With the Los Angeles Kings winning the 2013-14 Stanley Cup
championship in five games over the New York Rangers, there now hasn't been a four
game sweep in the Stanley Cup finals since the 1997-98 NHL season. That
National Hockey League season marked the last of four consecutive sweeps to
decide the Stanley Cup champion. This four year span happens to be the only
time in NHL history when there has been four consecutive years with sweeps. In
fact, the only time there has been three consecutive years with sweeps in the
finals came with the 1967 expansion when the St. Louis Blues were at the losing
end of sweeps between 1967-68 and 1969-70.
New Jersey Devils 1994-95
The New Jersey Devils starting things off in 1994-95 by
taking down the Detroit Red Wings in four games to capture the Stanley Cup. New
Jersey lost just four games in the first three rounds of the playoffs and
finished off the post-season with a 16-4 record. In the finals, the Devils
outscored the Red Wings 16-7. This was the first championship in New Jersey
Devils history. The franchise that began as the Kansas City Scouts back in
1974-75 has since won the Cup on two more occasions.
The 1995 final was a
faceoff between teacher and student. Jacques Lemaire was head coach of the
Devils while Scotty Bowman was behind the bench of the Red Wings. Lemaire
played a key part on the ice for the Scotty Bowman coached Montreal Canadiens
in the 1970’s. The Conn Smythe Trophy was won by Claude Lemieux of the Devils
with the team led defensively by Scott Stevens and rock-solid goaltender Martin
Brodeur.
Colorado Avalanche 1995-96
The Quebec Nordiques built a roster with championship
potential. However, it wasn’t until the franchise moved to Denver before they
could reap their rewards. The Colorado Avalanche met up with the Florida
Panthers in the 1995-96 finals. The Avalanche held the trap-playing Panthers to
just four goals in the over the series while scoring 15 of their own. Game two
of the series was an 8-1 blowout. However, Florida put up a fight, losing 1-0
in triple overtime in game four.
Claude Lemieux won
his second consecutive Stanley Cup after moving over to the Avalanche from New
Jersey. Joe Sakic of Colorado won the Conn Smythe with Patrick Roy and Adam
Foote also playing starring roles in the victory. The Avalanche lost a total of
six games in the 1995-96 post season.
Detroit Red Wings 1996-97
Detroit was back in the finals for 1996-97 after a year away,
this time on the winning end of the sweep. The Philadelphia Flyers were Detroit’s
opponent in the final and outscored them 16-6 over the four games. The Red
Wings lost just four games during the entire 1996-97post-season.
The series put two
great captains head to head with Steve Yzerman of the Red Wings and Eric
Lindros of the Flyers facing off. Mike Vernon, goaltender for Detroit, won the
Conn Smythe Trophy. Hockey Hall of Famer Brendan Shanahan and Nicklas Lidstrom
also led the way for the Red Wings.
Detroit Red Wings 1997-98
The Red Wings were back for more in 1997-98. This time,
their victim was the Washington Capitals. As of the end of the 2013-14 season,
this is the only time the Capitals have reached the Stanley Cup finals since
joining the National Hockey League in 1974-75, along with the Kansas City
Scouts.
Detroit outscored Washington 13-7 in a defensive struggle.
Detroit’s record throughout the playoffs was 16-6 with mostly the same cast as
the year before. Steve Yzerman was the recipient of the Conn Smythe Trophy.
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