There are a lot of different NHL teams that have done pretty well this season. The Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, Detroit Red Wings and the Montreal Canadiens are all on the list. They have all been a part of a playoff run, and they all have some pretty good chances of going deep into the postseason.
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are the oldest professional ice hockey team in the world. They have won 24 Stanley Cups. This is nearly double the next-closest team’s total.
They are also one of the original six teams in the NHL. Since the league’s inception, the Canadiens have won the most Stanley Cups. That is the most of any North American professional sports franchise, outside of football.
The Canadiens are also the only team in the NHL that has won five Stanley Cups in a row, as they did in 1955-56. Maurice Richard was the first to score 50 goals in a season.
After winning their first championship in 1915-16, the Canadiens began a long run of success. In 1931-32, the Canadiens won the Canadian Division. Their victory over the Detroit Red Wings set the stage for their success.
When the expansion era began, the Canadiens had to face more competition. However, they managed to stay in the top three of the league for most of the decade.
In 1973, the Canadiens won their 18th Stanley Cup. Guy Lafleur was the NHL’s best player during this period. His team was based on defence and scoring, and they won four straight Stanley Cups.
The Canadiens finished last in the league in 2021-22. Their first losing season in 33 years. It was only the second time that they had been out of the playoffs in four years.
They have played in 33 Stanley Cup finals. Maurice Richard was part of the famous “Punch Line,” which was known for averaging a goal every four minutes.
Aside from their numerous championships, the Canadiens are also the only team to win a title during each decade of the 20th century. During the 1980s, the Canadiens were the most-scoring team in the league.
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are one of the most successful NHL teams in history. They have won 11 Stanley Cups, making them the most coveted trophy in the league.
The Detroit Red Wings were founded in 1926. They were originally known as the Detroit Cougars, but changed their name in 1932. During the 1930s and early 1940s, the team was one of the NHL’s “Original Six” and made it to the Stanley Cup Final four times.
They won the first three games of the finals in 1941, but were eliminated by the Toronto Maple Leafs. They also lost to the New York Rangers in the semi-finals. This was the first time the team did not make the playoffs in two seasons.
After winning four consecutive Stanley Cups, the Red Wings began to slip in the 1960s and 1970s. A shortened season and the COVID-19 pandemic shortened the team’s time in the playoffs.
In 1988, the Red Wings won their first division title in 23 years. Over the past two decades, the team has won nine regular season titles and six division titles.
The team’s recent success comes from Steve Yzerman, the team’s general manager. He was previously the GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning. His success with the team turned the Red Wings around after a long slump.
The most notable players who have played for the Red Wings over the last decade include Nicklas Lidstrom, Chris Osgood, and Henrik Zetterberg. Lidstrom has been voted to the NHL’s year-end all-star team 12 times.
In 1991, Lidstrom became the first European-born and trained player to win a Stanley Cup with his team. He was also the first European to win the Conne Smythe trophy as playoff MVP.
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are one of the most successful NHL teams in history. They have appeared in 20 Stanley Cup finals, and have won six titles.
While the Bruins haven’t won a Stanley Cup since 2011 (they have lost two playoff series in that span), they have a stellar regular season record. This year, the Bruins are on track to break the most regular season wins ever.
In their storied history, the Bruins have made some major comebacks. One of those was the famous seven game streak of 1975-76. Another was the team’s winning percentage of 75% in the 1970-71 season.
The Bruins were also the first American team to join the NHL. Their first two seasons were played at Boston Garden, the world’s oldest indoor ice hockey venue.
In the late 60s and early 70s, the Bruins were consistently among the top teams in the league. A few years later, the Big Bad Bruins came into their own.
The Bruins have won the Art Ross Trophy four times, and it’s easy to see why. Some of the greatest defensemen of all time have worn the Bruins jersey, including Ray Bourque and Jean Ratelle.
Among the more notable moments in the history of the Bruins is their 29 consecutive playoff appearances. That’s an impressive feat, especially considering that they were a relatively new team when they first started.
Although they’ve been eliminated in the second round of the playoffs in the past 30 years, the Bruins are still considered one of the league’s best teams. After all, they have a dazzling regular season record, including a +72 goal differential.
But in the end, success doesn’t last.
Chicago Blackhawks
If you’re looking for a team with a long and impressive history in the National Hockey League, you don’t have to look too far. The Chicago Blackhawks have been around since 1926, and they’re one of the original “Original Six” NHL teams. That means they’ve played in the league’s first televised game and seen a lot of action on the national stage.
Aside from winning the Stanley Cup in 1961, they’ve also had their share of memorable moments. During the 1990s, Jeremy Roenick and Ed Belfour led the Blackhawks to the Presidents’ Trophy, and then to the Stanley Cup Finals. In the early 2010s, Andrew Ladd left the Toronto Maple Leafs and Corey Crawford was developed.
For many longtime fans, the Blackhawks are a team that could use a little more of everything. They’re not overly physical, but they play a style of hockey that purists don’t like. But they do a good job of scoring goals and killing penalties, and they have a few other important things going for them.
Throughout their history, the Chicago Blackhawks have had a number of great players. Several of them have gone on to become Hall of Famers. While the Blackhawks haven’t made the finals in the last five years, they’re going for their third Stanley Cup in that time period.
Their early success has been mainly due to their special teams and penalty kill. When they’ve won, they’ve scored more than twice as many goals as their opponents. And they’ve been able to do it while also allowing less than half as many.
While they haven’t been in the finals in nearly 50 years, they’ve still managed to make it to the playoffs in five of those years. In addition, they’ve had a few deep runs over the past few years.
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are one of the most successful NHL teams of all time. They won five Stanley Cups during their 43-year history. In the 1990s, they were able to stop the relocation of a third Canadian team, the Hartford Hawks.
After a dynasty era from the 1980s, the superstars left Edmonton before the 1992-93 season. The club began to rebuild with young players. However, they were unable to make the playoffs for four years, until 2006.
When the new Oilers started their first season in the NHL, they were given their logo. It featured a white oil drop on a dark orange field. This was a different version than the one worn by the WHA franchise.
While the team finished the season with a mediocre record of 36 wins, it was not enough to keep them from making the playoffs. They won nine of their final ten games, but they lost in the Conference Final to Minnesota.
In the playoffs, the Oilers were led by Wayne Gretzky, who scored a total of 73 goals during the regular season and postseason. He also set a league record with 135 assists.
Despite this, the Oilers were still swept in the Conference Finals by the Minnesota North Stars. Nevertheless, the team went 15-3 in the postseason.
In the Stanley Cup Finals, the Oilers defeated the New York Islanders. Wayne Gretzky and Jari Kurri both set team records in the series. Meanwhile, Paul Coffey had another incredible offensive year, scoring 121 points.
These two players were part of a great partnership. In fact, they had a magic number together. At the end of the season, the three men were invited to a dinner by Garnet Bailey.
