Teams and Cores that Disappointed

[Kyle McMahon]

Funny I'm mentioning this, but either one of the Avs 1996 or 2001 teams come up short. Yes, they won the Cup but it's a little hard to believe they didn't win more. Some of the core was the same but there were differences as well.

I have to disagree here. That team made it to the conference final or further six times in seven years. The 3-1 choke job against Edmonton in 1998 is the only time they were eliminated by a team other than the equally powerful Red Wings or Stars. 16 series wins over a seven-year span in the 30-team NHL is something we're not going to see duplicated very often.

 

[Merya]

Kariya and Selanne in 2003-2004 where supposed to dominate in Colorado as they did Anaheim, that did not happen.

Kariya got injured after couple games. Selänne was a cripple. But it sure was good in NHL 2004!

I think Anaheim has been a bit disappointing after the cupyear when they were so dominant.
Philly in the Lindros years was disappointing as well.

 

[Stephen]

I have to disagree here. That team made it to the conference final or further six times in seven years. The 3-1 choke job against Edmonton in 1998 is the only time they were eliminated by a team other than the equally powerful Red Wings or Stars. 16 series wins over a seven-year span in the 30-team NHL is something we're not going to see duplicated very often.

I always felt like the Avs should have won an extra cup here and there. Losing to Dallas in 1999 was upsetting as a semi-Avs fan back then, especially after they had loaded up on Fleury, or in 2000 when they added Bourque.

 

[reckoning]

I'd like to nominate a couple of versions of the Buffalo Sabres:

The mid-70s: The future looked bright for the Sabres after the 74-75 season. They finished tied for 1st overall and made it to the Stanley Cup Final, but the core of the team was very young. Only one skater (Fred Stanfield) was over 28; Perreault was 24, Martin and Ramsay 23, McNab 22, Gare 20. Their oldest defenceman was Jerry Korab at 26; the rest of their blueliners were 23 or under and looked very promising (Schoenfeld, Hajt, Fogolin, etc.). The only area of the team that seemed in decline was goaltending, but in the 1975 draft they took the two goalies who ended up having the best NHL careers (Edwards and Sauve).

Yet despite it all, in the four seasons from 75-76 to 78-79 they never won a single best-of-seven series.


The early 80s: This was the Scotty Bowman era and by 1983 he had traded veterans for multiple first round picks and young prospects. They had a good playoff run in '83, and lots of young talented players with promising futures: By my count they had 9 former first-rounders 25 or under playing regularly on their roster that year; most notably Housely (18), Andreychuk (19), Ramsey (22) and Foligno (24). Then they had 3 of the top 11 picks in that years draft (Barrasso, Lacombe and Creighton).

But it would be a full decade before they ever won another playoff series.


I'd also throw in a vote for the early-80s Minnesota North Stars. The team that made the Final in 1981 had a core that was incredibly young even by 80s standards. There were the two big junior scoring stars Bobby Smith (22) and Dino Ciccarelli (20). Steve Payne (22) had 17 goals in 19 games in those playoffs. Craig Hartsburg (21) and Tom McCarthy (20) were highly regarded young stars whose careers were off to impressive starts. Hometown hero Neal Broten (21) had just joined the team after the 1980 Olympics and a season at the University of Minnesota. Don Beaupre (19) was already considered one of the games best young goalies.

Plus, Lou Nanne had adopted the Sam Pollock model of acquiring high draft picks from weak teams. In '82 they grabbed the much-hyped Brian Bellows with the #2 overall pick, and in '83 they had the #1 choice overall (Brian Lawton).

With all that young talent you'd think they'd be set for the 80s, but the team wallowed in mediocrity for most of the decade.

 

[mechaphil]

I'd like to add in another pair of Sabres teams - the post-lockout Sabres of 05/06 and 06/07. Jay McKee's infection was bad enough, but when Black Sunday ended it all, it was like the region's collective heart was broken in one moment.

 

[Michael Gary Scott]

Pre-Lockout Leafs? That one season that we got all the old washed up bums? 10 years earlier that wouldve been a good team

 

[Epsilon]

I'd like to nominate a couple of versions of the Buffalo Sabres:

The mid-70s: The future looked bright for the Sabres after the 74-75 season. They finished tied for 1st overall and made it to the Stanley Cup Final, but the core of the team was very young. Only one skater (Fred Stanfield) was over 28; Perreault was 24, Martin and Ramsay 23, McNab 22, Gare 20. Their oldest defenceman was Jerry Korab at 26; the rest of their blueliners were 23 or under and looked very promising (Schoenfeld, Hajt, Fogolin, etc.). The only area of the team that seemed in decline was goaltending, but in the 1975 draft they took the two goalies who ended up having the best NHL careers (Edwards and Sauve).

Yet despite it all, in the four seasons from 75-76 to 78-79 they never won a single best-of-seven series.


The early 80s: This was the Scotty Bowman era and by 1983 he had traded veterans for multiple first round picks and young prospects. They had a good playoff run in '83, and lots of young talented players with promising futures: By my count they had 9 former first-rounders 25 or under playing regularly on their roster that year; most notably Housely (18), Andreychuk (19), Ramsey (22) and Foligno (24). Then they had 3 of the top 11 picks in that years draft (Barrasso, Lacombe and Creighton).

But it would be a full decade before they ever won another playoff series.

A great exhibit for why it's so stupid to anoint teams as "future dynasties" as happens all-too-frequently on the main board (Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Chicago, etc.).

 

[DisgruntledGoat*]

I'd like to add in another pair of Sabres teams - the post-lockout Sabres of 05/06 and 06/07. Jay McKee's infection was bad enough, but when Black Sunday ended it all, it was like the region's collective heart was broken in one moment.

I still feel that was one of the best post-lockout teams we've seen so far. Loved the way that team was built.

 

[Sens Rule]

Heatley, Spezza, Alfie, Havlat, Chara, Phillips, Volchenkov, Redden, Fisher, Hasek(well at least he was supposed to be there) etc... Cant believe sens could never win the championship with a group of players like that(well most of them were there for a while) mostly young and close to their primes.

Plus they suffered from missing the season of the lockout. When they were stacked with the above.

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

I still feel that was one of the best post-lockout teams we've seen so far. Loved the way that team was built.

Their first round series against Philly in 06 was some of the most entertaining hockey I've ever seen.

 

[EpochLink]

The WCE era of the Canucks in the early 2000's had good cores but horrible goaltending.

The 90's/early 2000's Blues had their fair share of chances but just horrible bad luck kept them from getting to the prize.

I agree with the OP that the Jets of the 90's could've had a decent run but it wasn't meant to be.

 

[heutZe]

What about the 1992-1995 Quebec Nordiques. I know they won in Denver a year after, but I feel they could've gone all the way both in 93 and 95.

In 93 they had Sakic, Sundin, Nolan, Duchesne, Ricci and Kamensky. Lost to the Canadiens in the first round.

In 95 where they were first seed in the east they had Sakic, Forsberg, Nolan, Ricci, Clark and Kamensky. They also got great production out of players like Scott Young and Bob Bassen. However they lost to the Rangers in round 1.

 

[FrozenJagrt]

Pre-Lockout Leafs? That one season that we got all the old washed up bums? 10 years earlier that wouldve been a good team

Hm. Yes and no. A lot of people felt that they were closer then than they had ever been since 67, moreso than the teams of the early 90s. But most of us knew they probably weren't winning because their defense was so shoddy and they leaned so heavily on Cujo and The Eagle.

 

[NYR94]

I think the Alfredsson-Redden-Chara-Phillips-Fisher-Volchenkov group in Ottawa underachieved based on the high expectations that resulted from that loss to NJ in the Eastern Conference finals in 2003. I believe the Hockey News picked Ottawa to win the Stanley Cup in 2004? Could be wrong.


And Epsilon I agree with you about how many tend to prematurely label promising core groups as future dynasties.

 

[Gobo]

05/06 and 06/07 Sens and Sabres. Two teams that majorly disappointed, especially the sens.

 

[benr]

05/06 and 06/07 Sens and Sabres. Two teams that majorly disappointed, especially the sens.

Sabres fans like to wonder what would have happened if their defense was healthy against Carolina, but i think the fact is if Hasek is healthy in 05/06 ottawa probably strolls to thei first cup. No way he lets in 7 goals in game 1 (and 3 or 4 in the last few minutes), and id bet he probably makes more than 1 save in 3 OT games.

Those were both scary good teams, though. The rivalry between them those two years was great.