Eight Teams To Win The Stanley Cup

Sean Clancy

As the NHL playoffs press on, we find ourselves in the middle of the second round. The previous five teams to win the Stanley Cup are among the eight teams remaining, creating a somewhat less-exciting feel, as I usually find myself rooting for the teams that either haven't won the illustrious trophy in a while, or ever, for that matter. I'm struggling to root for teams in some of the remaining series, simply because nothing about them really excites me at this point. So I've decided to list, with reasons, the order in which I'd like to see the remaining teams win the Cup. As I write this intro now, I have no idea how this list will turn out, aside from the top and bottom teams. Journey along with me and discover how my mind works. The list:

1. Ottawa Senators

Above: Crazy Ottawa fans before winning a Cup.
Imagine after.

This is a team that has had much regular season success since their revival in Ottawa in 1992, yet haven't quite been getting it done in the post-season. They've appeared in the Stanley Cups finals just once (2007) in a losing effort. These guys have changed a lot since the 10-11 season that saw them finish 13th in the conference standings, and now look to have arguably their strongest team since their 2007 playoff run. Top scorers, reliable depth, role players, versatile players that can play in all situations, rookies who look like anything but, and a solid goaltender between the pipes.

Daniel Alfredsson has been one of the best leaders in the NHL for the better part of a decade, and he has been at the helm of this resilent Ottawa team through many of their ups and downs. His leadership has never been stronger than it's been this season, willing his team to victory night after night, despite a slew of injuries that saw many of the team's top players out for extended periods of time. Now, Alfie and his Ottawa team find themselves healthy and in the second round of the playoffs, and no one deserves it more than them this year.

Plus, their fans are badass. Bring the cup back to Canada eh, it's abuut time.

2. Boston Bruins

Jaromir Jagr: So close to another Cup he can taste it.

 
This is still the most complete team in the league. Peter Chiarelli has assembled a team that deserves recognition through long-term success. Not much about these guys has changed since their recent 2011 Cup championship, except for the notable change in goal. Tuukka Rask has stepped up and shown he can play with just as much consistency (but not nearly as much excitement) as Timmy Thomas. He is the kind of goalie who, if he can remain solid under pressure, will give hockey's most balanced team a chance to win for many years.

This year, the team saw the addition of future hall-of famer Jaromir Jagr to their team at the trade deadline. Jagr has added more leadership and experience to a team that he quickly settled in with. There's no doubting he's a legend, and I want to see Jagr get one more before his career ends, because he hasn't won it in over 20 seasons believe it or not. I would like to see Boston win it again this season, and that has NOTHING to do with the Boston marathon events that have been blown all out of proportion.

3. San Jose Sharks

RIP one of the nicest uniforms in the league.

Here's another team that's shown continued success without having to go into a massive rebuilding stage, but haven't been rewarded for it. The last time they missed the playoffs was ten years ago, however, they've struggled making it to the Cup finals, going 0-3 in conference final series since their inception in 1991. Much like Daniel Alfredsson, Joe Thornton deserves a Cup in San Jose. This is a well-rounded team past him, and I'm a big Logan Couture fan.

The only things that bother me about this team is their ugly black uniforms that would not make for an aestitically pleasing Stanley Cup final, and the fact that Antti Niemi just won the cup a few years ago. Antti's a good goalie, don't get me wrong, but there are several other goalies in the league right now that deserve it more. Spread the wealth.

4. Chicago Blackhawks

Only a Stanley Cup can put a smile back on
the face of Captain Serious.

 
Quite simply, Chicago's had a terrific record-setting season, and deserve to be rewarded for it, provided they continue to earn it through these final weeks of the season. Chicago is a team with every component that a successful franchise needs, including coaching, great leadership, an intimidating offense and stiffling defense. Starting netminder Corey Crawford also showed this season that he has the makings to be a top goalie in this league.

The Hawks are another team that's won the Cup in recent years, but by no means is it the same team. After their 2010 championship, salary cap restrictions led to a huge shake-up in the off-season. Nearly half the roster was changed, yet the core of the team held strong, which is a reason Chicago finds themselves a constant contender.

5. Los Angeles Kings

Oh yeah, and he can do that.

I'm a huge Jonathan Quick fan, and for a simple reason. He is the best goalie in this league. His unique butterfly form and ability to move around the crease with such speed and fluidity is superior to any netminder in the league. Combine that with his smart aggressive play and lightning-fast reflexes, and you're looking at the best use of the butterfly style that goaltending has ever seen. That being said, he deserves to win multiple Cups throughout his career.

Plus, the team around him is pretty good. Dustin Brown is one of my favorite players in the league because he is also one of the most versatile. He can play in any situation, has great offensive skill, hits and grinds with the best of them and offers inspiring leadership. The Kings are a solid hockey club that deserve much success. The only reason they are ranked on the bottom half of this list is because they just won the Cup last year. Again I say, spread the wealth.

6. Detroit Red Wings

Not the same without this guy.

The Red Wings are one of the most storied franchises in the NHL, and with 5 Stanley Cup appearances in the last 15 seasons, are also the most successful throughout my lifetime. That being said, is anyone else growing tired of them?

I harbor no ill feelings towards the team, in fact I respect the hell out of what they've done in recent years, but nothing about them excites me these days. This has always felt like an older, more authentic hockey club to me, but now it's just Datsyuk and Zetterberg surrounded by a bunch of average players and your standard issue butterfly goalie. They're still a good team, but I feel as if they're declining. They almost missed the playoffs this year and I can't see them being among the top in the conference in coming years. It's time for Detroit to step aside and give rise to newer, younger franchises in the West. The potential on St. Louis and Edmonton excite the hell out of me.

Still, Detroit is above the last two teams on this list.

7. New York Rangers

Above: The Rangers powerplay.

At this point, Henrik Lundqvist and Ryan Callahan are the only two players on the team that I really want to see win a Cup soon. The team as a whole, however, does not deserve it. They're not run the way a Stanley Cup championship team is run, they seem to be confused about their identity, the quality of the coaching staff is declining, the powerplay right now is the worst I've seen in my life, and Glen Sather needs to go. The Rangers have a knack of getting rid of their best players and making trades that simply do not make sense. Marian Gaborik was essentially traded for Rick Nash, which was unnecessary and hasn't paid dividends. After a 1st place season that saw the Rangers go to the third round of the playoffs, half the roster was dismantled, much of which could have (and should have) been easily avoided. The disasterous Rick Nash trade was eased a bit by the acquisitions of guys like Brassard, Moore, Dorsett and Clowe, but this came at the expense of Marian Gaborik (who is better than Rick Nash, period), Brandon Dubinsky (who everyone forgets led the team in points in 10-11), and a first round draft pick. Now that Brad Richards is having a bad stretch, they're talking about trading him too. If Ryan Callahan has a slow start to the season next year, don't be surprised if he's among the trade rumors come deadline day. This team needs to stop worrying about trades and free agents, and start developing their team through drafts and prospect pools. The average lifespan of a New York Ranger is far too short to create a Stanley Cup champion team.

8. Pittsburgh Penguins

After years of research, NASA is reporting that they've finally
discovered what lays at the center of the universe. Above is
an image of their findings.

Pittsburgh is a team that went to the Stanley Cup final two years in a row, promting the NHL to make them the center of the hockey universe. No one in hockey, other than the Penguins, like the Penguins.

Ray Shero is a GM who is in Glen Sather's boat, and he'd be better suited as a basketball GM. He assembled an all-star team at the trade deadline, despite sitting in first place in the conference at the time. I don't care for Brendan Morrow if he's not in Dallas. I don't think anyone cares about Jarome Iginla now that he's not in Calgary. We've seen Crosby and Malkin have their success and we've had this team shoved down our throats for five years by the NHL, and I don't know why. The Penguins are far from the model hockey team, and they're a bad example of what hockey is all about. They're one of the most inconsistent defensive clubs in the league and also one of the dirtiest.  They also have the most big-headed fan base of any team I've ever encountered, and the last thing the hockey world needs is more of these fools giving us even more reason to root against their team.

Photo credits: T. Anderson, Bostonsbettah.com, Thearon Henderson/Getty Images, midnightbex/Tumblr.com, nhlsnipers.com, topsportsup.com, Greg Flume, Pittsburghmagazine.com

 

2013 NHL Playoffs: Second Round Predictions

After an exciting first round of playoff hockey, the analysts here at Hockey At The Hall will be making predictions on the next round. These are the predictions from Sean, Mike, and Anthony.

1 Chicago Blackhawks vs. 7 Detroit Red Wings

Sean:  Hawks in 4
Mike: Hawks in 6
Anthony: Hawks in 5

5 Los Angeles Kings vs. 6 San Jose Sharks

Sean: Sharks in 7
Mike: Sharks in 6
Anthony: Kings in 6

1 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. 7 Ottawa Senators

Sean: Sens in 7
Mike: Pens in 7
Anthony: Pens in 6

4 Boston Bruins vs. 6 New York Rangers

Sean: Rangers in 6
Mike: Rangers in 6
Anthony: Rangers in 5

2013 Playoffs!!!

We made our predictions, and in this episode, we actually debated with each other and went more in depth with them. Enjoy this next episode!

And just to avoid confusion with the Devils forfeiting a draft pick, Sean meant to say they had to give up a first ROUND pick, not a first OVERALL pick. Sorry for the mistake! 
(Photo credit: thprovince.com)

Mike's 2013 Playoff Predictions- First Round

Sean and Anthony picked theirs so now it's my turn. Like Anthony, this is my first time doing this so just bear with me. While some of my predictions and reasons for them may be a little farfetched, these are how I believe each matchup of the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs will go. With that said, let's jump into it. Here we go, my 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs predictions:

Eastern Conference:

(1)PIT vs. (8)NYI

·         NYI wins in 7. The Islanders have been hot lately, gaining points in 9 of their last 10. Plus they are very good on the road this year with a 14-6-4 record, which plays in their favor since Pittsburgh has home ice advantage. If Tavares, Grabner and Moulson play the way that they are capable of, look for a first round upset and the Penguins to get sent home early for the second year in a row.

(2)MTL vs. (7)OTT

·         MTL wins in 6. The injuries that Ottawa has sustained to their star players will be too much for them to overcome. While they did get Erik Karlsson back earlier than expected, not having the offensive skill and leadership of Jason Spezza will ultimately doom the Senators.

(3)WSH vs. (6)NYR

·         NYR wins in 6. The hockey gods must love watching these two play against each other in the playoffs, because they have done so in 4 of the last 5 seasons (’10 being the odd one out as the Rangers missed the playoffs on the last day of the season). Both teams have enormous talent offensively, as the Rangers have Rick Nash and Brad Richards and the Capitals have Alex Ovechkin but New York has the stronger defense and the better goalie and will ultimately take the hard-fought series.

(4)BOS vs. (5)TOR

·         BOS wins in 5. Both teams have a lot of talent, some young and some old, but Boston will edge out the Leafs in the series. While Toronto might actually have the better offense as of late, the Bruins defense, led by the massive Zdeno Chara, and the stellar goaltending of Tuukka Rask will be too much for the Maple Leafs to endure.

 
Western Conference:

(1)CHI vs. (8)MIN

·         CHI wins in 5. The Wild just barely squeaked into the playoffs and now must face the team that has arguably been the best in the league for the entire season. While their top 2 free agent acquisitions, Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, have been their usual impressive selves, Minnesota has not had much more scoring depth and it will come back to haunt them.

(2)ANA vs. (7)DET

·         ANA wins in 6. Overshadowed by Chicago’s impressive start to the season, the Ducks have quietly had an excellent season. They finished second in the conference and third in the league in points. They have had offensive contributions up and down the roster and have a very good goaltending duo in Jonas Hiller and Viktor Fasth. Detroit simply does not have the talent or depth to keep up with Anaheim.

(3)VAN vs. (6)SJS

·         VAN wins in 6. This was a tough one because both teams are balanced all around. They both have good scoring forwards, strong defensive cores and impressive goalies. In the end, the Canucks better offense, led by the Sedin twins, Ryan Kesler, and Derek Roy, and goaltending will lead them to the second round. The only question mark for the Canucks at the moment is who will be the starting goalie, Schneider or Luongo?

(4)STL vs. (5)LAK

·         LAK wins in 7. This is going to be a good matchup, arguably the best in the Western Conference. Ultimately, the Kings will win this one, although it will take them seven games to do it (unlike last year when they swept the Blues). Los Angeles is simply better offensively and defensively. The goaltending matchup is a very close one. Both Jonathan Quick and Brian Elliott are very good backstops and it should be a very good series but the Kings will ultimately win and move on.

Anthony's 2013 NHL Playoff Bracket

As my collegiate colleague, Sean completed his playoff bracket, I will now reveal my playoff predictions. Unlike Sean, I have not attempted many formal predictions in sports, but what better place to start than Hockey At The Hall? Anyway, without further adieu, here are my predictions for the first round:

Eastern Conference:

1 Penguins vs. 8 Islanders:   Islanders in 7

• Okay, this is probably the loftiest prediction I'll be making in the first round. There are plenty of reasons why the Penguins are expected to beat New York, but there are a few (but crucial) reasons why New York can pull the upset: For one, the Penguins could be overconfident. We saw the same thing last year: Penguins had an 11 game winning streak around playoff time, only to enter a contest with the Flyers on who could play worse defense. As we all know: Pittsburgh won that one. On top of that, the Islanders have young, talented, and underrated forwards that can wreak havoc on their defense. John Tavares, the potential Hart winner, Matt Moulson, his goal scoring partner in crime, and Michael Grabner, who could blaze by anyone in the league with his break-neck speed. As long as Tavares and goalie Evgeni Nabakov play on top of their game, the Isles can steal this series. Since picking the Isles is crazy enough, I'll say that it'll take them 7 games to do it.

2 Canadiens vs. 7 Senators: Canadiens in 5

• Both teams have pretty compelling stories behind them. The Canadiens not only bounced back from last season's finish in the basement of the Eastern Conference, but they won the Northeast Division and grabbed the second seed. Ottawa, meanwhile, lost their star defenseman, Erik Karlsson, top center Jason Spezza, forward Milan Michalek, and goalie Craig Anderson. What did they do then? They went on a tear and nearly brought themselves to the upper half of the Eastern Conference. That being said, it's important to know that Spezza is still out for the Senators, which will certainly hamper their offense. Kyle Turris and Mika Zibanejad, two forwards who stepped up when Karlsson went down, slowed down significantly at the end of the season. Conversely, rookie star Alex Galchenyuk has points in 4 of his last 5 games, Lars Eller has been phenomenal as of late, and defensemen such as Andrei Markov and PK Subban have been playing good two way hockey. With Anderson just coming off an injury, I give the goaltending edge to Carey Price, and the overall advantage to the Habs.

3 Capitals vs. 6 Rangers: Rangers in 7

• No matter who wins this one, this will surely go to 7 games. Just look at the matchups in '09, '11, and '12, with 2 of the 3 series going to 7 games, and this should be no different. The Capitals have returned to their offensive ways with their new coach, Adam Oates. Ovechkin has also returned to form by winning the Rocket for a historic third time, and Backstrom along with Ribeiro have provided more offense of their own. The Rangers, meanwhile, seem to have all of the pieces they had last year to beat the Capitals, and that is their back end. Their defense is as good as ever, and Lundqvist is no different. It appears to be yet again a battle of offense vs. defense, but there is one x-factor that I think will cause the Rangers to win: their deadline deal. While Gaborik is out, the Rangers still have Nash and Richards, the latter with playoff experience. Now add in two gritty forwards Derek Brassard and Ryane Clowe, and the Rangers have some better scoring depth. John Moore has further reinforced the Blue-shirts blue-line, and Darroll Powe has contributed greatly to the Rangers penalty kill, which will come in handy when dealing with Ovechkin. The Rangers have a more even team than the Caps, but just barely, which is why it'll take 7 games for this one to pay out.

4 Boston Bruins vs. 5 Maple Leafs: Leafs in 6

• If my Penguins-Islanders prediction wasn't crazy enough, here's another shot-out-of-the-dark prediction. The Bruins have yet-again cruised to the upper half of the Eastern Conference despite their cup-winning goalie, Tim Thomas going AWOL. Tukka Rask is getting looks for the Vezina, while the team sports a formidable offense with Seguin, Bergeron, and Jagr, and the hulk...I mean Chara is keeping the defense strong. So what about the Leafs? Well, Nazem Kadri has blossomed into a star. Now that he is getting more playing time, he has lead the offense along with other potent scorers such as Phil Kessel, a now-healthy Joffery Lupul, and the New Jersey native James Van Riemsdyk. Their defense includes Dion Phaneuf, newly acquired Ryan O'Byrne, and Mark Fraser, who has an impressive +/- of 18, which is 14th in the league. As for goalies, Rask has the slight edge in playoff experience, but James Reimer has held his own for the Leafs. While Boston looks much better on paper, the Leafs have enough talent on their team to steal one from the 2011 Stanley Cup Champs.

Western Conference:

1 Blackhawks vs. 8 Wild: Hawks in 5

• The Minnesota Wild made the big offseason splash last year by acquiring Zach Parise and Ryan Sutter. Everything seemed to be going well until Josh Harding, their starting goalie, was diagnosed with MS. Backstrom, however, has answered the call, and the big pickups from the offseason, as well as the deadline acquisition Jason Pominville from Buffalo, have been contributing well. Despite all of this, they are up against an incredibly talented Blackhawks. Chicago didn't even have to play 20 games for everyone to realize that they are the real deal. They're streak of 24 games without a regulation loss is the longest one to start a season in the history of the league. They have all of the pieces from their cup run in 2010, with Jonathan Toews, the two Patricks, Kane and Sharp, Duncan Keith (with a fresh new set of teeth), and coach Joel Quenneville. Some new pieces include rookie forward Brandon Saad, and instead of Antti Niemi, their starter is now Corey Crawford, who will try to lead the Hawks to their second cup in 4 years. If this does not end in 4 games, it will most certainly end in 5.

2 Ducks vs. 7 Red Wings: Ducks in 4

• This is the only sweep I'll be predicting in the first round. The Red Wings, despite losing their legendary defenseman, Nicklas Lidstrom, have extended their playoff streak to 22 seasons...but barely. They still have Datsyuk and Zetterberg, along with other forwards such as Franzen, Bertuzzi, but then they have some inexperienced rookies. The Ducks, on the other hand, have Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf, who have had played exceptional together, Bobby Ryan, another star forward, and the ageless wonders Saku Koivu and Teemu Selanne. For defense, the Wings have the Stevens-esque Kronwall, and Jonathan Ericsson, while the Ducks have Francois Beauchemin who is quite possibly a Norris finalist. Cam Fowler, one of the younger but skilled defenseman, is finding his groove now after coming back from an injury. The Ducks also have Sheldon Souray, Bryan Allen, and Toni Lydman for some experience on the blue-line. As for goaltending, the Wings have Jimmy Howard, while the Ducks have two starting caliber goalies in Jonas Hiller and Viktor Fasth. With Bruce Boudreau's no holds bar offense, they should easily overwhelm Mike Babcock and his aging Wings with a four game sweep.

3 Canucks vs. 6 Sharks: Sharks in 7

• This seems like an underrated series between two strong Western Conference teams. Both teams have been dominant in their respective divisions over the past several seasons, and both sides have some marquee names in their lineups. The Canucks have the Sedin Twins, Ryan Kessler, and the new but capable starter Corey Schneider. The Sharks, meanwhile, have Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, Patrick Marleau, and Brent Burns, whose shift from defense to offense has worked wonders. On the back end, the Canucks have a slightly better defense scoring wise, but San Jose's defense gets their job done. If Schneider does start for Vancouver, his experience will be dwarfed by Niemi, who guided the Hawks to their 2010 cup run. When the Sharks do win the series, expect the riot police to be out in the streets of Vancouver.

4 Blues vs. 5 Kings: Blues in 5

• While the Kings are the reigning champions, this is not their year. Their team looks quite familiar to last years team, with a slight improvement in their offense, thanks to a big season by Jeff Carter. However, Jonathan Quick was not playing like the Vezina Finalist he was last year. Brian Elliot, meanwhile, had a terrific April for the Blues, giving up only 16 goals in his last 13 games. Other than that, the Blues have a rather evenly distributed team, with forwards like Chris Stewart and David Backes playing well on both sides of the ice. TJ Oshie could provide some offense for the Blues since he will be returning from an injury. Despite the seemingly even matchup, one reason why this series could end in 4 or 5 games is because of their playoff history. All three previous series have ended in a four game sweep. The Blues are 15-8-1 at home, while the Kings are 8-12-4 on the road. While the Kings had the historic run last year, I do not believe that they can repeat that for a second straight year.

Well, those are my predictions. Considering some of the picks I made, I will either look like a complete fool, or an absolute genius (hopefully the latter). While the Devils are not in it, I am still very excited to watch the playoffs. I hope you guys are just as excited, and be sure to keep an eye out for our next podcast!

Sean's 2013 Playoff Bracket

It's been a long season-- wait, no it hasn't. Lockout nonsense aside, it is finally that time of the year again; the true reason that the song "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" was written. Friends, it is playoff hockey time.

I've spent countless hours over the past few days watching games and studying potential match-ups, all in anticipation of creating my playoff bracket. I'm quite positive there is nothing I look forward to in a year more than the last hour or so that I've spent simulating the match-ups, resulting in what I believe to be the most probable results of the year's Stanley Cup playoffs.

I began creating yearly brackets for the 2011 playoffs, just two seasons ago. Prior to the 2011 post-season, I sat down, glanced over the match-ups, looked up some stats and scribbled down a bracket. Two months later, imagine my elation when I had gotten 14 of the 15 series predictions correct. The only one I faltered on? I picked Vancouver to beat Boston in the finals.

The following season I wasn't so lucky. While my prediction that Los Angeles would hoist the cup at the end of the season held up, the Penguins found themselves knocked out three rounds earlier than my bracket foresaw. I believe I only ended up picking 7 correct series last year, which is why I'm looking to get back on the proverbial track in this post-season.

So without any further delay (the postponed Bruins game delayed things enough), here are my official 2013 playoff predictions, presented by yours truly, Sean Clancy.

!! SPOILER ALERT !!

Click photo to enlarge my brilliance. 

NHL Awards

Hockey At The Hall proudly presents our newest episode! Since the regular season is winding down, we decided to talk about the probable NHL Award winners. We got most of them, and we had some pretty interesting debates amongst each other. Enjoy!