Flyers and Longest Stanley Cup Losing Streaks in the NHL

The Philadelphia Flyers is a team with a rich history in the NHL. The iconic Wells Fargo Center side boasts two championships in its trophy room, lifting the famed giant trophy in back-to-back campaigns in 1974 and 1975. However, in the nearly five decades since then, they have known nothing but pain, losing in their six subsequent Stanley Cup Finals. Nevertheless, they share the misery with other NHL teams.

Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers’ six Stanley Cup losses have been excruciatingly painful for their fans. Loyal supporters of the team still remember 1976, when they were swept by the Montreal Canadiens in four games, humbling them in their quest for a historic three-peat. The 1985 and 1987 seasons saw losses to the Edmonton Oilers, where Philly came out flat the first time and just short the second. They also fell short to the New York Islanders in 1980, the Detroit Red Wings in 1997, and most recently, the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010, who were beginning a dynasty-like era in which they would win two more championships in both 2013 and 2015.

The current campaign might represent the Flyers’ improving chances at lifting the Stanley Cup sooner rather than later. Despite not reaching the postseason in each of the last three seasons – their worst run in 30 years – they currently find themselves in third place in the Metropolitan Division, behind the New York Rangers and the Carolina Hurricanes. But despite their decent start to the new season, NHL betting odds makers have still listed them as +5500 outsiders for glory, with the Colorado Avalanche being made the +850 favorites.

Vancouver Canucks

Following closely behind the Flyers with three losses in the Stanley Cup Final are the Vancouver Canucks. The British Columbia side has been to the final three times since their inception back in 1970, the first of which came 12 years later when they were swept by the New York Islanders. They then lost out to the Islanders’ cross-city rivals, the New York Rangers, in 1994 in a heartbreaking seven-game series.

Finally, they made it all the way to the championship series again in 2011 and were heavily favored to win it all. Unfortunately for them, it was the Boston Bruins that broke a losing streak of their own, winning in seven games to snap their Stanley Cup losing streak at five.

Boston Bruins

While the Bruins may have ended that particular streak, in the decade-plus since, they have ultimately started another. The TD Garden side is a team that has witnessed more lows than highs in the Stanley Cup Finals, winning it all of six times but losing on a mighty 14 occasions, the most in NHL history. Their current streak stands at two, after losing to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games during the 2013 season and then losing out to the St. Louis Blues in seven games in a tightly contested series six years later.

Last year, they were expected to put their recent woes behind them. They won the President’s Trophy in record-breaking fashion and were the short-priced favorites to go all the way. However, they were downed by the wildcard Florida Panthers in stunning fashion in the opening round of the postseason, losing out in seven games. They will be aiming to put that right this term, and the bookies have made them the +900 second-favorites to do exactly that.

Dallas Stars

Moving on to the Dallas Stars, the team has made it to the final three times in its history: 1991-92 (lost to Pittsburgh), 1998-99 (won against Buffalo), and most recently in 2019-20 (lost to Tampa Bay). Despite three appearances in the final, the team has struggled to overcome its losing streak over the past few seasons. With a new head coach at the helm, fans are hoping that the Stars can turn it around and finally bring home another championship.

Florida Panthers

The Florida Panthers have only been around since 1993, but the team has already earned a reputation for its inability to win the Stanley Cup. Despite being a relatively young team, the Floridians have earned two losses in the final, first in 1995-96 and most recently last season. Despite these setbacks, the Cats still stole the hearts of hockey fans the world over last term.

They stunned everyone when they knocked off the record-setting Bruins, before embarking on a fairytale run that saw them defeat the heavyweight Toronto Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes to secure their spot in the Stanley Cup finals against all odds. Ultimately the Cinderella story would come to an end with a 4-1 drubbing by the Vegas Golden Knights, but not before they had bagged themselves plenty of admirers.

Buffalo Sabres

Finally, we come to the Buffalo Sabres. Despite a long history in the NHL, the Sabres have only managed to make it to the Stanley Cup Final twice, first in 1974-75 (lost to the Flyers) and more recently in 1998-99 (lost to the Stars). Despite having a number of talented players and a dedicated fan base, the Sabres have struggled to bring home the Cup, leading some to speculate that the team may be cursed. To make matters worse, they are currently on the longest active playoff drought of anyone in the league, having not reached the postseason for a whopping 12 years.