Regular Seasons of Cup Winners (plus this year’s Kings and Devils)

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Maybe I’m just over-sensitive, but whenever I read that “these are the two lowest seeds ever to compete for the cup,” I hear the desire to put an asterisk next to the accomplishment of whoever wins this next series, like it’s somehow the fault of “parity” or the current playoff format that we are burdened with these “lesser” teams instead of — I guess — the Rangers and Canucks.

So I made a big, sortable chart.

Here are all of the teams on the cup, plus this year’s candidates. The six columns at the right allow sorting by era. “A” includes only the post-lock-out seasons. “B” includes every season since the league went to the current format of four seven-game-series. “C” starts with the first expansion (and arrival of the Kings). “D” is the Original Six era. “E” begins with the first season in which the NHL took over ownership of the cup. “F” goes all the way back to 1918.

If you sort by “C”, 1967 expansion, you will see that the 1997 Red Wings, the 1995 Devils, the 1990 Oilers, both the 1991 and 1992 Penguins, the 1986 Canadiens and the 1980 Islanders all had worse point-% numbers than this year’s Finals-bound teams.

YEAR TEAM GP W L “T” PTS PT% A B C D E F
2011-12 (New Jersey Devils) 82 48 28 6 102 0.622 6 17 32 44 50 52
2011-12 (Los Angeles Kings) 82 40 27 15 95 0.579 8 21 38 57 67 72
2010-11 Boston Bruins 82 46 25 11 103 0.628 5 14 29 41 47 48
2009-10 Chicago Blackhawks 82 52 22 8 112 0.683 2 6 17 21 24 25
2008-09 Pittsburgh Penguins 82 45 28 9 99 0.604 7 20 36 51 58 61
2007-08 Detroit Red Wings 82 54 21 7 115 0.701 1 4 14 17 19 20
2006-07 Anaheim Ducks 82 48 20 14 110 0.671 4 8 21 27 31 32
2005-06 Carolina Hurricanes 82 52 22 8 112 0.683 3 7 18 22 25 26
2003-04 Tampa Bay Lightning 82 46 22 14 106 0.646 99 12 26 34 40 41
2002-03 New Jersey Devils 82 46 20 16 108 0.659 99 11 24 30 35 36
2001-02 Detroit Red Wings 82 51 17 14 116 0.707 99 3 12 15 17 18
2000-01 Colorado Avalanche 82 52 16 14 118 0.720 99 2 9 10 12 13
1999-00 New Jersey Devils 82 45 24 13 103 0.628 99 15 30 42 48 49
1998-99 Dallas Stars 82 51 19 12 114 0.695 99 5 15 18 21 22
1997-98 Detroit Red Wings 82 44 23 15 103 0.628 99 16 31 43 49 50
1996-97 Detroit Red Wings 82 38 26 18 94 0.573 99 22 39 58 68 73
1995-96 Colorado Avalanche 82 47 25 10 104 0.634 99 13 28 38 44 45
1994-95 New Jersey Devils 48 22 18 8 52 0.542 99 26 45 65 78 84
1993-94 New York Rangers 84 52 24 8 112 0.667 99 9 22 28 32 33
1992-93 Montreal Canadiens 84 48 30 6 102 0.607 99 19 35 49 56 58
1991-92 Pittsburgh Penguins 80 39 32 9 87 0.544 99 25 43 63 76 82
1990-91 Pittsburgh Penguins 80 41 33 6 88 0.550 99 24 42 62 75 81
1989-90 Edmonton Oilers 80 38 28 14 90 0.563 99 23 41 60 70 75
1988-89 Calgary Flames 80 54 17 9 117 0.731 99 1 8 9 10 11
1987-88 Edmonton Oilers 80 44 25 11 99 0.619 99 18 34 46 52 54
1986-87 Edmonton Oilers 80 50 24 6 106 0.663 99 10 23 29 34 35
1985-86 Montreal Canadiens 80 40 33 7 87 0.544 99 99 44 64 77 83
1984-85 Edmonton Oilers 80 49 20 11 109 0.681 99 99 19 23 27 28
1983-84 Edmonton Oilers 80 57 18 5 119 0.744 99 99 6 7 8 9
1982-83 New York Islanders 80 42 26 12 96 0.600 99 99 37 52 59 62
1981-82 New York Islanders 80 54 16 10 118 0.738 99 99 7 8 9 10
1980-81 New York Islanders 80 48 18 14 110 0.688 99 99 16 19 22 23
1979-80 New York Islanders 80 39 28 13 91 0.569 99 99 40 59 69 74
1978-79 Montreal Canadiens 80 52 17 11 115 0.719 99 99 10 11 13 14
1977-78 Montreal Canadiens 80 59 10 11 129 0.806 99 99 2 3 3 3
1976-77 Montreal Canadiens 80 60 8 12 132 0.825 99 99 1 2 2 2
1975-76 Montreal Canadiens 80 58 11 11 127 0.794 99 99 3 4 4 4
1974-75 Philadelphia Flyers 80 51 18 11 113 0.706 99 99 13 16 18 19
1973-74 Philadelphia Flyers 78 50 16 12 112 0.718 99 99 11 12 14 15
1972-73 Montreal Canadiens 78 52 10 16 120 0.769 99 99 4 5 6 7
1971-72 Boston Bruins 78 54 13 11 119 0.763 99 99 5 6 7 8
1970-71 Montreal Canadiens 78 42 23 13 97 0.622 99 99 33 45 51 53
1969-70 Boston Bruins 76 40 17 19 99 0.651 99 99 25 32 37 38
1968-69 Montreal Canadiens 76 46 19 11 103 0.678 99 99 20 26 30 31
1967-68 Montreal Canadiens 74 42 22 10 94 0.635 99 99 27 37 43 44
1966-67 Toronto Maple Leafs 70 32 27 11 75 0.536 99 99 99 66 79 86
1965-66 Montreal Canadiens 70 41 21 8 90 0.643 99 99 99 35 41 42
1964-65 Montreal Canadiens 70 36 23 11 83 0.593 99 99 99 54 62 65
1963-64 Toronto Maple Leafs 70 33 25 12 78 0.557 99 99 99 61 72 78
1962-63 Toronto Maple Leafs 70 35 23 12 82 0.586 99 99 99 55 63 67
1961-62 Toronto Maple Leafs 70 37 22 11 85 0.607 99 99 99 50 57 59
1960-61 Chicago Black Hawks 70 29 24 17 75 0.536 99 99 99 67 80 87
1959-60 Montreal Canadiens 70 40 18 12 92 0.657 99 99 99 31 36 37
1958-59 Montreal Canadiens 70 39 18 13 91 0.650 99 99 99 33 38 39
1957-58 Montreal Canadiens 70 43 17 10 96 0.686 99 99 99 20 23 24
1956-57 Montreal Canadiens 70 35 23 12 82 0.586 99 99 99 56 64 68
1955-56 Montreal Canadiens 70 45 15 10 100 0.714 99 99 99 13 15 16
1954-55 Detroit Red Wings 70 42 17 11 95 0.679 99 99 99 24 28 29
1953-54 Detroit Red Wings 70 37 19 14 88 0.629 99 99 99 39 45 46
1952-53 Montreal Canadiens 70 28 23 19 75 0.536 99 99 99 68 81 88
1951-52 Detroit Red Wings 70 44 14 12 100 0.714 99 99 99 14 16 17
1950-51 Toronto Maple Leafs 70 41 16 13 95 0.679 99 99 99 25 29 30
1949-50 Detroit Red Wings 70 37 19 14 88 0.629 99 99 99 40 46 47
1948-49 Toronto Maple Leafs 60 22 25 13 57 0.475 99 99 99 70 85 92
1947-48 Toronto Maple Leafs 60 32 15 13 77 0.642 99 99 99 36 42 43
1946-47 Toronto Maple Leafs 60 31 19 10 72 0.600 99 99 99 53 60 63
1945-46 Montreal Canadiens 50 28 17 5 61 0.610 99 99 99 47 54 56
1944-45 Toronto Maple Leafs 50 24 22 4 52 0.520 99 99 99 69 84 91
1943-44 Montreal Canadiens 50 38 5 7 83 0.830 99 99 99 1 1 1
1942-43 Detroit Red Wings 50 25 14 11 61 0.610 99 99 99 48 55 57
1941-42 Toronto Maple Leafs 48 27 18 3 57 0.594 99 99 99 99 61 64
1940-41 Boston Bruins 48 27 8 13 67 0.698 99 99 99 99 20 21
1939-40 New York Rangers 48 27 11 10 64 0.667 99 99 99 99 33 34
1938-39 Boston Bruins 48 36 10 2 74 0.771 99 99 99 99 5 6
1937-38 Chicago Black Hawks 48 14 25 9 37 0.385 99 99 99 99 86 93
1936-37 Detroit Red Wings 48 25 14 9 59 0.615 99 99 99 99 53 55
1935-36 Detroit Red Wings 48 24 16 8 56 0.583 99 99 99 99 65 69
1934-35 Montreal Maroons 48 24 19 5 53 0.552 99 99 99 99 73 79
1933-34 Chicago Black Hawks 48 20 17 11 51 0.531 99 99 99 99 83 90
1932-33 New York Rangers 48 23 17 8 54 0.563 99 99 99 99 71 76
1931-32 Toronto Maple Leafs 48 23 18 7 53 0.552 99 99 99 99 74 80
1930-31 Montreal Canadiens 44 26 10 8 60 0.682 99 99 99 99 26 27
1929-30 Montreal Canadiens 44 21 14 9 51 0.580 99 99 99 99 66 71
1928-29 Boston Bruins 44 26 13 5 57 0.648 99 99 99 99 39 40
1927-28 New York Rangers 44 19 16 9 47 0.534 99 99 99 99 82 89
1926-27 Ottawa Senators 44 30 10 4 64 0.727 99 99 99 99 11 12
1925-26 Montreal Maroons 36 20 11 5 45 0.625 99 99 99 99 99 51
1923-24 Montreal Canadiens 24 13 11 0 26 0.542 99 99 99 99 99 85
1922-23 Ottawa Senators 24 14 9 1 29 0.604 99 99 99 99 99 60
1921-22 Toronto St. Patricks 24 13 10 1 27 0.563 99 99 99 99 99 77
1920-21 Ottawa Senators 24 14 10 0 28 0.583 99 99 99 99 99 70
1919-20 Ottawa Senators 24 19 5 0 38 0.792 99 99 99 99 99 5
1917-18 Toronto Arenas 22 13 9 0 26 0.591 99 99 99 99 99 66

 

Some posts the robot says are related, but I'll let you be the judge of that:

  1. Points-Blown & Season Series (2013)
  2. Kings fans are used to six months off between seasons
  3. Six years ago: Rich Hammond’s first post on the new Kings blog
  4. Wayne Simmonds extends with Flyers, 6 years, approx. $4 million
  5. They ask, should the Devils sign Doan?
  6. Where Are They Now: Geordie Wudrick – Former Player Of The Year Winners
  7. Will Stoll be here for three years?
  • uvgt2bkdnme

    personally, i see it as a remarkable accomplishment, to become the first 6th seed in the case of the Devils or 8th seed in the case of the Kings to win the Stanley Cup, depending on who ultimately wins it. but i get where you’re coming from when you see read it elsewhere. 

    • http://www.mcsorleys-stick.com/ Quisp

      That’s a good point. I will try on your point of view, see how it fits me. 

  • Garrett79

    How come the 2009 Pens don’t have a point total?

    • Garrett79

       Ditto, 1970 Bruins

    • http://www.mcsorleys-stick.com/ Quisp

       Ah, funny. I know what happened there. See if you can figure it out before I fix it.

      • Garrett79

         What happened??

        • http://www.mcsorleys-stick.com/ Quisp

          In order to get the columns to sort properly (i.e. with 1,2,3,4 at the top when sorting in ascending order) I give all blank fields a default value of “99″. That way, when sorted in ascending order, all the rows with no value in that column go to the bottom, not the top. Otherwise, the chart treats the blank fields as “0″ and puts them first. And that’s ugly and annoying. 

          (I’m sure there’s a better way to achieve this, but I’m self-taught.) The reason you don’t see the 99s is that I format them all “color:#000000″ (i.e. white). But I used find/replace to grab all the 99s and format them accordingly, forgetting that there were a handful of teams that finished with 99 points. (You can see the 99s if you “select” the blank fields. But normally they’re invisible.)

    • http://www.mcsorleys-stick.com/ Quisp

       Fixed.

  • Garrett79

    Some moron on NPR was saying that the top seeds don’t really get an advantage in the playoffs and that they should start with 2-0 leads in the series.

    Guess what, shithead, the Kings could have spotted the Canucks a 2-0 lead and still taken that series. Same goes for the Blues and the Coyotes. This Kings team has been one of the most dominant playoff teams ever. If you look at their overall record now including regular season and playoffs, they are 52-29-15. Anybody gonna tell me that that record isn’t impressive?

    Also, if you look at the playoff records of all the Stanley Cup-winning teams over the past 25 years you see that the Kings (and to a lesser extent, New Jersey), have mighty impressive numbers. If the Kings win the Cup, the worst their playoff record could be is 16-5, which ties for the 3rd best mark in the 25 years of requiring 16 wins to get the Cup. And when you consider that the competition they have faced are those teams who were supposedly the best, it’s even more striking.

    Fuck anyone who think the Kings don’t deserve where they are. These people are ignorant.

  • Doughty99

    Looks like the Kings have to win it next year too, before they finally get their due.