Think it's doable to repeat as Stanley Cup Champions? Think again. The Dallas Stars knocked out the defending champion Anaheim Ducks in their 1st round match up over the weekend. But the Ducks are far from being alone in their failure to defend their championship.
Let's take a look at how other recent Stanley Cup Champs fared while attempting to defend their titles.
- 2002 Champs Detroit Red Wings - Lost in 1st round in 2003
- 2003 Champs New Jersey Devils - Lost in 1st round in 2004
- 2004 Champs Tampa Bay Lightning - Lost in 1st round in 2006
- 2006 Champs Carolina Hurricanes - Failed to make playoffs 2007
- 2007 Champs Anaheim Ducks - Lost in 1st round in 2008
Does reading that make you feel any better Caniacs? Oh well, I tried.
Speaking of playoffs, the Washington Capitals defeated the Flyers in Philadelphia last night to force a game 7 in Washington Tuesday night. Alexander Ovechkin came alive in the 3rd period to score 2 goals. The Caps were losing 2-0, and came back to score 4 straight to win the game 4-2.
The Flyers started out really well, but fell apart in the 3rd period. I'm not exactly sure what happened to them, but I feel that the loss of Mike Knuble hurt them badly. The Philly fans were brutal as many of them booed their team as they left the ice.
Braydon Coburn looks like a star in the making. What did the Thrashers receive for him again? Oh yes, a slow, washed up, over-paid, and often scratched, Alexei Zhitnik. Ouch.... That trade will haunt Don Waddell for years to come. It's a perfect example why that franchise will never amount to anything under current management.
Alexander will end up being the MVP of that series. Nope, not Ovechkin, Alexander Semin. I always thought that he was pretty much a one-dimensional player, but during the past month or so I've recognized that the dude has some game.
Ringo Starr