I hate Vancouver but they should of won in 2011

 

[Fitzy]

The 03-04 Avalanche had and incredible roster on paper....

This, for me, is the best answer.

Having Selanne and Kariya on the third line was unreal for them.

I do miss the old Avs-Red Wings rivalry with stacked rosters.

 

[TeddyBare]

And would not have if bolland was healthy in the first few games.

Vancouver dominated those games. Bolland had nothing to do with it.

 

[McJesu]

Sabres in 2005-07
I hate Vancouver but they should of won in 2011

Why are they so deserving to have won? It's not like they had unfair calls go against them, they simply played worse hockey than the other team. Injuries aren't an excuse, it's the stanley cup finals everyone is playing injured, not to mention Boston lost important players like Horton too. I mean Vancouver got outscored 23-8 in the series with home advantage. They won a few very close games then got their ***** kicked hard.

 

[LordNeverLose]

1979 Islanders: 51-15-14(ties, not OTL), +144

Trottier 47+87=134 in 76 GP (won the Hart and Art Ross)
Bossy 69+57=126 in 80 GP (top 10 in Hart voting and led league in goals)
Potvin 31+70=101 in 73 GP (won Norris and top 5 in Hart voting)
Gillies 35+56=91 in 75 GP (finished 6th in Selke voting)
+ guys like Persson, Tonelli, Nystrom, and Bourne as well as Billy Smith in net

Swept Chicago in the 1st round and then were stunned in 6 by the rival Rangers in the 2nd round. Pretty much the same team + Butch Gohring would go on to win 4 straight Cups.

 

[Boreal01]

83-84 Islanders
95-96 Red Wings
05-06 Red Wings
06-07 Sabres
15-16 Capitals

Honorable mentions: 66-67 Blackhawks, 05-06 Sabres, 09-10 Capitals

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

To me the strongest teams to never win the cup are those that were considered such overwhelming cup favorites that their losses are still considered head scratchers and discussed in depth many years after.

Edmonton Oilers 1985-86: Smack dab in the middle of a dynasty, and won the presidents trophy while both Gretzky and Coffey recorded career highs in points.

Pittsburgh Penguins 1992-93: Two time defending champions that won the presidents trophy with Lemieux having his most memorable season.

Detroit Red Wings 1995-96: Most regular season wins in NHL history coming off 2 straight presidents trophies and a finals appearance and what would be 2 cups in the years immediately following.

Funny coincidence, but the winner of the cup all three of those years was Patrick Roy.

 

[LordNeverLose]

83-84 Islanders
95-96 Red Wings
05-06 Red Wings
06-07 Sabres
15-16 Capitals

Honorable mentions: 05-06 Sabres, 09-10 Capitals, 66-67 Blackhawks

79 Isles > 84 Isles

 

[RedBaronIndian]

Vancouver dominated those games. Bolland had nothing to do with it.

 

[Wallet Inspector]

2002-2003 Sens were the President trophies winners. Might have won the ECF and eventual final if Havlat decided to backcheck and Redden didn't mess up a routine defensive coverage.

2005-2006 Sens had a great chance to win if Hasek didn't get injured at the Olympics.

 

[Cursed Lemon]

'96 Wings and the '93 Pens have to be the gold standard here. Although any year that a veritable dynasty lost the Cup with virtually the same roster is probably a good candidate.

 

[Diamondillium]

Alright, so now we've recently had:
Strongest team to not win cup thread
Strongest team to win cup thread
Weakest team to win cup thread

I believe to finish it all off we need a "Weakest team to not win cup" thread.

 

[swiftwin]

2002-2003 Sens were the President trophies winners. Might have won the ECF and eventual final if Havlat decided to backcheck and Redden didn't mess up a routine defensive coverage.

2005-2006 Sens had a great chance to win if Hasek didn't get injured at the Olympics.

We never got to see playoff Hasek... first in 04-05 because of the lockout, then again in 05-06 because of the Olympics' Hasek injury

Up front: Heatley-Spezza-Alfredsson, one of the best lines in the last 20 years. Depth? Mike Fisher was a Selke nominee that year.
At the back: Prime Redden and Chara, both Norris caliber defensemen (Chara was #4 and Redden #5 in voting that year, probably negated some of eachother's votes, source)
In net: Dominik Hasek... nuff said.


They still managed to reach the SCF the next year without Hasek or Chara, and Redden rapidly declining.