Latest news with #MarkMessier
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Introducing a new NHL award presented to the team with the worst playoff performance
We like to make up awards around here. Over the years, we've introduced the Carson (for best sophomore season), the Bourque (for best final season), and of course the Conned Smythe (for making the trade that decided a championship). Is it kind of dumb? Sure, but no dumber than the Mark Messier Leadership Award, so off we go. Advertisement This time around, I want to introduce a team award, which will be presented to the NHL team that has the worst and most painful playoff performance in any given year. In theory, that would mean a first-round exit, preferably in as few games as possible. But it's not just about whoever had the shortest run because not all sweeps are created equal. We're looking past the cold, hard numbers here and instead trying to find the true pain. And often, that means getting a team's hopes up before crushing them. In theory, you could even win a round or two before crashing and burning in such spectacular fashion that you never want to speak of it again. Expectations matter. Opponents matter. And of course, there's plenty of room for artistic impression. We can even use the benefit of hindsight to find the especially painful special circumstances. The point is that anyone can lose, and 15 teams do every year. But which losses really leave a mark? Which ones brutalize a fan base, scarring them for generations? This sounds fun. But first, we need an actual trophy for this thing. And for once, we don't even have to invent one. Did you know that the NHL used to have something called the O'Brien Trophy, which was awarded to the Stanley Cup Final loser? Not to be confused with the NBA's Larry O'Brien Trophy, it's one of the NHL's old awards that's now defunct, and for good reason, because hockey culture says you don't celebrate losing. But since that's what we're doing here, it's a perfect fit. Crack open the vault and dust off the O'Brien Trophy, because it's our new award for each postseason's biggest loser. We'll go back and retroactively hand out the trophy for each year of the cap era, starting way back in the good old days … Candidates: In an upset-heavy year, we saw the Stars post the league's second-best record, only to get knocked out in five by the Avalanche, while the Predators had the best season in their young franchise history, only to go out in five to the Sharks. Meanwhile, the 100-point Rangers were swept by the Devils. And while the Canadiens were big underdogs against Carolina, they had a 2-0 series lead only to collapse after losing Game 3 in overtime, then had to watch the Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup. Advertisement But the winner is: We start with an easy one. It's the Red Wings, who put together one of the best regular seasons in history with 58 wins and 124 points, only to lose in the first round to the eighth-seeded Oilers. Manny Legace was never seen in Detroit again. Candidates: Atlanta was the only team swept in the first round, but it was the most successful playoff run in Thrashers history, so we'll skip that. The Stars fought back from down 3-1 to Vancouver only to lose Game 7 on home ice. And the Wild only scored six goals in a five-game loss to the Ducks. Hey, at least it was better than the 2003 conference final. But the winner is: Remember how the 2006 Predators ran off the best season they'd ever had, only to lose to the Sharks in five? They did it again in 2007, despite going all in to get Peter Forsberg at the deadline. Candidates: A year after going to the final, the Senators were swept out of round one by the Penguins. The Capitals lost a Game 7 on home ice in overtime. But the winner is: Let's go with a team that won a round. The Canadiens were the top seed in the Eastern Conference, but needed seven games to get past the Bruins and then got smoked by the Flyers in round two, with rookie Carey Price getting lit up. To make matters worse, the Flyers' leading scorer in the series was R.J. Umberger, whose nine points in five games represented 45 percent of his playoff production over his 11-year career. Candidates: The Canadiens, Blue Jackets and Blues were all swept in round one, while the Rangers blew a 3-1 series lead against the Capitals. But the winner is: This one's a close call. The obvious pick would be the Sharks, who won the Presidents' Trophy with 117 points but then lost to the Ducks in six in the opening round. But then you have the Devils, who blew a late lead at home in Game 7 against the Hurricanes in one of the most stunning sequences in memory. It's tough, but in hindsight, we can pinpoint this year as the one that truly started the whole 'San Jose as playoff chokers' narrative, so we'll give the nod to the Sharks. Advertisement Candidates: Man, this is a tough one, because two losses stand out head-and-shoulders over the others. The first is the Capitals, coming off a 121-point season, losing to a red-hot Jaroslav Halak and the Canadiens in round one. In any other year, that's a slam dunk. But we also have the Bruins blowing a 3-0 series lead against the Flyers, becoming just the third team in history to that point to do that. But the winner is: I think I have to go with the Capitals here. The Bruins fall just short for two reasons. First, their loss came in round two, meaning they at least won a round. And unlike the powerhouse Caps, the Bruins weren't very good, finishing fake .500 on the year. Mix in that hindsight tells us they'd recover just fine in 2011, and I don't think they can be the pick. Candidates: For what I assume will be the only time in this exercise, it's tempting to go with the team that lost in the Stanley Cup Final, as the Canucks' dream season came crashing down after they'd staked a 2-0 series lead. The Coyotes put up 99 points, only to get swept. And in hindsight, the Sabres blowing a late series lead to lose to the Flyers was the start of The Drought. But the winner is: I'm going to go with the Canadiens, who lost three agonizing OT games after building a 2-0 series lead against Boston, lost Game 7 in OT (after tying it on a dramatic late goal), and then watched their hated rivals march all the way to their first Cup win in almost 40 years, knowing they could have prevented it all. Candidates: The Panthers had the Devils down 3-2 and were on the verge of their first series win since 1996, then lost twice in overtime. The Bruins lost to the Caps in Game 7 overtime, while the up-and-coming Hawks were knocked out in round one by the Coyotes. But the winner is: One year after falling one game short in the final, the Canucks repeated as Presidents' Trophy champs but then bit the shed against the Kings in a five-game opening round loss. Candidates: The favored Canadiens lost a nasty series to Ottawa in five. The Ducks were upset by the Wings in seven. The once-mighty Canucks were swept aside by the Sharks. And the powerhouse Penguins were a disappointment despite winning two rounds, getting swept by the Bruins in the conference final despite acquiring Jarome Iginla. But the winner is: Come on. Candidates: The 101-point Lightning got swept, but you know what, we don't even have to pretend there's any debate to be had. But the winner is: The Sharks, who blew a 3-0 series lead to the Kings and lost in seven, leaving Joe Thornton looking like this and their reputation as the biggest chokers of the era intact. A few years ago, I ranked this as the most painful Game 7 loss in NHL history. Advertisement Candidates: The Wings blew a 3-2 series lead against Tampa. The Wild won a round, then were swept aside with ease by the Hawks in the second round. But the winner is: The Jets finally brought playoff hockey back to Winnipeg for the first time in almost two decades, nearly melting eardrums in the process. Then they got swept by the Ducks. Candidates: The Panthers faced the Islanders in a series in which one team was guaranteed to end a decades-long playoff drought, and lost in six. The Kings got smoked by the Sharks, while the Wings lost in five to the Lightning in what remains their most recent playoff appearance, nine seasons later. But the winner is: It has to be the Ducks, who were the Pacific's top seed but lost to the Predators in seven. It was the fourth year in a row their season ended in a Game 7, and this one spelled the end of the Bruce Boudreau era. Candidates: The Wild went out in five easy games to the Blues, meaning they had one more win than the Flames, who were swept by the Ducks. Meanwhile, Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals lost to the Penguins in the second round for the (checks notes) 38th season in a row. But the winner is: After putting up 109 points to finish first in the West and reestablish themselves as Cup favorites, the Blackhawks were stunningly swept by the eighth-seeded Predators. Candidates: The Ducks were swept by the Sharks in round one, while the Wild went out in five against the favored Jets. But the winner is: The Kings, who were swept in round one by the Golden Knights. Who loses to an expansion team, we all laughed, before taking a big sip of water and watching the rest of that year's playoffs. Candidates: The Flames were the West's top seed but then lost in five to the Avs, which in any other year would have made them a strong contender. The Penguins were swept by the Islanders. And the Leafs lost to the Bruins in seven for the second straight year. Sure hope that doesn't become a thing for this good young team. Advertisement But the winner is: Another easy one, as the Lightning tied the NHL record for wins in a season with 62 and then got swept by the Columbus Blue Jackets, a result that made so little sense that I'm convinced to this day that none of our brains have ever actually tried to process it. Candidates: We'll count the qualifying round as the playoffs here, even though the league never really got around to clarifying that whole thing. The Rangers were the only team to be swept in that round, while the Leafs blew it against the Blue Jackets. Meanwhile the Blues went in as the West favorite, then lost in round one to the Canucks. But the winner is: You could make the case that there shouldn't even be a winner here, since the whole bubble playoff setup was so weird that it barely counts as a real postseason. Still, it would have to come down to a pair of qualifying round upsets, with the Penguins losing to the Canadiens or the Oilers losing to the Hawks. I'll invoke hindsight here — we know the Oilers eventually figured it out, while the Penguins have been adrift ever since. Candidates: The Blues and Oilers were both swept, while the Panthers had sand kicked in their faces by the big brother Lightning. The Hurricanes had the third-best record in the league, but went out meekly in five games in round two. But the winner is: Come on, part two. Candidates: The Leafs lost in seven again, and their playoff failures were well and truly A Thing. The Predators got swept. And it's tempting to go with the Panthers, who came off a 122-point season and won a round but then were swept by the Lightning. Two reasons they can't win: First, the series win was their first since 1996, so the season at least felt like some sort of success. And second, we now know that management didn't buy that 'good enough' talk, and immediately embarked on what may go down as one of the great offseasons of all time. But the winner is: The Wild had 113 points to set a franchise record, then lost in the first round like always. Advertisement Candidates: The Jets were the only team not to even make it to a sixth game, while the Avalanche somehow managed to lose to the Kraken in seven. But the winner is: This pretty much has to be the Bruins, who racked up arguably the greatest regular season ever to the tune of 135 points and then went up 3-1 in their series against the Panthers before seeing it all blow up in spectacular fashion. Hindsight gets interesting here, because on the one hand, we now know that those 92-point Panthers were a sleeping giant. But we also know that the Bruins were about to plummet, making this loss even more painful. Candidates: The Leafs lost to the Bruins yet again, and vowed they'd only passively run it back one more time and that was it, and they mean it this time. The Caps got swept and four other teams lost in five in an opening round that was kind of bad. And the Predators lost to the Canucks in six even though by the end of the series, you were starting in goal for Vancouver. But the winner is: I think this one goes to the Jets, who earned home ice against the Avs but then lost in five when Vezina winner Connor Hellebuyck turned into a pumpkin. Candidates: The Lightning got smoked by the Panthers, the Blues were a second away from beating the Jets, and the Leafs Leafed again. The Avalanche lost to Mikko Rantanen, who you may have heard once played for them. And you could even make a case for the Stars despite them winning two rounds, since they still couldn't get over the conference final hurdle and their coach got fired after driving the team bus over the franchise goalie. But the winner is: Maybe it's recency bias, but it feels like there are lots of great candidates for the 2025 trophy. But I think the pick here has to be the Kings, who not only lost to the Oilers for the fourth year in a row despite finally having home ice, but basically handed them the pivotal game with one of the worst coach's challenges ever. The loss plunged the team into crisis and cost Rob Blake his job. Other than that, it went great. And that's as far as we can go for now. Oddsmakers are already projecting a tight race for 2026, when the Kings lose to the Oilers in three and the Maple Leafs lose to Mitch Marner in seven. No, not his new team — just him. If you're keeping score at home, we covered 20 years and had 15 different teams take home the trophy. Five teams had multiple wins: Toronto, Los Angeles, Montreal, San Jose and Winnipeg. Hey, look at that, we finally found a playoff trophy that Canadian teams can compete for. (Top photo of the Kings and Oilers shaking hands: Perry Nelson / Imagn Images)
New York Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
The Stanley Cup is already damaged as Panthers go full throttle with boozy celebration
The Panthers might be having a little too much fun with the Stanley Cup. The bowl of the trophy is cracked and the bottom is dented – a result of the team's rambunctious celebrations after winning the title with a 5-1 triumph over the Oilers in Game 6 Tuesday. As is tradition for teams that win the Cup, the Panthers celebrated with the silver trophy Tuesday night and kept the party going from there, spending Wednesday morning at Fort Lauderdale beach bar Elbo Room. 3 The Panthers cracked the bowl of the Stanley Cup while celebrating their Game 6 win over the Oilers. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Somewhere along the way, the team managed to damage the 32.5-inch, 34.5-pound trophy. Not to worry, though, since the keepers of the Cup are taking the necessary steps to repair the trophy before the Panthers' parade on Sunday, a spokesperson for the Hockey Hall of Fame told ESPN. This isn't the first time the Cup has gotten banged up. 3 The Panthers celebrate with the Stanley Cup at Elbo Room in Fort Lauderdale Wednesday. AP The base of the trophy was damaged as recently as 2022, when then-Avalanche forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel lost his balance while skating into Colorado's team photo with the Cup. Mark Messier damaged the trophy when he took it on a trip to the club after winning with the Oilers in 1987, requiring repair at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. 3 Panthers left-winger AJ Greeg raises the Stanley Cup after Florida defeated the Oilers 5-1 in Game 6. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect And the Rangers had an incident of their own in 1994, when the team brought the trophy to Belmont Park, only for that year's winner of the Kentucky Derby to damage the Cup while attempting to eat oats out of it. There have been plenty of other trophies damaged in celebration outside of hockey, of course, Alabama football shattered the Coaches' Trophy, worth $30,000, after winning the BCS national title in 2012, and Wisconsin football broke the Duke's Mayo Bowl trophy, which included a football-shaped piece of crystal, after quarterback Graham Mertz dropped it in the locker room in 2020.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Oilers Secretive Of New Victory Song, "Pink Pony Club"
EDMONTON – 'I'm gonna keep on dancing.' The Edmonton Oilers and La Bamba have been a match made in hockey heaven. It's such a great match that the Oilers have flags with 'La Bamba' on them. Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news, game-day coverage, and more. However, this season is a new year, and at some point, La Bamba was swapped out for a new jingle. Advertisement Say hello to 'Pink Pony Club.' Trending Oilers Stories 'Everything At Once': Oilers' Leon Draisaitl On Strong Nugent-Hopkins Performance 'Everything At Once': Oilers' Leon Draisaitl On Strong Nugent-Hopkins Performance EDMONTON – 'We all know that he's capable of putting up numbers and scoring and making great plays.' Oilers Impressing Matthew Tkachuk With 'Best Hockey Of The Year' Where Oilers' Leon Draisaitl Finished In Selke Trophy Voting Oilers 2025 Stanley Cup Final Schedule & 3 Bold Predictions Connor McDavid's Wife Lauren Makes Big Announcement 'I F------ Love Bob': Troy Stecher's Unhinged In-Game Interview EXCLUSIVE: Mark Messier On Oilers, Budweiser, His Future & More EXCLUSIVE: Mark Messier On Oilers, Budweiser, His Future & More EDMONTON – Mark Messier loves Edmonton. Advertisement The hit single by Chappell Roan has become the anthem of every Oilers victory. When they finish a game with more goals than their opponents, the lyrics to Pink Pony Club can be heard emanating from their locker room before the media is allowed in. I would know…I've heard it myself countless times. But that's not the only time it's being played around Rogers Place. In the dying seconds of Game 3, it was playing for everyone on the ice surface and in the stands to hear. When Evan Bouchard and Trent Frederick spoke to the media on Monday, they were asked about the origin of Pink Pony Club. Their answer? "We're going to keep that one between the team," Bouchard revealed after exchanging a knowing glance (and a smile) with Frederick. Advertisement On Tuesday night, the Oilers put a damper on the Dallas Stars' hopes of getting back into their series. After 60 minutes had been played, the Oilers walked away with a 4-1 victory. I have a sneaking suspicion that I know what's being played in that locker room tonight after that victory. Add us to your Google News favourites, and never miss a story.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Oilers vs Florida Panthers: Full 2025 Schedule & 3 Bold Series Predictions
EDMONTON – Get ready Oil Country, the Stanley Cup Final is coming for you. After the Edmonton Oilers smashed the Dallas Stars' dreams of competing in the final playoff round, the NHL announced the schedule for the Cup Final. Advertisement Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news, game-day coverage, and more. For the second consecutive season, the Oilers will face the Florida Panthers, winner-take-all. Trending Oilers Stories EXCLUSIVE: Mark Messier On Oilers, Budweiser, His Future & More EXCLUSIVE: Mark Messier On Oilers, Budweiser, His Future & More EDMONTON – Mark Messier loves Edmonton. Oilers 2025 Playoff Tickets: Buy Them Now With Pre-Sale Oilers Secretive Of New Victory Song, "Pink Pony Club" If Oilers Win Tonight, Here's When They Play Next Oilers Jeff Skinner Reaches New Milestone Messier Would Love Oilers To 'Bring It Full Circle' Messier Would Love Oilers To 'Bring It Full Circle' EDMONTON – 'It was incredible to be in the rink in Game Six last year.' Oilers vs Panthers Full 2025 Series Schedule All games are posted in Mountain Time. Italics are used for games that will only be played if necessary. Bold denotes home games. Advertisement Game 1: June 4 (Wednesday) - Florida at Edmonton - 6 PM Game 2: June 6 (Friday) - Florida at Edmonton - 6 PM Game 3: June 9 (Monday) - Edmonton at Florida - 6 PM Game 4: June 12 (Thursday) - Edmonton at Florida - 6 PM Game 5: June 14 (Saturday) - Florida at Edmonton - 6 PM Game 6: June 17 (Tuesday) - Edmonton at Florida - 6 PM Game 7: June 20 (Friday) - Florida at Edmonton - 6 PM 3 Stanley Cup Final Series Predictions A new series needs a new series of predictions. This might be the second year that these teams are facing each other, but this is not last year's Edmonton Oilers. Here are my three major series predictions: Oilers Won't Go Down 0-3 The Oilers have not lost more than two games in a row for this entire playoff run. Since losing their first two games against the Los Angeles Kings, they have only lost two total games. Advertisement They have demonstrated a calmness and maturity that they didn't have last year. Those attributes will serve them well in the Cup Final. And there is no way that Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl allow their team to be put in the same unfortunate situation. Evander Kane Will Be Evander Kane It's time for the Oilers to raise some Kane…that is, Evander Kane. Last year, Kane was virtually invisible in the series against the Panthers. He only played two games (Games 1 & 2), recording two hits and one block in 25 total minutes of ice time. That's not going to be good enough this year. Kane seemingly took a backseat during the Dallas Stars series. I suspect he might have struggled to find a way to get physically engaged. There should be no struggles to get physically engaged with the likes of former Calgary Flames forwards Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk. Oilers Will Get The Last Laugh My final prediction: the Oilers will win the Stanley Cup. There is enough different about this year's Oilers that they won't fail in the final twice. Oilers in five. Add us to your Google News favourites, and never miss a story.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
The Post-Gretzky Era: Why Edmonton Oilers haven't won a Stanley Cup since their 1990 victory
Edmonton Oilers chasing Stanley Cup glory decades after Gretzky's era (Image via :Getty Images) Once the NHL's shining dynasty, the Edmonton Oilers now face a tough reality many hesitate to discuss. This is a franchise built on legends—Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, and others whose glory days set the standard for hockey excellence. But as the Oilers chase the Stanley Cup again in 2025, one fact stands out: it's been 35 years since they last raised the trophy. The real question isn't if they can win, it's why they haven't. Edmonton Oilers' 1990 Stanley Cup — The last glimpse of glory after Gretzky The 1990 Oilers | 30 Years Later: The Story Of The Unexpected Cup Run Narrated By Kevin Smith In 1990, the Oilers captured their fifth Stanley Cup, a remarkable feat considering they had traded away Gretzky two years earlier. That championship was supposed to mark the beginning of a new chapter, with Mark Messier leading the way and Bill Ranford delivering stellar performances in goal. Ranford even earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. But instead of ushering in sustained success, that victory became Edmonton's last taste of hockey's ultimate prize for over three decades. Fast forward to 2024—hope flickered again. Led by generational talents Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the Oilers fought their way to the Stanley Cup Final. They even made history by forcing a Game 7 after trailing 3-0 in the series against the Florida Panthers, becoming the first team since 1945 to come back from such a deficit in the finals. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Bangladesh: Jewelry On Sale For Half Price (See Price List) Luxury Jewelry | search ads Undo Despite this heroic effort, Edmonton fell short in the deciding game. McDavid's stellar performance earned him the Conn Smythe Trophy, but the elusive Cup remained just out of reach. The McDavid Era: Talent but without the trophy Connor McDavid's brilliance is undeniable, he's widely regarded as one of the best players in NHL history . Yet, despite six consecutive playoff appearances since 2020, the Oilers haven't been able to close the deal. Is this a reflection of flawed management, inconsistent coaching, or simply a lack of depth? The Oilers' identity feels stuck between historic dynasty and modern frustration. Also Read: NHL playoff controversy: Sergei Bobrovsky responds to controversial hit during Panthers vs Hurricanes Game 1 The Edmonton Oilers remain a respected name in hockey, but their long Stanley Cup drought is impossible to ignore. For a team once celebrated as an NHL powerhouse, the absence of new championships is the loudest story of all. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
