Toughest road to winning a cup?

[FerrisRox]

Because that's fluky as all he'll and shows how random the playoffs are. Plus it shows how few good teams there are.

I think the notion that any team "flukes" their way to a Stanley Cup Final kind of absurd. I can't believe anyone that actually watches NHL playoff hockey could think a team could "fluke" their way through three series.

 

[Gorskyontario]

I think the notion that any team "flukes" their way to a Stanley Cup Final kind of absurd. I can't believe anyone that actually watches NHL playoff hockey could think a team could "fluke" their way through three series.

The canucks did it in 1982.

 

[FerrisRox]

The canucks did it in 1982.

The three teams the Canucks beat to secure their berth in the Stanley Cup Final in 1982 all had *less* points than Vancouver.

It required a "fluke" for them to beat teams they finished ahead of in the standing?

Respectfully, you don't have a clue what you're talking about.

 

[MadLuke]

The three teams the Canucks beat to secure their berth in the Stanley Cup Final in 1982 all had *less* points than Vancouver.

That the main part of most fluke, good teams falling down before you have to beat them.

111 pts Oilers loosing to the 63 pts Kings was the first part of the Canucks fluke (if one want to argue it was a fluke). facing the 72 pts hawks was the second important step.

Take an arguable final appearance fluke, 2021 Mtl.

Making the playoff was arguably a fluke to start with, was it only because of the covid format ?

Tavares less Leaf, Scheifele less jets, Mtl before the final in the playoff scored more goals killing penalties than against them...

If we restart that season, in 1,000 parallel universe in how many of them does Montreal end up in the final

 

[FerrisRox]

That the main part of most fluke, good teams falling down before you have to beat them.

111 pts Oilers loosing to the 63 pts Kings was the first part of the Canucks fluke (if one want to argue it was a fluke). facing the 72 pts hawks was the second important step.

So the Canucks "fluked" their way to the Stanley Cup Final in series that they didn't even play in?

Surely you can see how stupid this sounds?

 

[MadLuke]

So the Canucks "fluked" their way to the Stanley Cup Final in series that they didn't even play in?

Surely you can see how stupid this sounds?

If we define fluke by what percentage of the time that team reach the final on 1,000 try and thinking that it would be quite low, yes unlikely events they had nothing to do with them occurring could play a big part.

At least it is not outrageous, Canada facing Belarus in the 2002 Olympics was a bit of a fluke (a stroke of luck, according to webster), they did not play in the Sweden-Belarus game.

 

[Gorskyontario]

The three teams the Canucks beat to secure their berth in the Stanley Cup Final in 1982 all had *less* points than Vancouver.

It required a "fluke" for them to beat teams they finished ahead of in the standing?

Respectfully, you don't have a clue what you're talking about.

It's a fluke they managed to play 3 teams worse than them, when they had a sub .500 finish.

You post, somehow manages to make less than zero sense.

 

[connellc]

1995 Devils slightly over the 2012 Kings.

Both teams NEVER had home ice, both won the cup. What's impressive about the Kings is that they started all series up 3-0. I'd give slight advantage to the Devils since they actually swept a better President trophy team (Kings took out Vancouver in 5).

 

[JianYang]

Ken Daneyko and Scott Stevens played bad on purpose to get Chris Nilan fired. At least that is what Nilan suspects(he made a passing comment about this on a podcast I listened to).

He's mentioned it on his own podcast too a few times. There were fights, although I'm not sure if physical.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Because that's fluky as all he'll and shows how random the playoffs are. Plus it shows how few good teams there are.

the roster was mostly the same but that team really came on in the second half and was essentially a different team.

midyear, they gave away larry murphy (ironically to pittsburgh) and changed course philosophically, gelling around new coach bob gainey’s suffocating defensive system.

there was also a lot of talk that the team came together and rallied midyear during gainey’s wife’s cancer scare.

they were 15-11-6 down the stretch, and 29-20-6 if you count playoffs. they had been 12-28-8 before that, third last.

that said, on the fluke side, the other difference is the powerplay caught on holy fire. it was third in the league (one goal behind #2) after jan 17. #2 in the playoffs, nine goals more than pittsburgh who were #2. they averaged 1.5 pp goals a game in the postseason, which is bonkers.

edit: and a stat that is a little bit of column a, little bit of column b: prior to jan 17, their starter jon casey was 19th in GAA and 26th in SV%. after he was 4th and 5th. he then had the playoff run of his life.

 

[BigGoalBrad]

95 Devils are the worst team of all time for the sport brought in the shittiest era in NHL history hockey became unwatchable the TVs still sucked games took over 3 hours just trash.

No Rangers, my Bruins were washed and would finish last the year after just did well last year in the old building, those Flyer teams were media darlings but frauds, colossal choke by Detroit a year before they were ready. Pens were on the decline as well. Can’t be them.

 

[frisco]

Usually, when you have a big year it means the road to the Cup should be easier with a high seed. But the Penguins in 2017 finished with the 2nd best record in the NHL. Their reward? They had to play the 4th best record in the first round and then the President's Trophy winner next.

My Best-Carey

 

[VanIslander]

It's easy for the history of hockey to forget a team that won only 14 of 48 games yet squeaked into the playoffs and won the Stanley Cup because of its HHOF defensive defenseman (a least sexy type position) whom coach said they won because of, iced 50 minutes a night! .... You probably heard about it once or twice in passing, but never heralded, Earl Seibert for the Chicago Blackhawks... as the city sucked until Bobby Hull thereafter, so all history before is ignored.

(Can you guess the year w/o looking? Hint: pre-WWII.)

EDIT: the toughest road for a rickety flat-tired bike is different from that of a jeep.