Hi, this is Fred Wallace with ” Off the Wire “,….. proudly sponsored by Pete’s Auto Body.
Pete’s Auto Body; because we care about our community….
The Montreal Canadiens advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals last season before losing in the Final to Tampa Bay, but as the new NHL season has opened the Habs are 0 & 4 heading to their game tomorrow night against Detroit
Montreal’s stumble out of the gate and the possibility of a trying season is not entirely unexpected.
Over the last 10 years the list of follow up success by Stanley Cup Finalists is mixed, at best.
Vancouver, New Jersey, Boston twice, the Rangers, Tampa Bay, San Jose, Nashville, Vegas & Dallas were the Stanley Cup losers starting in 2011..
Obviously with Tampa Bay winning back to back Stanley Cups, their loss in the 2015 Championship to Chicago served as a harbinger of good things to come.
Plus, I think you can make a case for the Bruins and Vegas as remaining as elite or contending teams after a trip to the Cup Final.
…….But the Canucks, Devils, Rangers, Sharks, Predators and Stars more or less got to the very peak of the sport, failed in the final and then fell off,…. and in some cases, like the Devils, the fall was steep and wicked.
The 2021 Stanley Cup appearance for the Montreal Canadiens was viewed by their devoted fan base as the start of big things for the organization. And they may be accurate sooner rather than later.
But the cautionary tale from recent NHL history is that the berth in the Final may also represent the zenith of the journey and now it’s back to Square One.