There's no substitute for experience. It is one of those intangibles that have historically given teams like New Jersey and Detroit such an edge in the postseason and why teams like the Blues, Maple Leafs and Rangers competed to acquire as many Oilers as possible in the early 1990s. Which teams have the greatest edge today?
To answer that, we used the Hockey Reference playoff finder tool and cross-referenced the results with each team's current roster. The total number of postseason appearances of each roster was calculated, along with total combined games, goals, assists and points in the postseason.
Teams were then ranked on how much postseason experience their rosters had. Teams like the Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals just missed a list that was topped by two teams currently fighting for their playoff chances.
Though the title says "Stanley Cup Contenders," it is being used in the broadest possible sense and excluding only those teams that are realistically eliminated from the playoff race. As it turns out, that distinction was unnecessary, as no such team appeared in the top 10 anyway, with the possible exception of the Vanc ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Rob Vollman
Which Stanley Cup Contenders Have the Most Playoff Experience?
March 8th, 2014 by Rob Vollman Leave a reply »
Advertisement