With the conclusion of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final that saw the St. Louis Blues earn their first-ever Stanley Cup title, the book on playoff hockey in the second decade of the 21st Century is officially closed.
We’ve seen our share of exciting moments: teams breaking massive Cup droughts, two Cup-winning goals in overtime and our first back-to-back champion since the 1990s.
But, the idea for this article got me thinking. What exactly constitutes a great series? What makes one series better than the rest?
Is a seven-game series really great if the hype is only between games and the games themselves are mostly lopsided? Can a series still be wildly exciting if it lasts just four or five games? How much does a great storyline (breaking a drought, winning it for a specific player/person, etc.) change a series’ overall “great”ness?
My conclusion? Entertainment. A series where each game keeps the viewer on the edge of his or her seat. Lead changes, goals, late drama, heroics. A great story is the cherry on top.
Now, with that being said, it’s time to look at just how entertaining each Stanley Cup Final from 2010 through 2019 was.
10. 2017 – Pittsburgh Penguins over Nashville Predators in six games
As evidence that every Cup Final this decade was pretty great, 2017 saw an eighth seed take on a team that would eventually become the first back-to-back Stanley Cup champion in 19 years.
As a series, though, this was a dud. Entertainment values were marred by bad calls and blowouts. Game One saw the Penguins benefit from an offsides review that the league clearly missed on, and the clinching Game Six saw the Predators robbed of another should-be goal.
The Penguins earned blowout wins at home in Games Two and Five while the Predators stomped Pittsburgh back in Nashville in Games Three and Four.
9. 2018 – Washington Capitals over Vegas Golden Knights in five games
If we were going by storylines only, the 2018 Final would take the cake. The Capitals, after years of frustrating playoff losses, exorcised their demons and won their first Cup in their 44th season.
Washington’s opponent was the expansion Golden Knights in their inaugural season – one of the greatest stories in sports history.
Game One was a back-and-forth affair that saw the home Golden Knights grab their first Stanley Cup Final victory, but the Capitals were able to rattle off victories in the next four contests.
The deciding Game Five was an instant classic and Games Two and Three had a bit of late drama, but this was a series mostly dominated by one team.
8. 2012 – Los Angeles Kings over New Jersey Devils in six games
This series between and eighth seed and a sixth seed did not draw much attention, going in, but it instantly provided some great hockey. The eighth-seeded Kings went into Newark and grinded out two overtime victories to start the battle. Then, they became the first team to ever grab four different 3-0 series leads in one playoff run by coasting to a 4-0 victory at home.
The Devils made a series of it by taking the next two contests, but the infamous Steve Bernier penalty early on dug New Jersey’s grave. The Kings kept their foot on the gas pedal and soared to a 6-1 whitewashing in the clincher.
7. 2016 – Pittsburgh Penguins over San Jose Sharks in six games
This is where the rankings get a bit murky. This was a fun series, but others were just…better.
The first three games of the ’16 Final were outstanding. A late goal by Nick Bonino netted the Penguins a Game One win and an overtime goal by Conor Sheary put Pittsburgh up 2-0. The Sharks, however, answered by winning Game Three at home thanks to a Joonas Donskoi overtime winner.
Game Four, however, gave fans the sense that the more experienced Penguins were taking over.
With a chance to clinch at home in Game Five, the Pens fell behind 2-0 right away but evened the score at two apiece before the six-minute mark of the game.
However, San Jose shut down Pittsburgh the remainder of the game to force a Game Six back in the Bay Area, in which the Penguins returned the favor by completely suffocating any chances the Sharks had.
6. 2010 – Chicago Blackhawks over Philadelphia Flyers in six games
Two cities long overdue for a Stanley Cup met for the title to open up the decade, and the war began with three great one-goal games, the third of which was won in overtime by the Flyers to pull them back in the series.
Philadelphia evened things up at home in Game Four while the Blackhawks took a high-scoring Game Five 7-4.
Five minutes away from clinching their first title in 49 years, Chicago surrendered a tying goal to Philadelphia’s Scott Hartnell, sending the series to overtime for a second time.
Then, Patrick Kane happened.
5. 2011 – Boston Bruins over Vancouver Canucks in seven games
This was a weird one for sure.
It took seven games, but Boston outscored Vancouver by a margin of 23-8 throughout the series. In fact, the home team won the first six games of the series before the Bruins went to Vancouver and provided those watching with a 4-0 snoozer of a Game Seven.
While all three games in Boston were completely lopsided (8-1, 4-0 and 5-2), the three Canucks wins were filled with drama and unforgettable moments.
Vancouver won Game One when Raffi Torres scored the game’s only goal with 19 seconds remaining in regulation and Game Two when Alex Burrows scored 11 seconds into overtime. Max Lapierre scored the only goal of Game Five a quarter of the way through the third period.
Despite the inconsistencies of quality when it came to the games in this series, one thing all hockey fans loved was the nastiness. Finger-biting and Aaron Rome’s hit to the head of Nathan Horton kick-started one of the bloodiest inter-conference rivalries in sports history.
4. 2015 – Chicago Blackhawks over Tampa Bay Lightning in six games
Maybe it was because people were getting a bit sick of the Blackhawks, but this series has been seemingly overlooked and forgotten despite being an all-time classic.
Although there was no overtime hockey played, each of the first five games were decided by just one goal. The clinching Game Six in Chicago (which occurred in the midst of tornadoes and thunderstorms outside the arena) saw Corey Crawford shut out the Lightning to lead the Blackhawks to a 2-0 victory.
Lead changes galore in the series’ first three games kept everyone on the edge of their seats. The following three games did not disappoint either, as Crawford and Ben Bishop provided spectacular performances against dynamic offenses.
3. 2014 – Los Angeles Kings over New York Rangers in five games
Five games doesn’t seem like enough for a high-profile matchup like Los Angeles and New York, but this was one of the wildest five-game series in a long time.
Plus, if you count the overtimes, this series consisted of 20 periods – one short of seven full-length games.
The Kings were able to rally back from two goals down in each of the series’ first two games, winning the first in overtime and the second in double overtime to nab an early edge on the series.
Both teams split low-scoring games in New York, and Game Five in Los Angeles again required extra time.
Alec Martinez’s goal in double overtime to win the Cup at home provided for one of the most exciting moments of the decade.
2. 2019 – St. Louis Blues over Boston Bruins in seven games
Thank Gloria, the Blues finally have a Stanley Cup! And in a season where they sat dead last in the NHL as late as January 3.
Game One saw the Bruins mount an impressive third-period comeback while the Blues tied the series in overtime in Game Two.
Boston won Game Three handily (7-2), but St. Louis bounced back for dramatic, nail-biting wins in Game Four and Game Five that went right down to the wire.
With their backs against the wall, the Bruins churned out a gutsy performance on the road in Game Six to force a winner-take all Game Seven back at home.
The 4-1 final score in Game Seven was not indicative of how close the game really was, though. Blues rookie goaltender Jordan Binnington was under siege as Boston dominated the first period, but he stood tall and turned away chance after chance.
Once the Blues had stolen the first period by taking a 2-0 lead despite being wildly outshot, Binnington did not relent. St. Louis, in its 51-year history in the NHL, finally has its first Stanley Cup.
1. 2013 – Chicago Blackhawks over Boston Bruins in six games
An Original Six matchup. Three overtimes. Two recent champions at the peak of their championship window. Boston and Chicago. A head-spinning finish. All of the ingredients needed for a near-perfect series of playoff hockey.
The lockout-shortened season was, without question, worth the wait – this was one of the best Stanley Cup Finals in league history.
The Blackhawks took Game One in triple overtime while Boston answered with an overtime victory on the road in Game Two.
After the Bruins shut out the Hawks to take the series lead in Game Three, the two squads skated to a high-scoring contest in Game Four that again went to overtime. Chicago defenseman Brent Seabrook scored the winner to send it back to the Windy City with the series all square.
Chicago snared the series lead after a gritty win in Game Five, and went back to Beantown with a chance to win the Stanley Cup.
The Bruins, however, had different plans. With just over a minute to go in regulation, Boston clung to a 2-1 lead and it appeared as if a Game Seven in Chicago would be necessary. That is, until Bryan Bickell knotted the game with 1:16 left on the clock.
A fourth overtime in the series, however, was not needed. David Bolland scored just 17 seconds after Bolland, giving the Blackhawks their first lead of the game – one they would hold onto for the game’s final minute to win the Stanley Cup.
The Rick List 