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August 21, 2008

HOW THE LAST NINE DEFENDING CHAMPIONS HAVE FARED

Certainly, the hardest thing for an NHL team to do is win the Stanley Cup.  If there's anything more difficult than that, it is winning the Cup two years in a row.  Back before the days of free agency and expansion to 30 teams, winning multiple Cups in a row was commonplace.  However, since the league switched to six divisions in 1998-99, no team has repeated as Stanley Cup champions.  Why has this been the case?  Let's see who (or what) has prevented each of the last nine defending champions from keeping the Cup.  Pay close attention, Detroit Red Wings, as you guys could easily be the next team on this list.


1999 DETROIT RED WINGS

The Red Wings saw a 10 point dropoff in the standings from 1997-98, a season that resulted in their second straight Cup.  Their goals for and goals against averages were almost the same, but the Wings simply did not win as many close games as they had the previous year.  Detroit still managed to win the Central Division in 1999, and started off the playoffs with a blistering 6-0 record, sweeping the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and jumping out to a 2-0 series lead on the Colorado Avalanche.  From that point on, however, the Wings simply played terrible hockey, losing the next four games to the Avs by a combined score of 19-7.  Detroit fans needed not worry too much, as the Wings would be hoisting the Cup again in three years.


2000 DALLAS STARS

This Dallas Stars team was one of two in this time period to make it back to the Finals a year after winning it all.  Despite a 12 point drop from the previous year, Dallas still finished with 102 points and their fourth straight division title.  The Stars made it back to the Finals with a 12-5 record in conference play, defeating Edmonton, San Jose, and Colorado.  Unfortunately for Dallas, they ran into a red hot New Jersey Devils team that had just rallied from a 3-1 series deficit to beat the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference Finals.  The Devils held Dallas to just 9 goals in the series as they won in six games for their second championship in franchise history.  New Jersey would have a great chance of winning it all again the next year.


2001 NEW JERSEY DEVILS

New Jersey actually had a better regular season in 2001 than the year before, earning eight more points in the standings and leading the NHL in goals scored.  The Devils made it back to the Finals by beating Carolina, Toronto, and Pittsburgh to the tune of a 12-6 record.  The only team standing in the way of a second straight Cup was the Colorado Avalanche, the President's Trophy winners from this season.  The Devils actually led the series 3-2 after five games, but were unable to penetrate Patrick Roy with any regularity in the final two games.  Colorado won Games 6 and 7 by a combined score of 7-1 to win their second Stanley Cup, with Ray Bourque finally getting to hold hockey's holy grail after 22 seasons.


2002 COLORADO AVALANCHE

The Avs suffered a massive drop-off in team performance in 2002, recording 19 fewer points and scoring 58 fewer goals.  For the most part, their eighth straight division title was a result of the Vezina-caliber play of Patrick Roy, who also earned a nomination for the Hart Trophy that year.  Colorado made the Western Conference Finals for the fourth year in a row and sixth time in seven, but did so in the most difficult way possible.  The Avs went all the way to seven games against both the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks, which put them at somewhat of a disadvantage against the much better-rested Detroit Red Wings.  Colorado still managed to build a 3-2 series lead before totally running out of gas in Games 6 and 7, losing those two by a combined 9-0.  The Avs have not been back to the Conference Finals since 2002.


2003 DETROIT RED WINGS

See, Red Wing fans?  I did not lie when I said that your team would win the Cup again.  Expectations were very high for Detroit once again in the 2003 playoffs, as the Wings finished the regular season second in the West.  Detroit just happened to run into one of the best goalies in NHL playoff history in Anaheim's Jean-Sebastian Giguere in the first round.  Giguere held Detroit to just six goals in the first round as the Mighty Ducks completed a shocking four game sweep of the defending champs.  Anaheim parlayed this momentum into a playoff run that took the Mighty Ducks all the way to Game 7 of the Cup Finals, where they lost to the New Jersey Devils.


2004 NEW JERSEY DEVILS

New Jersey was cruising along in the first half of 2003-04, posting some defensive numbers that were simply unbelievable.  This all changed after Scott Stevens was injured with a concussion after 38 games, as he would never play in the NHL again.  The Devils' defensive prowess dropped off significantly after the loss of their captain, to the point that they lost the Atlantic Division race to the Philadelphia Flyers by a single point.  This proved crucial as the two teams met in the first round of the playoffs, with Philly taking the series in five thanks largely to winning all three home games.  Since Stevens retired, the Devils have not even come close to winning another Cup.  Coincidence?  Certainly not.


2006 TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

Considering that Tampa Bay had to defend their title after a year off due to the lockout, it was understandable if the Lightning struggled to do so.  However, part of this struggle was their own doing, as they let goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin go to the Chicago Blackhawks and replaced him with a platoon of John Grahame and Sean Burke.  This tandem just barely got Tampa Bay into the playoffs in eighth place, where they were outscored 23-13 in losing their first round series to the Ottawa Senators in five games.  Two years later, the Lightning sank to being the worst team in the NHL, but the prize for that was Steve Stamkos, so things are not all bad for Lightning fans.


2007 CAROLINA HURRICANES

I have often thought that Carolina's 2006 Stanley Cup championship was somewhat of a fluke, and their performance as the defending champs seemed to validate my thoughts.  In 2006-07, the 'Canes became the first defending champions since the 1995-96 Devils to miss the playoffs.  Carolina went from second in the East in their title season all the way down to 11th the next year.  Considering the Hurricanes missed the playoffs again in 2007-08, my conclusion is that they were one of the worst champions of all time, if not the worst.


2008 ANAHEIM DUCKS

Anaheim had a bit of a drop-off from their Stanley Cup-winning season, but not too much, as the Ducks still finished with over 100 points.  Unlike in 2007, this version of the Ducks had a lot of trouble scoring goals, a trouble that continued into their first round playoff series against the Dallas Stars.  Anaheim scored 9 goals in their two wins, but just four total in the other four games, all losses that allowed Dallas to advance.  It certainly did not help the Ducks' cause that they took a multitude of dumb penalties.  The grit and toughness from their Stanley Cup run became recklessness the next year, and as a result Anaheim's title defense did not last very long.







July 10, 2008

THE MOST COMMON NHL PLAYOFF MATCHUPS SINCE 1995

Some NHL teams just happen to meet in the playoffs frequently.  Whether they are bitter rivals like Ottawa and Toronto, or consistently finishing in the same areas of the standings like Dallas and Edmonton, there are certain playoff matchups that seem to take place every year.  Since the NHL's first lockout in 1995, there are nine matchups that have occurred four times or more.  Some of these series' have been epic, while others have been very one-sided.  No matter the result, repeatedly seeing the same team in the playoffs is great for many reasons.  Teams get the chance to avenge past defeats or continue owning their rivals year after year, all the while brewing a mutual hatred for each other.  Certainly, it is fun to watch.  Let's see which matchups happened a lot during the late 1990s and 2000s.

The team with home ice advantage is in ALL CAPS.


DALLAS VS. EDMONTON - 6 MEETINGS

1997 - Edmonton 4, DALLAS 3
1998 - DALLAS 4, Edmonton 1
1999 - DALLAS 4, Edmonton 0
2000 - DALLAS 4, Edmonton 1
2001 - DALLAS 4, Edmonton 2
2003 - DALLAS 4, Edmonton 2

Final Tally:  Dallas 5, Edmonton 1

This series of playoff matchups occurred mainly because of the teams' places in the standings.  Every time they played, the Stars had home ice advantage and were a division champ, while Edmonton snuck in as one of the final three teams in the playoffs.  This made Dallas the heavy favorite every time, and the Stars usually did not disappoint, winning five of their six meetings with the Oilers.  Edmonton got the Stars the first time they met after the lockout in 1997, beating Dallas in seven games on Todd Marchant's overtime goal in Game 7.  Other than that, the Oilers were usually a mere stop on the Stars' road to the Conference Finals or deeper, reaching that level from 1998-2000, making the Finals in '99 and '00 while winning their first Cup in '99.  One thing that Edmonton and Dallas did that nobody else did in the post-lockout era is face each other five years in a row; you think that created a bit of hatred between these two?


PHILADELPHIA VS. BUFFALO - 6 MEETINGS

1995 - PHILADELPHIA 4, Buffalo 1
1997 - Philadelphia 4, BUFFALO 1
1998 - Buffalo 4, PHILADELPHIA 1
2000 - PHILADELPHIA 4, Buffalo 1
2001 - Buffalo 4, PHILADELPHIA 2
2006 - BUFFALO 4, Philadelphia 2

Final Tally:  Philadelphia 3, Buffalo 3

For a while this looked like a very one-sided rivalry, as the Flyers took three of their first four post-lockout meetings with the Sabres by a margin of 4-1.  Buffalo drew even with two six game triumphs in 2001 and 2006, and closed both of them out with games that Sabres fans will never forget, but Flyers fans will never want to remember.  Buffalo finished off Philly with an 8-0 Game 6 win in '01 that saw Flyers goaltender Roman Cechmanek chased from the game after allowing more goals (5) than saves made (4).  The result was not that much better in '06, as the Sabres beat the Flyers 7-1 in Game 6 on Wachovia Center ice.  Unfortunately for both teams, neither of their matchups led to a Stanley Cup championship, something both teams have been craving for a long time.


DETROIT VS. COLORADO - 6 MEETINGS

1996 - Colorado 4, DETROIT 2
1997 - Detroit 4, COLORADO 2
1999 - COLORADO 4, Detroit 2
2000 - COLORADO 4, Detroit 1
2002 - DETROIT 4, Colorado 3
2008 - DETROIT 4, Colorado 0

Final Tally:  Detroit 3, Colorado 3

Here, we have what many thought was the NHL's best rivalry in the late 1990s.  The teams engaged in two major brawls that involved even the goalies fighting - and that was in the regular season.  Things were toned down a bit in the playoffs, but that did not mean that they became friends.  Lots of hard hitting (we can't forget Claude Lemieux cheap-shotting Kris Draper) marked series' between the Red Wings and Avalanche, two squads that decided who won the Stanley Cup three times in seven years.  Colorado upset the 62 win, 131 point Red Wings in 1996 on their way to their first Stanley Cup championship.  Detroit returned the favor the next season, beating the top-seeded Avs right before winning their first Cup since 1955.  The teams then engaged in a very intense Conference Final in 2002, going to seven games, though Avalanche fans might not want to remember Game 7 as they lost it by a score of 7-0.  The other series that these teams have played were not very competitive, so if you want to see a close matchup between Detroit and Colorado you better hope they face off in the Western Conference Finals.


PITTSBURGH VS. WASHINGTON - 4 MEETINGS

1995 - PITTSBURGH 4, Washington 3
1996 - PITTSBURGH 4, Washington 2
2000 - Pittsburgh 4, WASHINGTON 1
2001 - Pittsburgh 4, WASHINGTON 2

Final Tally:  Pittsburgh 4, Washington 0

This semi-rivalry is easily one of the most lopsided in recent history, with the Penguins taking all four meetings between themselves and Washington since 1995.  The Capitals had their best chance to beat the black birds that year, jumping out to a 3-1 series lead before allowing Pittsburgh to win the final three games and the series.  The next year, Washington again blew a two game series lead, losing the final four games after winning the first two.  Game 4 from 1996 was an absolute epic, with the Penguins winning in quadruple overtime on a goal by Petr Nedved.  Washington won the Southeast Division in both 2000 and 2001, but despite their home ice advantage Pittsburgh still prevailed both times, winning Game 6 in '01 on a walk-off goal by Martin Straka.  The Caps will definitely want a chance to finally beat the Pens in a playoff series, and the fans will certainly want to see that happen as it will pit Sidney Crosby head to head with fellow mega-star Alexander Ovechkin.


DETROIT VS. ST. LOUIS - 4 MEETINGS

1996 - DETROIT 4, St. Louis 3
1997 - DETROIT 4, St. Louis 2
1998 - DETROIT 4, St. Louis 2
2002 - DETROIT 4, St. Louis 1

Final Tally:  Detroit 4, St. Louis 0

Here is another lopsided rivalry, this one between longtime Central Division members.  Essentially, if the Red Wings beat the Blues in the playoffs, it meant that Detroit was going deep that postseason.  In 1996 the Wings only got to the Conference Finals, but they won the Cup following each of their last three defeats of the Blues.  Though Detroit prevailed every time, St. Louis rarely let the men from the Motor City walk all over them.  The Blues actually held a 3-2 lead in 1996 before falling in seven in a series that was ended on a classic goal by Steve Yzerman.  St. Louie also won Game 1 in both 1997 and 1998, forcing Detroit to come from behind both times.  The only series in which the Wings never trailed was in 2002, as they jumped out to a 2-0 lead and finished off the Blues in five.  If you are a Red Wings fan, you should root for Detroit to play St. Louis in the playoffs, since in the past it has often been part of a postseason ending with a Stanley Cup championship.


TORONTO VS. OTTAWA - 4 MEETINGS

2000 - TORONTO 4, Ottawa 2
2001 - Toronto 4, OTTAWA 0
2002 - TORONTO 4, Ottawa 3
2004 - TORONTO 4, Ottawa 3

Final Tally:  Toronto 4, Ottawa 0

To call a rivalry by that name, the teams have to beat each other quite a lot.  If that is the case, than Toronto vs. Ottawa is not a rivalry but a one-sided butt-kicking courtesy of the Maple Leafs.  Toronto eliminated the Senators from the playoffs four times in a five year stretch, though it was not usually an easy series for the Leafs.  The two teams were tied 2-2 after four games in three of the series', and Ottawa actually had a 3-2 lead in 2002 before dropping Games 6 and 7.  After taking control, the Leafs have done very well, outscoring the Sens 14-4 in series clinching games.  Perhaps it is no coincidence that when Ottawa had its greatest playoff success, making the Conference Finals in 2003 and the Finals in 2007, they did not have to face their nemesis either year.  Maybe, someday, the Senators will prevail, but until then they are clearly #2 in Ontario, at least in a historical standpoint.


COLORADO VS. DALLAS - 4 MEETINGS

1999 - DALLAS 4, Colorado 3
2000 - DALLAS 4, Colorado 3
2004 - COLORADO 4, Dallas 1
2006 - Colorado 4, DALLAS 1

Final Tally:  Colorado 2, Dallas 2

You can see my take on the first two Avalanche-Stars meetings in my May 8 article about the top Conference Finals' since 1993.  Dallas won both of those meetings, but Colorado returned the favor in the first rounds in 2004 and 2006.  The Avs lit up the Stars in both series' by a margin of four games to one, making Dallas goalie Marty Turco look like a sieve both times.  Colorado outscored Dallas 19-10 in 2004, while beating the Stars in a closer series two years later.  In 2005-06 Dallas went 12-1 in the shootout, usually playing conservative in overtime to force the shootout.  That strategy ended up backfiring in the playoffs, as the Avalanche beat the Stars three times in overtime on their way to winning the series.  So it's clear that when these teams meet, Colorado rules the first round, while Dallas wins in the Conference Finals.  What ever could happen if they meet in between?  Stay tuned.


OTTAWA VS. BUFFALO - 4 MEETINGS

1997 - BUFFALO 4, Ottawa 3
1999 - Buffalo 4, OTTAWA 0
2006 - Buffalo 4, OTTAWA 1
2007 - Ottawa 4, BUFFALO 1

Final Tally:  Buffalo 3, Ottawa 1

These division rivals show the opposite trend of most playoff series', as the team with home ice advantage has lost the last three meetings.  Each of the last three meetings has seen a team favored to make a run at the Cup fall short of that goal thanks to an opportunistic underdog.  The 1999 Senators won their first division title, but could not even win a playoff game that year thanks to the eventual Eastern Conference champion Sabres.  The teams' next two meetings were ended by Game 5 overtime goals - Jason Pominville in 2006 and Daniel Alfredsson in 2007, the latter goal springing the Senators to their first Finals ever.  Their original meeting involved another first for Ottawa, as it was their first playoff series, and the Sens pushed the Sabres to the brink before falling in Game 7 in overtime thanks to a Derek Plante goal.  Whatever the situation, expect a playoff series between these squads to end in overtime.


ANAHEIM VS. DETROIT - 4 MEETINGS

1997 - DETROIT 4, Anaheim 0
1999 - DETROIT 4, Anaheim 0
2003 - Anaheim 4, DETROIT 0
2007 - Anaheim 4, DETROIT 2

Final Tally:  Anaheim 2, Detroit 2

Detroit had home ice advantage in all four of their meetings with the Mighty Ducks/Ducks, and clearly was the better team in their first two matchups.  The Red Wings swept the Ducks handily both times, but the tables turned in the 2003 first round.  Anaheim started that series off with a 2-1 triple overtime win that saw Paul Kariya score the game-winner and Jean-Sebastian Giguere make 63 saves in his playoff debut.  The Mighty Ducks went on to shockingly sweep the defending champion Wings in four games, holding second-seeded Detroit to just six goals in the series.  The teams were much more evenly matched in 2007, with the second seeded and no longer "Mighty" Ducks taking on the #1 ranked Red Wings.  The series was tied at 2 and Detroit appeared to have the upper hand, leading Game 5 1-0 late in the third period.  A Scott Niedermayer goal in the final minute sent the game to overtime, where Teemu Selanne scored to give the Ducks a series lead they would not relinquish on the way to their first Cup.  The lesson here is to never count Anaheim out, even if they do not have home ice advantage.






July 3, 2008

THE SIX TIMES ARENA CO-TENANTS MADE THE FINALS SINCE 1968

Cities often decide to have both of their professional arena teams, i.e. those in the NHL and NBA, share an arena to save costs.  It often works out well, as long as there are no scheduling conflicts and the ice sheet at the floor of the arena doesn't leak through to the basketball court.  Today there are a total of 10 arenas in North America that have NBA and NHL teams as co-tenants.  They are as follows:

TD Banknorth Garden, Boston (Bruins, Celtics)
Madison Square Garden, New York (Rangers, Knicks)
Wachovia Center, Philadelphia (Flyers, 76ers)
Verizon Center, Washington (Capitals, Wizards)
Philips Arena, Atlanta (Thrashers, Hawks)
Air Canada Centre, Toronto (Maple Leafs, Raptors)
United Center, Chicago (Blackhawks, Bulls)
American Airlines Center, Dallas (Stars, Mavericks)
Pepsi Center, Denver (Avalanche, Nuggets)
Staples Center, Los Angeles (Kings, Lakers, Clippers)

Now, you must be wondering, why am I writing about all of this?  Well, I recently discovered that the city of Detroit has been highly successful in the last two years, with both of their arena teams reaching the conference finals in 2007 and 2008.  Though the Red Wings and Pistons do not share an arena, this still made me take a look back to discover the farthest advancing arena teams from the same city over the last 40 years, covering the NHL's modern era of 1967-68 to now.  My research revealed that during that period, six arena co-tenants made the Stanley Cup Finals and NBA Finals in the same season.  It is hard enough for one of the teams from an arena to make a championship; two from the same one in the same year is nearly impossible.  However, it has happened six times, and I am going to tell you about all of them.  Were any of these teams able to pull off the exacta and win both an NHL and NBA championship in the same year?  See for yourself.  NHL results are listed first, as the NHL postseason generally finishes before the NBA playoffs.



1972 - NEW YORK CITY

In 1972, both tenants of the Madison Square Garden made their respective championship rounds.  The Rangers were looking for their first Stanley Cup championship in 32 years, while the Knicks were seeking their second NBA crown in three seasons, having won it all in 1970.  Unfortunately for the residents of the nation's largest city, both teams ran into historically great opponents in the finals. 

The Rangers faced off against the loaded Boston Bruins.  Having finished the regular season with 119 points, Boston featured future Hall of Famers Phil Esposito, Bobby Orr, John Bucyk, and Gerry Cheevers.  The Bruins jumped out to a 3-1 lead on the Rangers, and though they blew a chance to put away New York at home in Game 5, Boston ended up winning the series in six thanks to a 3-0 shutout in Game 6 at MSG.  New York's Stanley Cup drought continued, and would not stop for a long time.

As for the Knicks, they happened to have to face the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers, who won a then-record 69 regular season games.  Featuring a lineup including HOFers Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, and Gail Goodrich, the Lakers won 33 straight games at one point, a record that still stands today.  New York's lineup that included Willis Reed, Bill Bradley, Jerry Lucas, and Dave DeBusschere seemed to be of no match.  The Knicks pulled a Game 1 stunner by winning 114-92 on the Lakers' home floor, but then proceeded to drop the next four games in a row as the Lakers won their first championship since moving to Los Angeles.

New York fans did not need to pout over losing both championships in the same year, as the Knicks won the NBA Finals in 1973.  In fact, both the Rangers and Knicks would make the Finals again in 1994, an occurrence you will read about later.


1974 - BOSTON

That's right, Boston has had multiple teams make their championship rounds before, as it is not only a 2000s thing.  Both the Bruins and Celtics made the finals in 1974.  How did they do?

The Bs were poised to win their second Stanley Cup in three years, having kept around most of their core from their 1972 championship team.  To do so, they would have to beat the Philadelphia Flyers, a rough and tough team known as the Broad Street Bullies.  The Flyers had a great mix of skill (Bob Clarke, Bill Barber, Rick MacLeish) and goonery (Dave "The Hammer" Schultz, Andre "Moose DuPont").  Boston held off the Flyboys and took Game 1, but dropped the next three to fall behind 3-1.  A 5-1 win at home in Game 5 gave the Bruins hope, something that was quashed in Game 6 in South Philadelphia.  Dupont scored the game's only goal as the Flyers won their first of two consecutive Stanley Cups.

As for the Celtics, they were going for yet another championship.  Though this team was not quite as dominant as their counterparts from the 1950s and 1960s, the Cs still featured plenty of star power in John Havlicek, Dave Cowens, and JoJo White.  To win in 1974, Boston would have to beat a Milwaukee Bucks team that was looking for their second title in four years.  Two of the greatest players ever (Lew Alcindor, Oscar Robertson) anchored the Bucks, with each at very different stages of his career.  Through the first six games of the NBA Finals, the teams alternated victory, leading to a Game 7 in Milwaukee.  Despite being on the road, the Celtics pulled off a major upset and won 102-87 to capture their 12th NBA championship.  This loss seems to have put a hex on the Bucks, as they have not been back to the Finals since.

The Bruins still have not won the Cup since 1972, but as many of you know there is absolutely no reason to weep for Boston fans, especially considering the city's success in this decade alone (six championships and counting).


1980 - PHILADELPHIA

Philadelphia had an unprecedented year in 1980, in terms of sports at least.  All four of their teams who played their regular seasons that year made their championship rounds.  This included both tenants of the Spectrum, the Flyers and 76ers.  Let's find out how they did.

The Broad Street Bullies had many players left over from their 1974-75 Cup teams, but one of them was not Bernie Parent, who had to retire due to an eye injury in 1979.  Nonetheless, the Flyers still finished as the NHL's best team in 1979-80 with 116 points.  After tearing through the first three rounds, Philly was a heavy favorite in the Finals against the New York Islanders.  A New York team featuring four future HOFers had no fear though, wrecking much of the Flyers' confidence by winning Game 1 in Philadelphia.  Going home with a split, the Isles won both games at the Uniondale Coliseum to jump out to a 3-1 series lead.  Philly took Game 5 and forced overtime in Game 6.  In one of the most controversial plays in NHL history, the Islanders' Bob Nystrom scored in overtime on a play that was blatantly offsides but not called.  It counted, and New York won the first of four straight Stanley Cups in 1980.

The Julius Erving-led 76ers had to go up against the Los Angeles Lakers, a squad who lined up Kareem-Abdul Jabbar in his prime and a rookie named Earvin "Magic" Johnson.  The teams split the first four games before Los Angeles took Game 5 at home.  Things looked bad for the Lakers though, as they would have to try to win the title without Kareem in Game 6 at the Spectrum.  No problem.  Magic Johnson put up one of the best performances in NBA history to help the Lakers beat the Sixers 123-107.  Playing out of position at center, Magic scored 42 points, pulled down 15 rebounds, and dished out 7 assists to help the Lakers finish off their first of five 1980s NBA championships.

Of the two losers, the Flyers should have been the most angry, as they have still not won the Stanley Cup since 1975.  The 76ers managed to win a championship in 1983 after acquiring Moses Malone, but inexplicably traded him away three years later.  Personnel decisions like those are a major reason why the Sixers' title in 1983 was the last one that Philadelphia has won.


1992 - CHICAGO

A city with a very rich sports history, Chicago had a chance to win two championships in 1992.  The Blackhawks were trying to end a 31 year Stanley Cup drought, having not lifted the Holy Grail of hockey since 1961.  Their fellow red and black United Center occupants, the Bulls, were not quite as starving for a title; in fact, they were defending their 1991 championship.  Who won, who lost, or did both teams have the same fate?

The Blackhawks ripped up the Western Conference by heading into the Stanley Cup Finals with a 12-2 record.  They went in having won 11 straight games, still an NHL playoff record.  Unfortunately, Chicago ran into a Pittsburgh Penguins team that was also white hot, coming in on a seven game win streak.  Mario Lemieux and co. did not ever dominate a game in the Finals, winning all of them by one or two goals, but that was still good enough for a Pens sweep.  Pittsburgh had their second straight Stanley Cup championship, while Chicago's drought continued.

As much as the Blackhawks would struggle in the 1990s, the Bulls had quite the opposite luck.  Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and company made their second straight NBA Finals in 1992, looking to defend their first championship from the year before.  Game 1 featured a magnificent performance from Jordan, as he made six first half three-pointers before famously shrugging his shoulders as if to say "I have no idea how I just did that."  The Bulls won Game 1, and ended up taking the series in six games for their second straight NBA championship.

The Blackhawks still have not won the Cup since 1961.  The Bulls have not won a title in ten years, but I still do not think their fans have a whole lot to complain about.  MJ led his team to an incredible six championships in eight years, essentially cementing Jordan's legacy as one of, if not the, greatest players ever.


1994 - NEW YORK CITY

Of all of the teams on this list, none of them had championship series' more exciting than the 1994 New York Rangers and New York Knicks.  Both teams went all the way to Game 7 in their quests for glory.  Keep reading to find out how that worked out.

The Rangers had not won the Cup since 1940, so to say they were hungry for a title would be a severe understatement.  If any Rangers team was going to end the drought, it was this one.  The blueshirts, featuring superstars Mark Messier, Brian Leetch, and Mike Richter, were heavy favorites to do so after a regular season that saw them win the President's Trophy.  New York faced the upstart Vancouver Canucks in the Finals, a team that featured colorful players like Pavel Bure, Trevor Linden, and Kirk McLean.  The Canucks shocked the hockey world by taking Game 1 in New York, but reality set in as the Rangers took the next three games.  Vancouver did not roll over and die though, winning Games 5 and 6 to force a do-or-die Game 7 at MSG.  Though the Rangers twice allowed two goal leads to shrink to one, they held their lead and won the game 3-2 to clinch their first Stanley Cup in 54 years.

Attempting to share their blue counterparts' glory, the Knicks had reached the Finals by taking advantage of Michael Jordan's first retirement.  Their opponents were the Hakeem Olaijuwon-led Houston Rockets, a franchise that had never won an NBA title.  After a split of Games 1 and 2 in southeast Texas, the Knicks took two of three at home to send the series back to Houston with two chances to win.  Sadly for Knicks fans, New York blew both chances to win their third NBA title, dropping Games 6 and 7.  Game 7 was particularly painful, as Knicks sharpshooter John Starks shot an abysmal 2-18.  If he makes just 3-4 more baskets, perhaps New York wins; instead, the Rockets won their first of two straight championships.

New York's arena teams have not won a title since the 1994 Rangers, with the 1999 Knicks being the only team to make it back to the finals since then.  However, unless you are a Mets/Jets fan, you cannot complain too much, as the Yankees have won four World Series titles and the Giants a Super Bowl in the last twelve years.


2003 - NEW JERSEY

The most recent region to have both of its arena teams make the finals was northern New Jersey, who saw both the Devils and Nets vying for titles.  These two teams may not be in the same area for too much longer, as the Nets are likely moving across the Hudson River to Brooklyn in 2010.  Nevertheless, this was North Jersey's one shot at double glory.

The New Jersey Devils were looking for their third Stanley Cup in nine years, having previously won titles in 1995 and 2000.  Like in their previous two title runs, this Devils team was anchored by Martin Brodeur, Scott Stevens, and Scott Niedermayer.  Unlike their other two championships, New Jersey was the overwhelming favorite in 2003.  Their opponents in the Finals were the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, a seventh seeded team riding the unreal goaltending of Jean-Sebastian Giguere.  This series between two defensive minded teams ended in predictable fashion, as the home team won every game.  This meant the series going all the way to Game 7, but the Ducks were never really in it, being outscored 15-3 in the four games at the Continental Airlines Arena.  The Devils captured title number three, though Giguere still won the Conn Smythe Trophy for his titanic efforts.

Could the Nets share the Devils' spotlight?  Their task was much more daunting, as they were heavy underdogs against the San Antonio Spurs.  New Jersey was a very good team, namely their franchise savior Jason Kidd.  However, this Spurs team featured Tim Duncan in his prime, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker starting to get good, and David Robinson looking for one last title before retirement.  Like the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals, this series was physical and low scoring, but unlike in hockey the New Jersey team did not come out on top.  San Antonio took two of three games in the Meadowlands after a split of the first two games, then finished off the series at the SBC Center for their second NBA title.  The Spurs ended up launching a semi-dynasty with this title, winning it all again in 2005 and 2007.

Since this double title appearance, neither New Jersey team has been back to the finals.  The Nets are rebuilding, but they are making a not so secretive run at the NBA's premier star in LeBron James as well.  The Devils still have Martin Brodeur as well, and will for a few years.  Both situations mean that these teams could be seeing a championship run sometime in the near future.



Well, there you have it.  No city with teams sharing an arena in the last forty years has had both teams win championships in the same year.  Let us remember, though, that sports precedents are broken all the time, and this is one that probably will be ended someday.  So keep your heads up, sports fans, your time might come.  That is, unless you're from Boston, which means that you have had plenty of celebrations already this decade.





June 19, 2008

THE MOST UNIMPRESSIVE STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS OF THE NHL'S MODERN ERA:  THE 2006 CAROLINA HURRICANES

Seeing that the Stanley Cup was recently given out to the Detroit Red Wings (once again), I decided to look back at some recent champions to see how they matched up to the Wings.  Some were better, and some were worse, naturally.  However, there was one team in particular that really caught my eye, and not for how good they were.  In fact, it was for the complete opposite reason.  To me, the 2006 Carolina Hurricanes were the most unimpressive champions of the NHL's modern era, that being from 1967 to now.  What makes me say this, you might ask?  Good question, and I have good answers.

The Hurricanes were obviously a very good team, seeing that they won the Cup and all.  However, they did not exactly have the toughest road to the championship.  First of all, they won in 2005-06, the year after the league lockout, when lots of teams were still trying to determine an identity in the "New NHL."  They won 52 games, but did not do so very impressively, finishing with a +34 goal differential.  According to Hockey-Reference.com, their Simple Rating System ranks them as only the 11th best regular season team in the league.  Evidently, the 'Canes did very well in one-goal games, which is always a good thing but in this case was also an indication of a less than dominant championship team.  Proof that Carolina may have simply benefited from a league largely in turmoil is in their performances in each of the last two seasons.  With the East's traditional powers (New Jersey, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, New York Rangers) regaining their past forms, plus increased pressure from division rivals Atlanta and Washington, Carolina not only has not won a playoff series in the last two years, but they have not even made the playoffs at all since winning their first Stanley Cup.

Carolina had a very good offense the year they won it all, scoring 294 goals, a figure that ranked third in the NHL in 05-06.  They had to score a lot of goals to win because they also allowed a lot.  The Hurricanes' 260 goals allowed was tied with Tampa Bay for the most among all playoff teams, and Tampa Bay barely squeaked into the playoffs as the East's eighth seed by two points.  Their 3.05 GAA is a number that was typically seen among champions in the high scoring eras of the 1980s and 1990s, but is very high for almost all teams today, let alone the Cup champs.  This is likely because of their defense and goaltending.  While adequate, no single player on either unit was a great player.  In fact, I think that can be said about their entire team.

The main reason that I think the Hurricanes were so unspectacular was their lack of any true superstars.  Certainly, they had a bunch of players who were good, but really none were great.  Their leading scorer, Eric Staal, had 100 points in his second season, so the jury is still out on him.  Besides him, there was very little star power on this team.  Their top forwards other than Staal were Rod Brind'Amour, Cory Stillman, Justin Williams, Ray Whitney, and Erik Cole.  Carolina's defense corps consisted of solid defenders like Frantisek Kaberle, Glen Wesley, Aaron Ward, and Bret Hedican.  In goal the 'Canes had the veteran Martin Gerber and a rookie named Cam Ward who would end up capturing the Conn Smythe Trophy.  Of course, after Cam Ward's terrible regular season (3.68 GAA, .882 save percentage), he was not even the starting goalie at the beginning of the playoffs.

Here is a simple look at the players on the 2005-06 Carolina Hurricanes:  Nobody on that team has, or likely ever will, win any of the league's top honors, those being the Vezina, Hart, Norris, Pearson, Rocket Richard, or Art Ross Awards/Trophies.  The only possible exception to that could be Eric Staal, but he will be hard pressed to outscore and outplay a talent pool that includes Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Alexander Ovechkin, Jarome Iginla, and other stars of that caliber.  In fact, if not for two Selke Trophies by Rod Brind'Amour, this team would be totally devoid of any regular season NHL awards, period.  Of course, this does not count Cam Ward's Conn Smythe because, let's face it, someone on Carolina had to win it.

The biggest sticking point about the 05-06 Hurricanes is the fact that they have a total of zero locks for the Hockey Hall of Fame.  There is a pretty good chance that Brind'Amour and trade deadline acquisition Mark Recchi will get in, but those guys certainly do not excite you as much as anyone from, say, the 2007 Hall of Fame class (Mark Messier, Ron Francis, Al MacInnis, Scott Stevens).  Every other team that won the Cup in the modern era had at least one player who was a near lock or lock for the HOF.  If you don't believe me, let's take a look at a handful of recent champions and the players who either are or will likely be Hall of Famers.

2008 Detroit Red Wings - Nicklas Lidstrom, Chris Chelios, Dominik Hasek
2007 Anaheim Ducks - Teemu Selanne, Chris Pronger, Scott Niedermayer
2004 Tampa Bay Lightning - Dave Andreychuk, Vincent Lecavalier
2003 New Jersey Devils - Scott Stevens, Martin Brodeur, Niedermayer
2002 Red Wings - Lidstrom, Chelios, Hasek, Brett Hull, Luc Robitaille, Steve Yzerman, Brendan Shanahan, Sergei Fedorov
2001 Colorado Avalanche - Patrick Roy, Raymond Bourque, Joe Sakic
2000 Devils - same as 2003
1999 Dallas Stars - Ed Belfour, Mike Modano, Hull
1998 Red Wings - Lidstrom, Yzerman, Shanahan, Fedorov, Larry Murphy
1997 Red Wings - same as 1998
1996 Colorado Avalanche - Roy, Sakic
1995 Devils - same as 2000 and 2003
1994 New York Rangers - Mark Messier, Brian Leetch, Glenn Anderson
1993 Montreal Canadiens - Roy, Denis Savard
1992 Pittsburgh Penguins - Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Ron Francis, Paul Coffey, Murphy
1991 Penguins - same as 1992
1990 Edmonton Oilers - Messier, Anderson, Jari Kurri
1989 Calgary Flames - Joe Mullen, Al MacInnis
1988 Oilers - Wayne Gretzky, Messier, Anderson, Kurri, Grant Fuhr
1987 Oilers - Gretzky, Messier, Anderson, Kurri, Fuhr, Coffey
1986 Canadiens - Roy, Chelios, Larry Robinson, Bob Gainey
1985 Oilers - same as 1987
1984 Oilers - same as 1985 and 1987

I think you get my point, and I didn't even mention the dynastic early 1980s New York Islanders, late 1970s Canadiens, or mid 70s Philadelphia Flyers, clubs that were loaded with HOFers.  As you can see, every other champion since 1984 had not only one but at least two Hall of Fame locks, at least in my opinion.  With all of the factors I named above, it seems to me that the 2005-06 Carolina Hurricanes are easily the most mediocre Stanley Cup champions of the NHL's modern era.  Nonetheless, they still are champions, and that is more than a lot of teams can say over the last few years, including my Flyers.




June 5, 2008

A LOOK AT TWO RECENT NHL ENTRY DRAFTS

Before I get started on my main topic, I would like to congratulate the 2007-08 Detroit Red Wings on winning the Stanley Cup.  I sure as heck don't like them, but credit must be given when it is due.  Also, I am well aware that I completely botched my prediction of Pittsburgh in 6, so go ahead and give me crap for that if you want to.  I can only hope that my Philadelphia Flyers will be drinking out of the Cup next year.

Now, onto business.  The 2008 NHL Entry Draft is in about two weeks, occurring on June 20-21 at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa, Ontario.  As always, the draft is a crapshoot; you never know if your draft picks are going to be superstars, solid players, total busts, or if they will even make the NHL.  Seeing that, I want to review two recent drafts that have ended up on the opposite ends of the greatness spectrum.  Here are my reviews of the 1999 and 2003 NHL Entry Drafts.


1999 ENTRY DRAFT

The 1999 NHL Entry Draft was supposed to have one of the deepest talent pools in recent history.  A nice mixture of North American and European players, this draft, namely the first round, looked like it was going to produce a great deal of stars.  However, after nine years, it is safe to say that this is not the case at all.  The '99 first round is full of busts, mediocre players, and three players who never even laced up their skates for a single NHL game.  Sorry, Phoenix, Toronto, and New Jersey, but you really messed up in this first round by picking Scott Kelman, Luca Cereda, and Ari Ahonen, respectively.  The rest of the top round is not too spectacular either.  Just take a look at the top 10 picks:

1. Atlanta Thrashers - Patrik Stefan
2. Vancouver Canucks - Daniel Sedin
3. Vancouver Canucks - Henrik Sedin
4. New York Rangers - Pavel Brendl
5. New York Islanders - Tim Connolly
6. Nashville Predataors - Brian Finley
7. Washington Capitals - Kris Beech
8. New York Islanders - Taylor Pyatt
9. New York Rangers - Jamie Lundmark
10. New York Islanders - Branislav Mezei

No wonder the two New York teams both sucked for much of the early 2000s - neither of them could draft well.  Other than the Sedins and Connolly, this top 10 is pretty lousy.  You do not have to look any farther than the top pick, center Patrik Stefan, who I consider one of the five worst #1 picks of all time if not the worst.  Stefan never scored more than 40 points in a season and had a lot of trouble staying healthy, neither of which are very good scenarios for a guy who was expected to carry the brand new Atlanta Thrashers on his back.  Also, has anyone embarrassed themselves more in an NHL game than Stefan did here?  He finally ended his career recently, retiring after seven very unspectacular seasons.

Including Stefan, four players from the 1999 top 10 are no longer in the NHL, a list that also includes Brendl, Finley, and Lundmark.  Of those that are still playing, the only one who has made an All-Star Game is Henrik Sedin, who played in the 2008 edition.  The Sedins and Connolly are the only players from the top 10 who have averaged over 0.5 points per game in their career, and Connolly sadly cannot stay healthy.  He has missed 133 games over the last three seasons due to various ailments, hurting not only himself but also the Buffalo Sabres.  None of the other players in the top 10 have made anything close to a real impact on their teams.  Heck, in January 2008 alone Kris Beech was a member of four different NHL clubs.  If he is that expendable, he must not be too valuable of a player.

The rest of the 1999 first round is nothing to brag about either.  The only true impact players from the last 18 picks of the first round are Barrett Jackman and Martin Havlat, Havlat being the only other player from the first round to average over 0.5 ppg for his career.  Neither of them can stay healthy, each having shoulder ailments derail most of one or more seasons.  After eight NHL seasons that this first round is eligible to have played, the top 28 picks have combined for a total of just three All-Star selections.  Only the aforementioned Henrik Sedin, Martin Havlat, and Nick Boynton have been good enough to play in the league's midseason classic, each having made it once.  That is quite awful in my book.

To find the best player in the 1999 draft, you have to go all the way to the seventh round and the 210th pick.  This pick was then little-known Henrik Zetterberg.  Yes, Henrik Zetterberg, your 2008 Conn Smythe Trophy Winner, was picked behind 209 players, yet so far is better than all of them.  Zetterberg and fifth round pick/Buffalo Sabres franchise goalie Ryan Miller are the only other All-Stars from this draft class.  Other notable late round picks include Mike Comrie (third round), Ryan Malone (fourth), Martin Erat and Radim Vrbata (both seventh), the only other players from this draft to average over a point every other game.

As another measure of how bad this draft class is, only four players from the entire pool have won Stanley Cups.  Aside from Zetterberg, only George Parros (2007 Anaheim), Frantisek Kaberle and Mike Commodore (2006 Carolina) have Stanley Cup rings.  Nobody from the first round has won the Stanley Cup, and the only player from that round to have even played in the Finals is Oleg Saprykin.  Essentially, this draft is full of busts, mediocrity, and for the most part losers.  We can only hope that a class like this will not be repeated in 2008.  On the other hand, the next draft that I will evaluate is one that this year's new players will definitely want to emulate.


2003 NHL ENTRY DRAFT

Many hockey people are calling the 2003 draft one of the best in years, and for very good reason.  Over half of the draft's first round is making a big impact in the NHL so far, and several others have become solid players.  If you do not believe me, look at just the first 10 selections:

1. Pittsburgh Penguins - Marc-Andre Fleury
2. Carolina Hurricanes - Eric Staal
3. Florida Panthers - Nathan Horton
4. Columbus Blue Jackets - Nikolai Zherdev
5. Buffalo Sabres - Thomas Vanek
6. San Jose Sharks - Milan Michalek
7. Nashville Predators - Ryan Suter
8. Atlanta Thrashers - Braydon Coburn
9. Calgary Flames - Dion Phaneuf
10. Montreal Canadiens - Andrei Kostitsyn

Wow, that is one heck of a top 10.  Seven of those players have already played over 200 NHL games, and all have played over 100.  All but Coburn are still with their original teams, with Coburn having been traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in 2007.  The only players from the top 10 not averaging over 0.5 points per game are Fleury, Suter, and Coburn, each of whom are goaltenders or defensemen.  This group has some very nice individual accomplishments as well.  Staal already has a 100 point season under his belt, while Vanek has scored 79 goals in the last two years.  Phaneuf has secured the group's first award nomination, having been named a finalist for the 2008 Norris Trophy.  Just think, none of these guys have even played five seasons yet.

As for the rest of the first round; well, those guys are no slouch either.  Jeff Carter, Dustin Brown, Steve Bernier, Zach Parise, Ryan Getzlaf, Mike Richards, and Corey Perry are all forwards who are averaging over 0.5 ppg.  Brent Seabrook, Brent Burns, and Ryan Kesler have become serviceable NHL players.  In fact, every first round pick has made his NHL debut except for the 12th pick, Hugh Jessiman (once again, nice job Rangers).  In all, only seven players from the 2003 first round have not played at least 100 NHL games yet, and within a couple of years that number could be even smaller.

The most impressive thing about the 2003 first round is that its players already have more All-Star appearances than the entire 1999 draft combined.  Staal and Phaneuf are already two time All-Stars, while Getzlaf, Richards, and Perry each made their first midseason classics in 2008.  I expect several more players from this draft to earn this honor, since many have just made their NHL debuts in the last 2-3 seasons and will get much better as they become seasoned veterans.

Plenty of other good players can be found in the 2003 draft.  Later rounders Patrice Bergeron, Patrick O'Sullivan, Lee Stempniak, and Joe Pavelski are all forwards who are averaging over a point every other game.  Solid players like Loui Eriksson, Shea Weber, Lasse Kukkonen, and Dustin Byfuglien are later round picks who have all played over 100 games each.  Most importantly, this draft has some winners, as four players (Staal and Anaheim's Getzlaf, Perry, and Drew Miller) have won Stanley Cups, equaling the entire 1999 class.  Fleury played in this year's Finals, and will likely be involved in several more considering the team he is surrounded by.

The 2003 NHL Entry Draft is impressive already, yet most of these guys have not even hit anything close to their peaks.  Considering the immense amount of talent it has given the league, I am hard pressed to declare who is the best player in the draft, as many of them can put up a good argument for that title.  In about 30 years, when all of the Class of 2003 is retired, we might end up saying that this was the best draft class of all time.  Just remember, if that happens, that I called it way back in 2008.





May 15, 2008

HOW PAUL HOLMGREN REBUILT THE FLYERS

The Philadelphia Flyers' turnaround from worst team in the NHL in 2006-07 to Eastern Conference Finalist in 2007-08 is one of the more impressive rebounds in recent years.  The league does not give out an official "Executive of the Year" award, but if they did, Flyers General Manager Paul Holmgren would likely be its unanimous winner.  Philadelphia is only the second team in NHL history to make the Conference Finals a year after finishing as the league's worst team, with the 1986-87 Detroit Red Wings being the other.  Their 2007-08 team finished with 42 wins and 95 points, an improvement of 20 wins and 39 points from the previous campaign, one that was the worst in team history.

Of course, this transformation did not happen overnight, as it took over a year's worth of the right moves to make it happen.  The start of this rebuilding project took place on October 22, 2006, when then GM Bob Clarke resigned and the club fired head coach Ken Hitchcock.  Clarke gets a lot of credit for stepping down, realizing that he had made a big mess and was no longer capable of being an NHL General Manager.  He did a very good job before the lockout, building Flyers teams that made the playoffs 10 years in a row while making three Conference Finals and one Stanley Cup Finals.  However, his post-lockout roster was full of big and slow players in a league that now required teams with speed and skill.  Holmgren, who immediately took over as General Manager, realized this and made sure he brought in players who fit that description.

Now, I will give a detailed account of the important moves that Flyers management made to jump nine spots in the conference standings.  Some of them will make other GMs look stupid, but hey, it's their fault for making these moves.  Hopefully, these moves will keep the Flyers competitive for years and even help them win the Stanley Cup, something the franchise has not done since 1975.


December 11, 2006 - Flyers waive Petr Nedved

This was technically the second time that Philadelphia had gotten rid of this 35 year old center, as they had originally put him on waivers back in October.  Nedved was never anything close to an effective player during his very short tenure in the City of Brotherly Love.  In 21 games he recorded just one goal and six assists while posting a brutal -20 plus/minus rating.  He ended up catching on with the Edmonton Oilers later that season, just one of many questionable moves Edmonton would make under the reign of GM Kevin Lowe.  You will see more on Lowe later on.


December 16, 2006 - Flyers trade Fred Meyer and a conditional 3rd round draft pick to the New York Islanders for Alexei Zhitnik

I'm not quite sure why this trade was made, since Zhitnik ended up playing just 31 games for the Flyers, recording three goals and 10 assists.  However, this acquisition ended up setting the table for another trade that would be critical to Philadelphia's success in 2007-08.


December 20, 2006 - Flyers trade Randy Robitaille to the New York Islanders for Mike York and a 5th round draft pick

This trade is more about getting rid of Robitaille than acquiring York.  Robitaille was actually not that bad, recording 17 points in 28 games.  Still, he likely was not going to fit Philadelphia's future plans, so they shipped him off for Mike York, whose contract would expire at the end of the season.


February 15, 2007 - Flyers trade Peter Forsberg to Nashville for Scottie Upshall, Ryan Parent, and two draft picks (1st and 3rd)

This move proved that the Flyers were serious about tearing down the whole operation and starting over.  They shipped out their biggest star since Eric Lindros in Peter Forsberg and got an excellent haul in return.  Scottie Upshall is a physical forward with 20 goal potential and is only 25 years old, while Ryan Parent is a 20 year old former first round pick who could turn into a solid stay at home defenseman.  This move ended up working out poorly for the Predators.  Despite their best regular season ever, Nashville was eliminated in the first round of the 2007 playoffs and did not re-sign Forsberg after the season was over.  There actually was good cause for not bringing Forsberg back, as you will see later.


February 24, 2007 - Flyers trade Alexei Zhitnik to Atlanta for Braydon Coburn

Congratulations to Don Waddell for making one of the dumbest trades of the decade with this stinker.  The Thrashers' GM sent Coburn, a 22 year old former first round pick who is 6'5", 220 lbs and is a great two way defenseman, to the Flyers.  In return, Atlanta received Alexei Zhitnik, a 35 year old defender who is past his prime and recorded all of eight points in 65 games this season.  What was Waddell thinking?  This would be like dumping your hot, young girlfriend for a middle aged woman who was divorced three times and has four children.  Yes, the Thrashers needed some veteran experience to gear up for the 2007 playoffs, their first postseason ever.  They also acquired Keith Tkachuk and Eric Belanger for this purpose.  However, every move they made backfired badly, as Atlanta was swept out of the first round by the Rangers and did not re-sign Tkachuk or Belanger.  The Thrashers sank to being the third worst team in the NHL in 2007-08.  Waddell should consider himself lucky he still has his job after those debacles.


February 26, 2007 - Flyers trade Kyle Calder to Chicago for Lasse Kukkonen and a 3rd round pick

While not making a whole lot of noise, this move ended up working out well for Philadelphia.  They shipped out Kyle Calder, who is a perennial loser and posted an awful -31 rating for the Flyers before getting traded.  Nothing against Calder, but it seems that everywhere he goes, losing follows him.  In return, Philadelphia got a third round pick and Kukkonen, who has become a solid stay at home defenseman and one of the Flyers' best shot blockers.  Calder then got shipped to the Red Wings, where he got just his second taste of the playoffs.  Sadly, he then went to the Los Angeles Kings in 2007-08, once again playing for a loser.


February 27, 2007 - Flyers trade 2nd round pick for Martin Biron

One of Philadelphia's noted struggles in recent years is their trouble finding a franchise goaltender.  They may have finally found one in Martin Biron, and all they had to give up for him was a second round pick.  Biron has done a very good job for the Flyers this season, winning 30 games and leading them to the Eastern Conference Finals in his first postseason ever.  At age 30, he is not quite a youngster, but still probably has a lot of years ahead as Philadelphia's #1 netminder.  Perhaps he learned a lot of nice tricks after backing up Dominik Hasek for three seasons.


Summer 2007 - Flyers choose not to re-sign Dmitri Afanasenkov, Mike York, Todd Fedoruk, and Robert Esche

Two words can describe those four players:  Dead Weight.  None of them were particularly important to Philadelphia's potential success, short term or long term, so they were let go.  Afanasenkov and York each had expiring contracts, leaving the Flyers some cap room to go after a big free agent in the offseason.  Fedoruk was a good fighter and fan favorite, but with enforcers Ben Eager and Riley Cote already in the fold, "The Fridge" was very expendable.  The easiest player to let go was probably Robert Esche.  From the 2006 playoffs on, Esche was simply terrible.  In that postseason and the 06-07 regular season, Esche went just 7-13-1 while posting a GAA over 4 and a save percentage under .880.  Plus, with Martin Biron and Antero Niittymaki on board, he was no longer needed.


June 19, 2007 - Flyers trade first round pick to Nashville for the rights to Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell

This trade almost seems moronic, but the Predators had a good reason to give up on two good players that easily.  Nashville was in the process of selling their team, and therefore wanted to keep their payroll low during this transitional period.  For this reason, they decided they could not afford players like Timonen, Hartnell, Peter Forsberg, and Paul Kariya.  Nashville was smart in receiving a first round pick for two players they were not going to re-sign rather than losing them for nothing.  Meanwhile, Philadelphia got a very good duo of players in this trade.  Timonen is an outstanding two way defenseman who was one of the Flyers' two All-Stars in 2007-08, while Hartnell is a gritty, physical forward with three 20 goal seasons under his belt.  With Hartnell just 25 years old and Timonen a not-too-old 32, these two should be part of Philadelphia's core for the next five years or longer.


July 2, 2007 - Flyers sign free agent Daniel Briere; trade Joni Pitkanen, Geoff Sanderson, and 2009 3rd round pick for Jason Smith and Joffrey Lupul

In terms of making player personnel moves, this day could be one of the greatest in Flyers history.  They signed Daniel Briere, a very quick and highly skilled playmaking center, away from the Buffalo Sabres, who also lost center Chris Drury to the New York Rangers.  Briere ended up leading the Flyers in goals this past season and is currently their leading scorer in the playoffs.  Thanks, Buffalo!

As for the trade with Edmonton, Paul Holmgren should be arrested for highway robbery because he stole two solid players from the Oilers while essentially giving up dead weight.  Pitkanen is a good offensive backliner but a huge liability on defense, as his -25 rating from 2006-07 would indicate.  Geoff Sanderson is likely done as an NHL player, recording just 13 points in 41 games this year at the age of 35.  Meanwhile, the Flyers got a young forward with 40 goal potential (Lupul) and their current captain (Smith) in this deal.  How does Kevin Lowe still have his job as Oilers GM after this idiotic trade?


October 3, 2007 - Flyers sign free agent Jim Dowd

This move was probably the most minor of everything Paul Holmgren has done over the last year and a half, but still a good one.  Dowd has provided the Flyers with outstanding leadership and has been a tough, gritty fourth line forward.  He has clicked well on Philly's checking line with Sami Kapanen and Patrick Thoresen, whose acquisition will be addressed later.  Dowd knows what it takes to win the Cup, having done so with New Jersey in 1995.  He will be a free agent after this season, and at age 39 his career may be done, but his time with the Flyers was well served.  Also, by playing for Philadelphia, Dowd reached double digits in the number of teams he has played for in his career, with the Flyers being his 10th NHL club.


December 18, 2007 - Flyers trade Ben Eager to Chicago for Jim Vandermeer

Once again, Holmgren turned a player he knew the Flyers did not need into something they did.  He shipped out extraneous enforcer Ben Eager for what he thought would be a solid backliner in Jim Vandermeer.  Unfortunately, Vandermeer proved to be a liability on defense, making several critical mistakes that led to opposing goals.  Holmgren made up for this mistake by shipping Vandermeer to Calgary for a third round pick on February 20, 2008.  Vandermeer would then help the Calgary Flames lose in the first round by making more dumb mistakes and finishing with a team worst -6 rating.  The Flames should be mad they actually gave up something for this guy.


February 23, 2008 - Flyers claim Patrick Thoresen off of Waivers from Edmonton

Once again, Philadelphia got something decent from Edmonton, this time literally for free.  The Flyers claimed Thoresen off of waivers and assembled the aforementioned fourth line with him, Kapanen, and Dowd.  While not scoring much, Thoresen helped provide energy and an emotional lift for the Orange and Black.  At just 24 years old, he could help replace Jim Dowd's presence as the primary grinder on the fourth line while being a Flyer for years to come.


February 25, 2008 - Flyers trade Alexandre Picard and a 2009 conditional pick for Vaclav Prospal

Philadelphia's final move before the 2008 trade deadline was another gem.  They brought skilled left wing Vinny Prospal back for his second stint as a Flyer to help alleviate the loss of star LW Simon Gagne, who has missed most of the season with concussion-like symptoms.  Philly did not have to give up very much to bring Prospal in, trading extra defender Alexandre Picard and a pick that will likely be in the lower rounds.  Propsal clicked with Danny Briere quickly, producing 14 points in 18 regular season games while having a great postseason until the Conference Finals.  Should Simon Gagne have to call it quits due to his concussion problems, Prospal should make sure the Flyers don't miss him too much, pending the team re-signs the unrestricted free agent to be.






May 8, 2008

TOP 5 CONFERENCE FINALS' SINCE 1993

I have followed hockey closely since I 1993, when I was eight years old.  I have seen thousands of games, and among those have been some outstanding playoff series'.  Since the NHL's Conference Finals round starts tonight, I have decided to present to you my picks for the top five Conference Finals series' since 1993.  All of them were great, so rather than putting them in a certain order of greatness, I will instead simply post them in chronological order.  Did I miss anything, or do you simply disagree with anything I wrote?  You know what to do.


1993 CLARENCE CAMPBELL CONFERENCE FINALS - Los Angeles Kings vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

This would be the last time the Campbell Conference Finals would be thusly named, as next year the conferences simply became Eastern and Western.  This series was a clash between an up and coming team and one trying to get back to its roots.  Los Angeles was vying for its first appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals since entering the league in 1967, while Toronto was looking to get back to the Finals for the first time since that very same year.  There was no shortage of star power in this series, especially in glamorous L.A.  The Kings featured future Hall-of-Famers Wayne Gretzky, Jari Kurri, and Luc Robitaille (likely will be inducted next year).  Toronto did not have guys exactly of that caliber, but still had plenty of good players such as Doug Gilmour, Felix "The Cat" Potvin, and likely future HOFer Dave Andreychuk.

As expected, this was a physical series, and Los Angeles' Marty McSorley set the tone immediately with a big open ice hit on Gilmour.  The series was tied 2-2 after four games, with Toronto taking a 3-2 lead thanks to an overtime win by the same margin in Game 5.  Los Angeles forced Game 7 with a 5-4 win at home two nights later.  In Game 7, Wayne Gretzky put on one of his best shows ever by recording a hat trick that included the winning goal in the third period.  The Kings won the series 4-3 to advance to their first Finals, where they would get beaten in five games by the Montreal Canadiens.  The Kings have not been back to the fourth round since, but that's not too bad compared to Toronto's drought, as the Maple Leafs still have not been back to the Finals since 1967.

Highlights of that historic Game 7


1994 EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS - New Jersey Devils vs. New York Rangers

The league's closest rivalry, known as the "Hudson River Rivalry," would take place with its greatest stakes ever in May 1994.  These two teams, just six miles apart, played a legendary seven game series for the right to face the Vancouver Canucks in the Stanley Cup Finals.  New Jersey was in the Conference Finals for just the second time in franchise history, having lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in 1988.  New York was simply trying to end the longest Stanley Cup drought in the NHL at 54 years.  With the likes of New Jersey's Scott Stevens and Martin Brodeur facing Mark Messier, Brian Leetch, and Mike Richter, there was no shortage of great players in this clash.

The series included three multiple overtime games, as neither team would give their opponents an inch.  New Jersey ended up jumping ahead 3-2 and had a chance to close the series out on home ice in Game 6.  Mark Messier made hockey's version of Joe Namath's guarantee in Super Bowl III, guaranteeing that the Rangers would win Game 6.  He backed this up by recording a hat trick in a 4-2 Rangers win, forcing Game 7 back at Madison Square Garden. 

In this do-or-die Game 7, a Brian Leetch goal gave the Rangers a first period lead that held up until there were just 7.7 seconds remaining in regulation, when Valeri Zelepukin scored what was at that point the biggest goal in Devils' history.  The teams played into two overtimes, when Stephane Matteau scored one of the most famous goals in New York history to give the Rangers a 2-1 win and a berth in the Finals.  New York beat Vancouver in seven games in the Cup Finals to finally end their Stanley Cup drought.

Matteau's legendary goal in overtime of Game 7


2000 WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS - Colorado Avalanche vs. Dallas Stars

For the second year in a row, Colorado and Dallas met for the right to represent the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals, with Dallas winning this meeting in seven games in 1999.  The Stars ended up beating the Buffalo Sabres in the Finals in six games to win their first Stanley Cup.  This would be the case again, except the games would end up being even closer.  Four of the games in the 2000 Western Finals were decided by just one goal, including each of the last three.  Each lineup was chock full of Future Hall-of-Famers.  Dallas was led by Brett Hull, Mike Modano, Sergei Zubov, and Ed Belfour, while Colorado featured Patrick Roy, Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, and the recently acquired Raymond Bourque, who was trying to win his first Stanley Cup after 21 NHL seasons.  To do so, the Avalanche would have to try once again to get through "Big D."

The teams split the first four games, with the home and road teams each winning twice.  Home ice advantage would be critical the rest of the series, as the home team won each of the last three games.  Dallas started this stretch by taking Game 5 3-2 in overtime, the winning goal coming courtesy of a Joe Nieuwendyk deflection.  Chris Drury countered this by beginning to imprint his legacy as a clutch player in Game 6, scoring the winning goal with 3:53 left in the third period in a 2-1 Avalanche victory.  For the second year in a row, the Avalanche and Stars would face off in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals.

The Stars hosted Game 7 and stormed out to a 3-0 lead, which they carried into the third period.  Two quick Colorado goals in the first 10 minutes of the final stanza cut the margin to 3-2, and the Avs kept pressing throughout the third.  They nearly tied the game with 10 seconds left, as an Adam Deadmarsh deflection hit the post.  Dallas won to advance to their second straight Finals, but was unable to defend their title as they lost to the New Jersey Devils in six games.  Ray Bourque would finally raise Lord Stanley's Cup a year later as the Avs beat the defending champion Devils in seven games.

Nieuwendyk ends Game 5 in overtime


2003 EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS - New Jersey Devils vs. Ottawa Senators

As much as I hate the Devils, I have to admit they have played some exciting playoff hockey.  This was certainly the case in their Eastern Conference Final series with the Ottawa Senators in May 2003.  For the first time since the conferences were renamed, the East's top seeded teams faced off for the right to play for hockey's "Holy Grail."  Ottawa was a greenhorn in the league semifinals, making their first trip there since being reborn in 1992.  The Devils were very much used to being this far on the other hand, playing in their third Conference Final in four years and fifth in ten years.  Which style would win out:  New Jersey's defensive toughness, or Ottawa's offensive skill and creativity?

The Senators jumped out to a 1-0 series lead thanks to a Game 1 overtime win at home, with Shaun Van Allen putting home the game winning goal.  The Devils would take the series over and build a 3-1 lead by winning the next three games, outscoring Ottawa 10-3 in the process.  Ottawa decided to let  rookie phenom Jason Spezza make his playoff debut for Game 5, and it paid off as he produced a goal and an assist in a 3-1 Senators victory.  Game 6 in New Jersey went to overtime, where Chris Phillips scored to give the Devils their only home loss of the 2003 playoffs and force a Game 7 in front of a rabid, bloodthirsty crowd at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa. 

The Sens started off the scoring in Game 7 with a Magnus Arvedson goal in the first period, and got another courtesy of Radek Bonk early in the third.  Two quick Devils goals in the second led to a 2-2 tie, which was the score for most of the third period until the 17:46 mark.  Jeff Friesen scored with just 2:14 to go to send the Devils to their third Finals in four years, ripping the hearts out of the Senators and their fans alike.  New Jersey would go on to defeat the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to win the franchise's third Stanley Cup.

Friesen commits a gaffe that leads to an Ottawa goal in Game 7, but redeems himself in a big way


2004 EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS - Philadelphia Flyers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

Those who know me well probably think this is a biased pick since the Flyers were involved, but this really was an outstanding series by any measure.  Tampa Bay was in its first Eastern Conference Finals series ever, while Philadelphia was there for the fourth time in ten seasons.  Just like the ages of the franchises, it was largely young up and coming players (Lightning) vs. grizzled veterans making one last push at a championship (Flyers).  Tampa Bay's core of Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards, Dan Boyle, and Martin St. Louis consisted of star players who were each under the age of 30.  Conversely, Flyers stars like Mark Recchi, John Leclair, Jeremy Roenick, and Keith Primeau, while all still very effective players, were all over 30.  Would this age difference matter?

The two teams split the first two games, then the first four, with the teams alternating wins.  Tampa continued the trend by taking Game 5 4-2 at home thanks largely to three power play goals.  Could the Flyers keep the alternation going by winning Game 6 in front of a raucous Wachovia Center crowd?  Tampa Bay scored first for the fifth time in the series but the Flyers rebounded to take leads of 2-1 and 3-2.  Two Ruslan Fedotenko goals in the second period put the Lightning in front heading into the third, and the game stayed that way until there was just 1:49 left.  Keith Primeau, labeled "Suprimeau" by the Flyers before Game 6, backed that name up by scoring the tying goal, then assisting on Simon Gagne's game-winner 18:18 into overtime to send the series back to Tampa for Game 7. 

Unfortunately for the Flyers, by that point their age caught up to them, as they had exhausted most of their energy forcing the now necessary final game.  A major example of this was defenseman Danny Markov blowing what should have been a routine icing touch-up in the first period, leading to a Lightning scoring chance.  Goals by Fedotenko (scored 7 against his old team in the series) and Fredrik Modin gave Tampa Bay a 2-0 lead, and while Kim Johnsson got one back for Philadelphia in the second period, that was all of the offense the dead, tired Flyers could muster.  The Lightning won Game 7 2-1 and advanced to their first Stanley Cup Finals, where they would beat the Calgary Flames in seven for the franchise's first championship.

Game 6 tying and winning goals






April 17, 2008

THE FIVE WORST TEAMS OF THE NHL'S MODERN ERA

Most people remember the very best single season teams in NHL history, but not all remember the league's worst teams.  Today, I am here to tell you all about my choices for the five worst teams from the NHL's Modern Era, which means since the 1967-68 season.  I chose that time period because the league added its first expansion teams in 1967, adding on St. Louis, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Los Angeles, and the now defunct Oakland Seals.  Expansion teams are allowed to qualify for this list, but a certain franchise can only be listed once.  For instance, the Ottawa Senators and Washington Capitals were horrendous in each of their first few years, but I can only choose one of those awful teams. 

First, I'll list my five "Dishonorable Mention" teams, in that they were really bad, but not quite bad enough to make my list:


1969-70 Los Angeles Kings          14-52-10, 38 points - Major regression from 72 point first year

1972-73 New York Islanders        12-60-6, 30 points - Left off b/c they were an expansion team

1973-74 California Golden Seals   13-55-10, 36 points - Franchise never won 30 games in a season

1975-76 Kansas City Scouts         12-56-12, 36 points - Moved to Denver, then New Jersey

1983-84 Pittsburgh Penguins        16-58-6, 38 points - Allowed Pitt to draft Mario Lemieux



Now, here are my choices for the five worst teams from 1967 to today; if you're a fan of one of these teams, you might want to cover your eyes.


5.  1980-81 WINNIPEG JETS     9-57-14, 32 points

Yikes, just 9 wins in 80 games for this team.  This was not an expansion team, but rather a second year club that was coming off of a 20 win, 51 point inaugural season, which is not completely awful for an expansion team.  Somehow they regressed the next year, winning less than half as many games and recording 19 fewer points than in their inaugural season.  As is the case for many really bad teams, the Jets led the league in goals allowed with 400, which in an 80 game season is an even average of 5 goals per game.  Winnipeg was also last in the league with 246 goals scored, just over 3 per game.  Nobody on the team averaged a point per game, as Dave Christian was their leading scorer with 71 points.  Five players scored 20+ goals, so the Jets were not completely inept on offense.  That was the case on defense though, since none of their players who played over 45 games were better than -15.  Defenseman Dave Babych led the way with a -61 rating, far and away the worst of his career.  The Jets were just a bad team all around.  Finishing last in either goals scored or goals allowed is bad enough; doing both results in a team making my list as one of the five worst in the expansion era.


4.  1989-90 QUEBEC NORDIQUES     12-61-7, 31 points

This team is particularly sad because not only were they not an expansion team, they were a well-established club in their 11th season.  The problem was that the Nordiques had a mix of a lot of players who were very young and superstars who were past their primes.  Of the 42 players who played at least one game for Quebec in 89-90, 36 were under the age of 30, 28 of whom were less than 25 years old.  The most prominent of these players was a second year man named Joe Sakic, who led the team in scoring with 102 points.  They also featured a near-retirement Guy Lafleur and Peter Stastny on the downswing of his career.  Quebec, like the Winnipeg Jets squad above, was last in the NHL in both goals scored and goals allowed, showing excellence in being bad.  The team certainly had trouble finding a #1 goaltender, using seven different netminders on the season.  This suckiness was not all for nothing; it allowed the Nordiques to draft Owen Nolan, a big part of their rise from last place, with the first overall pick in 1990.


3.  1992-93 OTTAWA SENATORS     10-70-4, 24 points

We finally have an expansion team with an excuse to be bad in the 92-93 Senators.  That being said, this was still an absolutely brutal team.  In a season where a record 21 players recorded over 100 points and clubs were scoring with ease, Ottawa managed to score only 202 goals, easily the lowest total in the league.  This team's forwards were completely inept, as none of them even managed 50 points.  Their leading scorer, with 63 points, was defenseman Norm MacIver, who also managed to pile up a spectacular -46 rating.  That rating was not even the worst on the team, with defenders Chris Luongo and Brad Shaw each finishing at -47.  The Senators failed to win even 20 games in each of their first four seasons, but have not missed the playoffs since first qualifying in 1997.  This can be attributed to great drafting; see for yourself.


2.  1992-93 SAN JOSE SHARKS     11-71-2, 24 points

It was a close call between the Sharks and Ottawa Senators from 1992-93 for this spot, but the Sharks get the edge for a couple of reasons.  First off, since there is a lot more parity in today's NHL, they set a record that will likely never be broken with 71 losses.  Secondly, unlike the Sens, San Jose was not an expansion team but a really bad second year team.  The Sharks regressed from their first season by posting 6 fewer victories and 15 fewer points.  Their terribleness was largely thanks to being awful at defense and in net.  San Jose allowed a league high 414 goals that season while using four different goaltenders.  Check out Jeff Hackett's line from 92-93:  2-30-1, 5.28 GAA, .856 save percentage.  Hackett certainly did not have a lot of help out there, but this has to be the worst season by a goaltender who played more than a handful of games ever.  Fortunately for Sharks fans, these bad times would not last too much longer, as San Jose made the playoffs for the first time the next season and even upset top seeded Detroit in the first round.


1.  1974-75 WASHINGTON CAPITALS     8-67-5, 21 points

We have arrived at the top (or bottom, however you want to look at it) of our list, the expansion 1974-75 Washington Capitals.  Not only is this the worst team in the modern era, this is probably one of the worst teams in NHL history.  Name any aspect of the game, and the Capitals were really bad at it.  They were last in both goals for (181) and goals allowed (446), with their goals allowed total setting an NHL record for the highest in a season ever.  Their penalty kill and power play ratings were each about 8% below the league average, likely the worst special teams performance in a single season.  The best (you read it right, best) plus/minus of a Capital who played over 40 games was -26.  Defensemen Bill Mikkelson recorded a -82 rating, a record that will never be even remotely approached.  The team also had considerable trouble scoring, with Tommy Williams' 22 goals and 36 assists both easily leading the Capitals.  Their point total and win total are both modern era records for the fewest in a season.  I know this was an expansion team, which back then was a great excuse to be horrendous.  Still, the play of the 1974-75 Capitals was at a level that few teams have ever reached, and most likely one that nobody will ever approach again.





April 3, 2008

MY SECRET TO WINNING THE STANLEY CUP

In my opinion, winning the Stanley Cup is the hardest thing to do in professional sports, from a team standpoint.  You have to win 16 games over a two month span in a grueling physical tournament while constantly traveling back and forth to each team's city.  There are many obvious keys to winning the Cup, such as timely goal scoring, great goaltending, and out-hitting your opponent.  However, one key that is not so obvious is getting out of the first round quickly, and by quickly I mean in less than seven games.  Since the NHL adopted their current playoff format of four best-of-seven rounds in 1987, the Stanley Cup champion has won their first round series in less than seven games all but four times, and those were in a four year span from 1989-92.  It was probably inevitable that someone was going to win the Cup after a seven game first round series in 1992, as an NHL record six series went the distance.  Since 1993, every Stanley Cup champion has advanced out of Round 1 in six games or less.  My theory is that a team that goes the distance in the first round will get too exhausted to win three more playoff series', and therefore usually loses sooner than later.  To show you just how difficult it is to advance deep in the playoffs after a seven game first round, I will list the results of every first round series that went to seven games since 1997, which is a solid ten year sample.  I'll also show how each winning team did the rest of the postseason; considering what I said above, these results usually are not pretty.

1997

Buffalo over Ottawa

• 2nd Round - Philadelphia 4, Buffalo 1

Despite being in their first postseason ever, the Senators had no fear of the big, bad Northeast Division champion Buffalo Sabres.  In fact, Ottawa led the series 3-2 before allowing Buffalo to come back and win in seven.  Nonetheless, Buffalo set itself up for an easy second round knockout, and that's exactly what happened.  The eventual Eastern Conference champion Flyers breezed through the Sabres in five games, lighting up Dominik Hasek with 21 goals.

Anaheim over Phoenix

• 2nd Round - Detroit 4, Anaheim 0

Like Ottawa above, Anaheim was also in its first postseason ever, and got the luck of the draw in the Phoenix Coyotes, who were in their first season in the desert.  Anaheim pulled out a tough seven game win, but unfortunately had to face the eventual Stanley Cup champion Red Wings in Round 2.  The Mighty Ducks gave Detroit a good run, forcing overtime in three of the four games in the series.  The Red Wings' experience was just too much for Anaheim to overcome, and it would be six years before they got out of the first round again.

Edmonton over Dallas

• 2nd Round - Colorado 4, Edmonton 1

Seventh seeded Edmonton pulled off the biggest upset of the 1997 playoffs by beating the Central Division champion Dallas Stars in seven games.  It was certainly a tough win for the Oilers, who required three overtime wins to beat the Stars.  Not only were they tired after this series, but also severely overmatched in the second round, where they had to face defending champion Colorado.  The Avalanche disposed of Edmonton quickly, outscoring the Oilers 19-11 in a 4-1 series victory.

1998

Edmonton over Colorado

• 2nd Round - Dallas 4, Edmonton 1

For the second season in a row, Edmonton pulled off the West's biggest upset in the first round, this time beating the Pacific Division champion Avalanche.  Colorado actually took a 3-1 lead on the Oilers, then totally stopped scoring.  Edmonton held the Avs to just one goal in the final three games, including shutouts in Games 6 and 7.  Sadly for the Oilers, their offense disappeared in the second round, scoring just five goals in five games while losing to Dallas.

1999

Pittsburgh over New Jersey

• 2nd Round - Toronto 4, Pittsburgh 2

New Jersey choked in the first round as a #1 seed for the second year in a row, having lost to Ottawa in six in 1998.  Pittsburgh was two years removed from Mario Lemieux's first (or was it his second?) retirement, but still had leading scorer and 1999 Hart Trophy winner Jaromir Jagr, who powered the Pens through the first round.  He missed much of the second round with injuries, and without him the Penguins didn't have what it took to beat the top remaining seed Toronto Maple Leafs.

St. Louis over Phoenix

• 2nd Round - Dallas 4, St. Louis 2

After taking a 3-1 series lead, it looked like the Phoenix Coyotes would finally get out of the first round for the first time since 1987.  This did not happen though, as St. Louis mounted an incredible comeback to win the series that included two overtime wins in the desert.  The Blues then gave the Dallas Stars a good fight in the second round, pushing them to a 2-2 tie after four games.  By then, St. Louis had already played six overtime games, and this finally wore on them as the eventual Stanley Cup champion Stars won the last two games of the series to move on.

2000

San Jose over St. Louis

• 2nd Round - Dallas 4, San Jose 1

In 2000 eighth seeded San Jose pulled off one of the biggest playoff upsets ever by beating the President's Trophy-winning St. Louis Blues in the first round.  In Game 2, Blues defender Marc Bergevin somehow threw the puck into his own net, and from there Blues goalie Roman Turek lost just about all of his confidence, followed by losing the series.  The Sharks were overmatched in the second round though, scoring just seven goals in five games while losing to the defending champion Stars, who were on their way to a second straight Finals appearance.

2002

Toronto over New York Islanders

• 2nd Round - Toronto 4, Ottawa 3
• Eastern Conference Finals - Carolina 4, Toronto 2

Here we finally see a team get out of the second round after going the distance in the first.  Toronto played a rugged, hard-fought series against the Islanders, who were making their first playoff appearance in eight years.  The Leafs won, and then won in the second round against Ottawa, also going all the way to seven games against the Sens.  Fatigue was evident in the Leafs' Conference Final loss to the Carolina Hurricanes; three games went to overtime, and all three ended with Carolina on top, including the deciding Game 6.  Toronto has not gone this deep in the playoffs since.

Colorado over Los Angeles

• 2nd Round - Colorado 4, San Jose 3
• Western Conference Finals - Detroit 4, Colorado 3

This postseason was part of an NHL record that Colorado set that may never be broken.  The Avs went to seven games in all three of their playoff series' in 2002; this was part of their league record streak of five consecutive seven game playoff series from the 2001 Stanley Cup Finals to the 2003 first round.  Colorado nearly blew a 3-1 lead to the Kings in the first round, then had to come from down 3-2 to beat the Sharks.  They were somehow up 3-2 on the eventual champion Red Wings in the Conference Finals, but ran out of steam at the end of the series.  Detroit won the last two games by a combined score of 9-0, including a disastrous 7-0 rout in Game 7.

2003

Philadelphia over Toronto

• 2nd Round - Ottawa 4, Philadephia 2

Here, we have the clearest example of how fatiguing a seven game first round series can be.  The Flyers and Maple Leafs played the longest playoff series in NHL history in 2003.  Not only did all three games in Toronto go to overtime, they all went to at least a second overtime, with Game 4 extending to a third extra session.  Philly won and then kept up with the President's Trophy-winning Ottawa Senators for the first four games in the second round, tying the series at 2.  However, they were cooked after that, losing the last two games of the series by a combined 10-3.  Surely, playing the longest playoff series ever in the first round wore heavily on the Flyers by the end of the second round.

Vancouver over St. Louis

• 2nd Round - Minnesota 4, Vancouver 3

The Canucks appeared destined for an early first round exit, falling behind the Blues 3-1 while being outscored 14-4.  Vancouver's offense came alive just in time starting in Game 5, as the Canucks scored 13 goals in the final three games to come back and win the series.  Their second round series went completely the opposite direction, with Vancouver jumping out to a 3-1 lead on the upstart Minnesota Wild.  Offensively challenged Minnesota must have swapped bodies with the 1985 Edmonton Oilers from there on out, outscoring Vancouver 16-5 to win the final three games and move on to the Western Conference Finals.  Fatigue may have been an excuse, but the Wild could have also claimed that, as they also went seven games in the first round.

Minnesota over Colorado

• 2nd Round - Minnesota 4, Vancouver 3
• Western Conference Finals - Anaheim 4, Minnesota 0

The Wild appeared doomed in their first playoff series ever, falling behind 3-1 to the Northwest Division champion Colorado Avalanche.  Minnesota got themselves together and staged a miraculous comeback, winning the last three games of the series (the last two in overtime) for their first playoff series win ever.  As mentioned above, the Wild did the same thing to beat the Canucks in the second round.  Two consecutive seven game series' certainly took their toll on the Wild by the time they reached the Western Conference Finals.  Not only did the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim sweep the Wild in four games, they did so by shutting Minnesota out in three of them.  The Wild scored all of one goal in the series, setting a new NHL record for offensive futility in a best-of-seven series.

2004

Montreal over Boston

• 2nd Round - Tampa Bay 4, Montreal 0

For the second time in three years, the Canadiens and Bruins faced off in the first round, and once again Montreal came out on top.  Their 2004 win was rather tough, as the Canadiens fell behind 3-1 after four games, but rallied to win the final three by outscoring the B's 12-3.  By the time the second round rolled around, Montreal had way too many things working against them to advance any farther.  Their opponent was the ultra-talented Tampa Bay Lightning, who were well-rested after vanquishing the New York Islanders in five in the first round.  Montreal barely had a chance against Tampa, getting swept while getting outscored 14-5.  Oh well, at least the Canadiens beat their hated Original Six rivals in Round 1.

Toronto over Ottawa

• 2nd Round - Philadelphia 4, Toronto 2

The Maple Leafs went to Game 7 in the first round for the second year in a row, but this time they won, knocking off the rival Ottawa Senators for the fourth time in five years.  Just one game went to OT in this series, and that was Ottawa's Game 6 win in double overtime.  Once again, they were matched up against the Philadelphia Flyers, and despite their first round fatigue, the Leafs had the series knotted at two.  The Flyers took over in Games 5 and 6, winning 7-2 in Game 5 and then staving off a Toronto rally to take Game 6 in overtime.  Philadelphia would go on to run out of energy the next round, losing the Eastern Conference Finals to Tampa in seven.

Calgary over Vancouver

• 2nd Round - Calgary 4, Detroit 2
• Western Conference Finals - Calgary 4, San Jose 2
• Stanley Cup Finals - Tampa Bay 4, Calgary 3

Ahh, here we finally have a team having long term success in spite of a difficult first round series.  Calgary went the distance in their first round tilt with the division rival Canucks, losing Game 6 in triple overtime but rebounding to win Game 7 in extra time in Vancouver.  Next up for the Flames was President's Trophy-winning Detroit, with whom the Flames were tied 2-2 after four games.  Calgary then stepped their defensive game up big time in Games 5 and 6, shutting out the Red Wings 1-0 in each game to move on to the Western Conference Finals.  In the league semifinals against the Sharks, the Flames were able to take all three games in San Jose (while losing the first two at home) before closing out the series in front of a raucous home crowd in Game 6.  Calgary then was able to jump out to a 3-2 lead in the Stanley Cup Finals before the fatigue of playing their fourth long playoff series finally set in.  Tampa Bay scored first and won both Games 6 and 7 to capture their first Stanley Cup championship.  Calgary ended up playing 26 games in the 2004 postseason, which is just two games short of the maximum 28.  Though the Flames did not win the Cup, this crazy playoff run will live on forever in the minds of Flames fans.

2006

Anaheim over Calgary

• 2nd Round - Anaheim 4, Colorado 0
• Western Conference Finals - Edmonton 4, Anaheim 1

The 2006 postseason will mainly be remembered for a glut of upsets in the Western Conference, especially in the first round.  All four lower seeded teams won in Round 1, and this included the sixth seeded Mighty Ducks.  Anaheim came from down 3-2 to beat the defending Western Conference champion Flames (no playoffs in 2005 due to the lockout).  The Ducks then rolled over the Colorado Avalanche in Round 2, sweeping the Avs while outscoring them 16-4.  Anaheim ran out of steam when they got to the Western Finals, losing in five games to a bigger and more physical Edmonton Oilers team.  There was nothing to be ashamed of for the Ducks though, as this playoff run helped set the table for their historic 2007 postseason.  A major key to that:  Jacking Chris Pronger from the Oilers in the 2006 offseason.

2007

Vancouver over Dallas

• 2nd Round - Anaheim 4, Vancouver 1

Vancouver played a very tough series with the Dallas Stars in the 2007 first round.  The results of each game were very simple to determine.  If the Canucks scored, they won; if they were shut out, they obviously lost.  Well, Vancouver jumped out to a 3-1 lead, but was then shut out in Games 5 and 6, and for the first period and a half of Game 7.  The Canucks' offense finally came alive in the last two periods of Game 7, scoring twice in the second period and adding two empty netters in the third to finish off the Stars.  This long series put the Canucks at a big disadvantage in Round 2, where they would face the well-rested Anaheim Ducks.  Anaheim won their second round matchup in five games, outscoring Vancouver 14-8 on the way to their first Stanley Cup championship.


That is every seven game first round playoff series in the last ten postseasons.  As you saw, most of the teams who went the distance in the first round were often worn out and beaten down from those series', frequently leading to a quick second round exit.  Once in a while, a team like the 2004 Flames or the 1994 Canucks can make a big run despite a long first round, but even those special teams often end up running out of gas at some point.  I hope this piece this has put you in a playoffs-ready mood, as they start next week.  Unless you're a Devils, Rangers, Penguins, or Red Wings fan, good luck this postseason, and you better hope your team gets out of the first round in less than seven games; otherwise, their playoff run may not last too much longer.




March 27, 2008

MY 2007-08 "ALL-MUCK" TEAM - Updated to end of season

When it comes to recapping a sports season, most outlets have some kind of all-star team at the end of the year.  They'll tell you who they thought were the best players at each position and why.  I have decided to go in a different direction, as I will tell you all who I thought were the worst players in the NHL at each position this season.  I will call this my first annual "All-Muck" team as based on the name of my website.  The main qualification to be on the All-Muck team is having played at least 50 games for skaters and 15 for goalies.  Basically, I'm looking for a combination of minimal point production, a bad plus/minus rating, and a relatively low PIM total.  In essence, the guys on my team were almost completely useless to their NHL clubs in 2007-08.

CENTER

Andreas Karlsson, Tampa Bay:  This guy has never really been among the league leaders in anything, but this season he was especially bad.  Karlsson had a mere four points (2G 2A), a -7 rating, 10 PIM, and 31 shots on goal in 58 games played.  His four points were tied for fifth fewest among players with 50 games played, but most of those other guys are enforcers; Karlsson is not an enforcer by any means, as he has not fought once this year.  He also nearly gave star teammate Dan Boyle a concussion by accidentally kicking Boyle in the head while he wasn't wearing a helmet.  It was Boyle's fault for not wearing a helmet and a freak accident, but nonetheless it helped my case that Karlsson was detrimental to his team's efforts this season.

LEFT WING

Brad Larsen, Atlanta:  Larsen is another guy who has never been that great, yet has still found a way to sink to a new level of horribleness.  In 62 games he had four points on a goal and three assists, an atrocious -17 rating, 12 PIM, and 35 shots on goal.  He is tied with Andreas Karlsson for points and just like him is not an enforcer.  Larsen was especially useless in the last two months, as he is currently on a 31 game scoreless streak.  This is a guy who was not quite this bad each of the previous two seasons, combining for 28 points in those years.  Somehow, he just isn't making the plays this year, and that's why he made my All-Muck team.

RIGHT WING

Dallas Drake, Detroit:  Holy hell, what happened to this guy?  Drake used to be a relatively productive NHL player, with 477 career points that includes four 40 point seasons.  However, this year he has not been very good in any fashion.  Drake played 65 games, and his stat line reads like this:  3 goals, 3 assists, -12, 41 PIM, 46 shots on goal.  How the heck can you be -12 on the Detroit Red Wings?  Was Drake out there for every goal allowed this season?  He is a pretty good fighter for the most part, but he hasn't fought since January 2 for some reason.  Drake's career might not last too much longer; he is a career +25 but has a rating of -39 the last three seasons.  It's apparent to me that Detroit's success this season is not thanks to Drake but in spite of him.

DEFENSE

Mike Weaver, Vancouver:  Weaver will never be labeled an offensive guru, as his 24 points in 200 career games would indicate.  This season he has somehow found a way to leave that career point total almost the same as it was after 2006-07.  Weaver finished with a grand total of one point in 55 games played in 2007-08.  If not for 33 PIM (one fight included) and 29 shots on goal, his stat line for the entire year would be a bunch of zeros.  What I'm wondering is how this guy is a defenseman in the first place.  At 5'9" and 182 pounds he is rather small to be a backliner, since most NHL defenders are usually 6' and 200 pounds or larger.  Maybe this guy is a good shot blocker or something, because there has to be some reason the Canucks are still employing him.

Brad Lukowich, Tampa Bay:  Of the five skaters on my list, Lukowich got the most ice time at 17 minutes per game.  This could be why he is the top scorer on the All-Muck team with a whopping seven points (1G 6A).  The rest of his numbers don't look so great though.  He finished -15, accumulated just 20 PIM (no fights), and placed only 28 shots on goal.  Lukowich's plus/minus was his worst since 2000, where he was somehow -14 on a Dallas Stars team that reached the Stanley Cup Finals.  He is currently on an impressive 45 game goalless drought; end it soon, Brad.

GOALTENDER

Andrew Raycroft, Toronto:  We have arrived at my favorite pick for the All-Muck team, and the main reason that I made this team.  Andrew Raycroft has arguably been the worst goaltender in the NHL this season, and his statistics certainly support that label.  He has a 2-9-5 record with a 3.92 GAA, .876 save percentage, and somehow, one shutout (hang your head in shame, Buffalo).  The Maple Leafs gave him 16 starts this year, and Paul Maurice had to yank him early three times.  His GAA was under 3.00 in just four of his 19 total appearances.  Raycroft had the worst GAA and save percentage among all goaltenders with at least 15 games played.  It's amazing how far he has fallen since 2003-04, when he won the Calder Trophy as the league's rookie of the year with the Boston Bruins.


That's all for my first annual All-Muck team.  These are, in my opinion, the six worst players in the NHL this season.  Do you have any disagreements or choices that I omitted?  If so, let me know on my guestbook, thanks.




March 20, 2008 - Updated to end of 2007-08 season

MARTIN BRODEUR:  GREATEST GOALIE EVER?

As a die-hard Philadelphia Flyers fan, I'll start off by saying that I hate Martin Brodeur.  He has beaten the Orange and Black dozens of times in his career since becoming the New Jersey Devils' starting goaltender in 1993-94, including twice in the Eastern Conference Finals.  He has made life miserable for the Flyers and their fans so often, many of us expect to lose going into a game vs. the Devils, especially in New Jersey.  However, credit must be given when it is due, and I can't give any more credit to Brodeur than in the following sentence:  I think Martin Brodeur is the greatest goaltender in NHL history.  That can easily be argued, sure, but one thing that is not disputable is that Brodeur is the greatest goalie in the last fifteen years.  Consider that during the last fifteen years, Brodeur is unmatched in the following categories:

• Durability:  Since 1995-96, Brodeur has played in at least 70 games all but one year (96-97).  He has done this in nine straight seasons, and with two more starts this year it will become ten.  Somehow, the guy just doesn't get hurt, or if he does it is never a serious injury.
• Consistency:  Marty has won 30+ games for twelve straight seasons.  In his entire career, he has had a GAA of over 2.50 just once, and that was in 2005-06 when he was a bit slow to adjust to the new post-lockout rules.  He has never had a save percentage below .900, which is very impressive considering the Devils' defense has consistently kept shots away from Brodeur.  Facing a small amount of shots can often lead to bad save percentages, but that hasn't been the case for Brodeur.
• Excellence:  During Brodeur's tenure as Devils goaltender, he has won three Stanley Cup championships. The only other goaltender to earn three Cup rings from 1993-94 to now is Chris Osgood, and he was a backup for one of those title runs.
• Loyalty:  His entire career has been spent as a New Jersey Devil, and ONLY a Devil.

One could argue that Dominik Hasek has been just as good as Brodeur, or even better.  Certainly, he has been consistent, and he has won more Vezina trophies during the last 15 years (6, compared to 3 for Marty).  However, he loses big time in the other three categories.  Don't even get me started on durability, since Hasek's groin has often been weaker than a wet tissue.  Groin injuries caused him to miss a majority of the 1999-2000, 03-04, and 05-06 seasons.  He has also won two Stanley Cups to Brodeur's three, though that is not entirely his fault because he played on many subpar Buffalo Sabres teams.  As for loyalty, Hasek played for three different teams (Buffalo, Detroit, Ottawa) during that time span, so he definitely loses there.

To make my case for Brodeur being the greatest of all-time, he is the owner of the following NHL records:

• Most consecutive 30 win seasons - 12 (1995-96-present)
  
• Most consecutive 40 win seasons - 3 (2005-06-present)
  
• Most wins in a season - 48 (2006-07)
• Most minutes played in a season - 4696 (2006-07)
• Most 40+ win seasons - 7
  
• Most career overtime wins - 45
  
• Youngest to win 300, 400, and 500 games

If that isn't enough, here are a few NHL records that he is rapidly approaching and will almost certainly break if he keeps playing like he is now.  Numbers are updated through the end of the 2007-2008 season:

• Most career wins - 551, Patrick Roy (Brodeur 538)
• Most career shutouts - 103, Terry Sawchuk (Brodeur 96)
• Most 30 or more win seasons - 13, Patrick Roy (Brodeur 12)
• Most career games played - 1029, Patrick Roy (Brodeur 968)
• Most career minutes played - 60,235, Patrick Roy (Brodeur 57,208)

This should be more than enough, but just to further prove my point, I have made a comprehensive list of every other team's starting goalies since Brodeur first became New Jersey's main man in 1993-94.  If you're a Kings, Islanders, or Lightning fan, you might want to look away, because it's gonna get very ugly.  Or, you may want to look if you're unsure why these teams sucked for so long; one of the answers is absolutely bad goaltending.


ATLANTA THRASHERS:

• Norm Maracle, 1999-2000
• Damian Rhodes, 2000-01
• Milan Hnilicka, 2001-02
• Pasi Nurminen, 2002-04
• Kari Lehtonen, 2005-present

Atlanta first played in the 1999-2000 season, and goaltender instability is expected for an expansion team.  Pasi Nurminen did a decent job in his two seasons as starter, but during the lockout he tore up his knee so badly that his career ended that day.  The Thrashers may have finally found their man with Kari Lehtonen, the #2 overall pick in 2002.  He looks like he could be their top netminder for a long time.


ANAHEIM DUCKS

• Guy Hebert, 1993-2001
• Jean-Sebastian Giguere, 2001-present

This is the only team besides the Devils to use fewer than three goaltenders from 1993-2008.  Guy Hebert did a solid job for the expansion Ducks, getting them into the playoffs twice.  Giguere took over from there in a seamless transition and has (obviously) been the Ducks' best goaltender ever.  He has taken them to the conference finals three times, the finals twice, and last year helped them win hockey's holy grail.  If Giguere keeps playing well and has good personnel around him, a Brodeur-like career is not a long shot by any means.


BOSTON BRUINS

• Jon Casey, 1993-94
• Blaine Lacher, 94-95
• Bill Ranford, 95-97
• Byron Dafoe, 97-2002
• Steve Shields, 02-03
• Andrew Raycroft, 03-04
• Tim Thomas, 05-present

Yuck, seven goalies in fifteen years.  That's an average of a new starting netminder every two seasons.  This instability is a major reason that the Bruins have not been a Stanley Cup contender since Ray Bourque and Cam Neely were in their primes.  Byron Dafoe was OK for five seasons but never got Boston out of the second round.  Tim Thomas has been doing well for the B's recently, but at age 33 who knows how much time he has left.


BUFFALO SABRES

• Dominik Hasek, 1993-99
• Martin Biron, 99-2000
• Hasek, 2000-01
• Biron, 01-04
• Ryan Miller, 05-present

Dominik Hasek is obviously the greatest goalie in Sabres history, and was their top guy for most of this time period.  He missed much of the 1999-2000 season with a groin injury, then was traded in the 01 offseason because the Sabres could no longer afford him.  Ryan Miller has done a very good job since taking over as the starter after the lockout, getting Buffalo to the conference finals twice.  At age 27, Miller is most definitely going to be Buffalo's franchise goalie for a long time.


CALGARY FLAMES

• Mike Vernon, 1993-94
• Trevor Kidd, 94-97
• Rick Tabaracci, 97-98
• Fred Brathwaite, 98-2001
• Roman Turek, 01-03
• Miikka Kiprusoff, 03-present

It's no wonder the Flames went 15 years between playoff wins from 1989-2004.  Their often subpar goaltending was a reason that these guys didn't even make the playoffs a lot of that time, let alone getting beyond Round 1.  Only when they traded for current starter Kiprusoff in 03-04 did they finally get out of the first round, actually going all the way to Game 7 of the finals before losing to Tampa Bay.  His 1.70 GAA that season is an NHL record that may not be broken for a long time, if ever.  The Kipper probably will be in net for the Flames for at least the next five years, if not longer.


CAROLINA HURRICANES/HARTFORD WHALERS

• Sean Burke, 1993-97
• Trevor Kidd, 97-98
• Arturs Irbe, 98-2002
• Kevin Weekes, 02-04
• Martin Gerber, 05-06
• Cam Ward, 06-present

Carolina is one of those franchises that moved and became better right away in their new city.  Forever bad in Hartford, they moved to Raleigh, NC and made two finals series in the next eight years, winning it all in 2006.  Cam Ward grabbed the starting job that postseason and has not let go of it since then, and at age 24 he should have it for a long time.


CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

• Ed Belfour, 1993-96
• Jeff Hackett, 96-98
• Jocelyn Thibault, 98-2003
• Michael Leighton, 03-04
• Nikolai Khabibulin, 05-present

Chicago has the longest Stanley Cup drought in the NHL right now, and their goalies are one of many reasons why.  Ed Belfour is a future Hall-of-Famer, but he wasn't able to win the big one until he got to Dallas.  Chicago has a nice young foundation, and if Nikolai Khabibulin continues to improve his play as a Blackhawk, which he has done in the last three years, these guys could be Cup contenders very soon.


COLORADO AVALANCHE/QUEBEC NORDIQUES

• Stephane Fiset, 1993-95
• Patrick Roy, 95-2003
• David Aebischer, 03-06
• Peter Budaj, 06-07
• Jose Theodore, 07-present

It sure helped the Avs to acquire one of the greatest goalies in NHL history in Patrick Roy, who led them to two Stanley Cup championships after the franchise moved to Denver.  They've had a bit of trouble finding his successor, but they may have finally found it with former Vezina winner and league MVP Jose Theodore.  Colorado hasn't gotten to the conference finals since 2002, and it will be up to Theodore to change that; otherwise, Budaj could be given another chance.


COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS

• Ron Tugnutt, 2000-02
• Marc Denis, 02-06
• Fredrik Norrena, 06-07
• Pascal Leclaire, 07-present

The Blue Jackets began NHL play in 2000 and have never made the playoffs, though they've actually had some decent goaltending.  They finally have a really good one in Pascal Leclaire, who has a league-leading 9 shutouts this season.  If the team in front of him can find some goal scoring, they might make the playoffs, something they've never done before.


DALLAS STARS

• Andy Moog, 1993-07
• Ed Belfour, 97-2002
• Marty Turco, 03-present

Unlike a lot of other teams on this list, Dallas has had a lot of stability in net.  After Andy Moog left in 1997, Ed Belfour stepped in and led the Stars to their first Stanley Cup championship in 98-99 and another finals appearance a year later.  Belfour was let go in 2002, and Marty Turco has done a good job in the regular season since then, but he has yet to duplicate Belfour's playoff success.


DETROIT RED WINGS

• Chris Osgood, 1993-94
• Mike Vernon, 94-95
• Osgood, 95-2001
• Dominik Hasek, 01-02
• Curtis Joseph, 02-03
• Manny Legace, 03-06
• Hasek, 06-07
• Osgood, 07-present

The above study is one of the reasons that Scotty Bowman is the greatest head coach in NHL history.  He won three Stanley Cups with Detroit with three different goalies (Vernon was in net for the 97 playoffs, Osgood 98, Hasek in 02).  You wonder what the team is going to do when Osgood, who led the Red Wings to another title this spring, retires; hopefully Jimmy Howard will finally be ready by then.


EDMONTON OILERS

• Bill Ranford, 1993-96
• Curtis Joseph, 96-98
• Bob Essensa, 98-99
• Tommy Salo, 99-04
• Jussi Markkanen, 05-06
• Dwayne Roloson, 06-07
• Mathieu Garon, 07-present

Here's another team with a lot of instability in net.  They didn't have any true playoff success in the period of this study until they acquired Dwayne Roloson at the 2006 trade deadline.  He led the Oilers to the finals, where they narrowly lost to the Carolina Hurricanes.  Roloson may not have too much time left, but they need not worry because Mathieu Garon has become a decent starter this season.  Garon could be their main man for a while.


FLORIDA PANTHERS

• John Vanbiesbrouck, 1993-98
• Sean Burke, 98-99
• Mike Vernon, 99-2000
• Roberto Luongo, 2000-06
• Ed Belfour, 06-07
• Tomas Vokoun, 07-present

Florida is a franchise that has struggled mightily its history, making the playoffs just twice in their 14 years of existence.  The fact that they couldn't do it even once while they had one of the league's best goalies, Roberto Luongo, says a lot to their ineptness.  Things could change, especially after swindling Nashville for Tomas Vokoun this past offseason.  Vokoun just needs better defense, because he faces way too many shots every night.  Of course, that's been a problem with this franchise forever.  Oh hey, maybe that's why they never make the playoffs!  Are you reading this, Jacques Martin?


LOS ANGELES KINGS

• Kelly Hrudey, 1993-95
• Byron Dafoe, 95-96
• Stephane Fiset, 96-2000
• Jamie Storr, 2000-01
• Felix Potvin, 01-03
• Roman Cechmanek, 03-04
• Mathieu Garon, 05-07
• Jason Labarbera, 07-present

Yes, Kings fans, this is your nightmare.  The list above is why Los Angeles has won but a single playoff series since making the finals in 1993, with that playoff win courtesy of Felix Potvin in 2001.  The Kings haven't made the postseason since 2002, and it's no coincidence that they have had a lot of trouble finding a franchise goalie.  At age 28, Jason Labarbera could be the answer, at least in the short term if not long term.


MINNESOTA WILD

• Manny Fernandez, 2000-01
• Dwayne Roloson, 01-04
• Fernandez, 05-07
• Niklas Backstrom, 07-present

Tied with the Blue Jackets for being the league's newest franchise, Minnesota has had outstanding goalies throughout its history.  Fernandez and Roloson split time until Roloson was traded to Edmonton.  However, Fernandez was outplayed by Niklas Backstrom last year and was shipped to Boston.  Backstrom appears to be the future in the Twin Cities, becoming the first Wild goalie ever to truly seize the starting job.


MONTREAL CANADIENS

• Patrick Roy, 1993-95
• Jocelyn Thibault, 95-98
• Jeff Hackett, 98-2000
• Jose Theodore, 200