The last ~2 minutes of the 2020 final felt so surreal. At that point the Stars felt like there wasn't a chance, and seeing the close ups of their bench without any noise from a crowd drove home how final it felt. I'm really glad they're having a resurgence this year because, man, that felt like the end of an era.
The Stars played on like 21 plus injuries. We were on a technical third string goalie that needed hand surgery after the series because he had no feeling in three of his fingers. Our captain needed three surgeries to repair everything from hip to shoulder injuries sustained throughout the playoffs. Tyler Seguin needed knee surgery and missed the first half of 2021. Roope Hintz fractured his ankle in the semis and then hurt his hip in the finals. Miro had hip issues, Klinger and Lindell had shoulder and hand injuries respectively, Blake Comeu had a separated shoulder, and Radek Faksa broke his wrist. We had no chance to beat Tampa. Our entire first, second, and third lines were almost all broken. We have a valiant effort and after the final whistle blew, I was absolutely floored. When news broke about just how many players we had injured, I was beyond upset lol
Gotta wonder where Chicago/LA 2014 would rank here. I know it’s not the final, but people at the time were saying it might as well have been. That series was absolutely insane.
Two things. 1) If you ever make merch, you need to put the phrase “At least we got an overtime goal” on a shirt. 2) The way you used music in this one is excellent. Well done!
Even though we lost game 1, that 2018 finals opener is one of my favorite games I’ve watched in recent times and really got me hyped that year. Really enjoyed the Jon Bois style and content you have on your channel, keep up the great work man!
Reflections on my casual sports fandom: I read your comment, and am surprised to see this compared to Jomboy, who is more comedic while analytic, assuming a speak to text typo. I then search the John Boy sounding name to find that "Jon Bois" is yet another distinct sportscaster of the internet. Today I Learned...!
I am just starting to get into hockey and I’m so happy that I found your channel. This was truly an awesome video I can only imagine the amount of work you put into this.
I've had multiple requests to run the numbers for the 2014 West Final between the Kings and Blackhawks, soooo.... GP: 7 SC/G: 51.428 xGF% diff/G: 6.436 xGF% diff (lower): 48.6 2+ score diff/G: 14.918 3+ score diff/G: 5.693 LC/G: 1 Goals/Game: 7.286 Matchup/Story: 4 Game 1 (CHI 3-1): 137.7 Game 2 (LAK 6-2): 114.8 Game 3 (LAK 4-3): 147.0 Game 4 (LAK 5-2): 15.3 (oof) Game 5: (CHI 5-4 2OT): 188.0 Game 6 (CHI 4-3): 227.9 Game 7 (LAK 5-4 OT): 265.0 (#1 out of all games in this video...and it is also the only game I've ever seen where the xGF were exactly dead even: 2.74-2.74) No length bonus: *4th* No xGF modifier: *1st* No score penalty: *2nd* Overall ranking: *1st*
that 2014 WCF was seriously the best hockey ive ever seen. That series WAS the Finals. Everyone knew whoever came out of it, was winning the Cup. Even as a Hawks fan, that series is probably my favorite ever, although its hard to beat out the 3 series that you end up winning the Cup in. Also, for 2015, i think the Story Score should be given an extra point because that series was the one that would decide if the Blackhawks were gonna be a Modern Day Dynasty. By winning it, they cemented their Dynasty, but in the dust, showed what would be what we know as the current day Lightning that have been to 3 Finals with 2 Cups.
@@madiganyt Man do I miss the days when our teams were battling for the cup. You guys had a longer run, but it was fun while it lasted. Never have I been more nervous as a fan than I was during the playoffs at the Madhouse, that place was going nuts at all moments. Super intimidating, then you had to hear that goal song to rub it in after every Blackhawks goal.
@@ZiggyValentine CHELSEA CHELSEA I BELIEVE THAT WHEN YOURE DANCING SLOWLY SUCKING YOUR SLEEVE, THE BOYS GET LONELY AFTER YOU LEAVE, ITS ONE FOR THE DAGGER, ANOTHER FOR THE ONE YOUR BELIEVE! CHI-LAK rivalry was just peak hockey and was almost the best match up. A never miss series for them.
@@madiganyt I think because it was built on respect more than hatred. As a Kings fan, I don’t remember being particularly annoyed by Hawks fans. We all knew we were witnessing something special.
@@ZiggyValentine same, i definitely wasnt a fan after 2014 though lmao. But i have so much respect for guys like Quick and Kopitar and Doughty. Theyre all amazing players and made our 3 Cup journey just that much more special
This is an awesome video. High production value, great narration, and a unique approach to the rankings. Even though I'm biased as a Bruins fan, I still think 2011 is one of the best playoff series of all time. The grit, the animosity, the talent, all made for a crazy series. I'm glad you showed the alternate ranking, because damn that was fun to watch, regardless of the scoring.
I actually do believe that the best finals for a first time fan to watch would of been the 2018 finals. An understandable and heart thrilling story with ovi and the knights, and an outcome that was unanimously celebrated. The best cup lift of all time, the save, too much excitement every game. Nothing else to say. We all have our own personal favorites, mine will always be 2018.
It is a great cup lift, but I think 1994 Mark Messier has a little something to say about that. I was happy for Ovi but I started the series rooting for the expansion Golden Knights to do the impossible. I was a bit disappointed to see them go out in 5 games like that. But it was still great hockey.
I hear you, but 2019 had a similar story. A team left for dead mid season, an unbelievable run to make the playoffs, then 4 tough series all culminating in a team that had waited longer than any other in the league's history getting their first cup. If 2018 didn't hook you in, 2019 sure as hell would have.
2018 had the distinction of being the first finals since 2007 where both teams could win their first ever Stanley Cup, so you knew it was going to be historic either way. In this century, it only happened three times: OTT vs ANA, VGK vs WSH and VGK vs FLA
LOVED this video my goodness. The effort and execution was phenomenal. One thing I’d bring up is 2019. I can’t explain why great it is, but that series was the one that made me a hockey fan. I’ve always watched football with my family, but watching a series like that made me realize hockey was the best sport for me.
I think the reason the blues bruins is so loved is that even though a team dominated it didn't mean they were guaranteed to win the game. Made it feel that any game could go any way no matter what was happening. And look what happened in game 7.
The series was hockey at its core. It was heavy, skilled, & wildly entertaining. It was indeed like watching two heavyweight boxers slugging it out & each still getting up when they were knocked down. By far the best series; as nice as advance stats are such as this video, they have to be taken with a grain of salt. No advance stat can measure eye test, and did 2019’s SCF well surpass it. It was beautiful, plus the storylines included.
First off, you need to send this video out to SB Nation or another Sports Media company because this is so high quality and I think it is on par with something that would be made by any of those companies. Secondly, while the Avs vs Lightning series ranks low it will always be memorable to me for a very specific reason. The Avs head coach, Jared Bednar, once played for the ECHL's Huntington Blizzard back before I was born. Huntington has not had hockey in over 20 years, and the fact that one of its former players was able to win hockey's most coveted trophy still fills me with joy that a small city in West Virginia contributed to hockey history in a small way.
I appreciate this, because I bet if you made a video on the best series just from memory, historical context, big moments et cetera, it would come out different. It’s interesting to see such a relatively objective analysis. Edit: also, not a Pens fan? Nvm. I have my answer 😂
Great video I can tell this took alot of time and effort. Don't agree with every pick but that's ignoring stats and talking about actual excitement I can't argue the stats lol. You should make a video about the 15 best playoff series (not finals exclusive) in the last 15 years that would be really cool too.
I remember this vid a while back, and just recently rewatched it. What a treat and then it turns out that this video has a whole bonus channel with more essay videos! time to binge
This is a fantastic video, I loved the math that was put into this, sounds like something I would want to do but I could never make it look this good. I'm so glad it came across on my feed! My only critique would be that I would love to see a few more clips from the games throughout the video. I'll be on the lookout for more of your videos!
Never seen your videos, but bro. This is incredible. Not just the result, but the way that you 'showed your work' and then laid it all out earns a sub from me 💪
For those wondering where this year's Stanley Cup Finals would rank, these are the stats (assuming that my calculations are correct lol) and their ranking since 2008. (If the rankings seem too low, remember this is the ranking after already adding all of the 5 games from this year to the list, so the series is out of 16, and the games is out of 95) Games: 5 (T-13th) Goals/G: 7.60 (2nd) Lead Changes/G: 0.60 (6th) Scoring Chances/G: 62.40 (3rd) xGF %diff./G: 9.69 (11th) xGF %diff. cumulative: 42.61 (12th) Time 2+ diff./G: 20.56 (12th) Time 3+ diff./G: 14.33 (15th) Story: 4 (T-3rd) Game 1: 151.1 (33rd) Game 2: 31.4 (88th) Game 3: 281.6 (1st) (!) Game 4: 104.2 (60th) Game 5: 17.0 (91st) Series overall: 54.6 (14th) Well, at least we got an overtime goal
Brilliant! My calculations are a touch different though...they rank the 2023 SCF as worse than MTL/TBL...16th. Funny how the only great game according to the model was the one the Panthers won :)
@@PinholesGraham Thank you for this! I figured with the general lopsidedness in Vegas’ favour, this was gonna be a lower ranking series- but that game 3?!? That’s BIZARRE. But, such is hockey.
@@PinholesGrahamSimilar to 2021 actually. The only really exciting game was the one that Montreal won. Games 2 and 5 were okay as well though. The panthers got blown out three different times which made it pretty un exiting.
@@chrisuncleahmad As a habs fan believe me I remember lol. Not just outshot, completely dominated. They probably had double the zone time as Tampa. But Vlasilefsky was an absolute wall the entire game and just two little mistakes by the Montreal d-men managed to turn into goals. I don’t think I’ve ever been saltier than after that game.
Man do I have to be at least the thousandth person to reiterate it: Jon Bois rehashed! You've earned a subscriber from this video man well freakin done!
It would be awesome to see a video like this, but ranking the runs that the team that won the cup made along the way, using similar math. This video was awesome. Hope your channel grows a lot!
Model seems really quite good, at least for my tastes. When you started explaining, I decided to write down my top 3 and bot 3 based on my personal memory/feelings to compare at the end. (Un)luckily, my team has not been in the final in the past 15 years, so I was free-ish from personal bias. For best I had: 1)PIT-DET rematch 2) BOS-VAN 3) CHI-PHI For worst I had 13th) LA-NYR 14th) LA-NJ 15th) TB-MTL Great video, really enjoyed your explanation.
I’ll never forget the energy that was going around in St. Louis when they finally brought a Cup home in 2019. It was like a movie, the atmosphere inside of Ballpark Village for the game 7 watch party was like nothing I’ve ever experienced.
Wow, I’ve always wanted to see those type of Jon Bois videos but with hockey and that’s just a dream come true. Kinda sad that my Canadiens get the last spot tho 😢 But keep up the good work!!
I appreciate the work that went into this video and the mathematical angle means you looked at these series from a very unique perspective. For me, the thing that makes a game or a series great is simply "Did it have a dramatic finish?" That to me is the golden snitch so to speak. It decides whether or not a game will be remembered for a long time. A close, evenly played, fast-paced matchup can be fun and exciting but without that trademark moment, there's nothing to burn it into your brain for a long time. And you definitely did seem to care about that with all the times you stated "at least we had an overtime goal" but you didn't really include that in your metrics. I would have thought 2009 or 2013 would have won #1, both of them had unbelievably iconic endings. 2010 had an ending that was memorable but kind of quirky and odd too. I did not recall the 2010 series as a whole to be truly riveting like 09 or 13 either but perhaps I'm not the best judge of that. I also think what would have been cool would be if you had gone back to 2006 and stopped at 2021. Then you could say this was about the Cup Finals during the NHL on NBC/Doc Emrick era. Before 2006 there was a strike that eliminated a full season, before that the playoffs/finals was on ESPN/ABC and occasionally FOX, and the game looked and felt different. Significant rule changes were made in between. My point is, it serves as a very clear dividing line between 2 different eras of hockey. So I tend to group Cup together the Cup Finals of the 1990s and early 2000s right through 2004 as one era and all the ones from 2006 on as another era. Hockey in the 90s felt louder, bigger, more important. The Sports Illustrated cover in 1994 said "Why the NHL is hot and the NBA is not" right as the Finals of both sports was going on. Nike and Fox really got the word out to the masses and everyone with their rollerblades and their makeshift hockey nets in the streets seemed to care more about it. The star players were larger than life on par with the star power athletes of any of the other sports. Even when it had 4 consecutive years of 4 game sweeps. Hockey post 2005 had added some fun gimmicks like removing the 2-line pass for better action and the shoot-out for regular season tied games, but the background noise was quieted as the sport struggled to find footing, ratings, identity it once had. Cup Finals games that didn't air on NBC were broadcast on the obscure OLN, which rebranded to Versus, which rebranded to NBC Sports Network which was eventually trashed. This video was a review of hockey in that quieter era for those of us who still care to watch. And as your video shows, it was still worth watching. I think the poetic nature of the prose in your video is rubbing off on me here so I'll quit while I'm ahead.
sweet video bro, im gonna check ur channel rn and see your other content but I was wondering if you maybe could do this for other sport events like the NBA finals or the last FIFA world cup finals. This video format is one of the cleanest ive seen, super high quality bro
Can't argue with the math but I'm surprised we were this high. You touched on it a little bit. I think a lot of people, myself included just thought those games in Washington were such a wash for the Caps that they tend to dismiss them. Still so happy we finally got a Cup.
This is why I wish we had more championship rematches in other sports. They always deliver. Edit: I knew 2010 was gonna be number one. Easily my favorite final since ‘94.
This was so good,, I watched the entire thing before my ADHD meds kicked in lol so thats quite the compliment if I do say so myself :) now im gonna go binge the channel ttyl also also: my first guess was that 2009 pitt & 2010 chicago would be high... was pleasantly surprised that my fav (&first fully watched) cup series(es?) were top two LOL 2009 championship film was the first documentary type movie I had every watched at my ripe age of like 7 (only because sid was POPPIN in elementary n I HAD to know wtf was up lol -- anyways, so I have a personal attachment to that series so imagine my pride & ego knowing that my fav cup series is one of the best (objectively) woohooo
I still remember game 6 of that 2013 Stanley cup finals, I just remember since that game was in Boston, the whole stadium just went quiet so fast after the final goal
Very Jon Bois-esque, love to see the production value. Maybe try deviating a little from his style in the future, but either way this is a fun video, especially cause Bois doesnt cover hockey.
Not surprised at all that the Habs v Lightning series was last place, and that pains me to say as a Habs fan, but if these stats were run on the Leafs or Vegas series that year, I'm sure they'd stack up pretty well with other round 1s and 3s. We had no hope in hell of winning the cup, but that run was so fun to watch anyway.
Thanks, Ryan! Glad you enjoyed it :) Coming up soon will be two videos looking at the last 15 years of Stanley Cup Finals runs, using most of these same statistics. See you there!
As a chicago fan those series were electric when I was younger, and it is kinda cool to see that by these metrics they were some of the best of the best
This is great. Here's an idea: Greatest NON-final playoff series of the past 15 years. Some of them were more thrilling than the final itself during certain years.
I love this idea ! The only catch is that I'd have to do all the math for about 225 series, and doing the math for just these 15 took ages. I may narrow it down by around to start with. Thanks for the comment! :)
I'm a Habs fan and so will forever remember that run to the Finals, but yeah it's no surprise I tend to act as though it all ended with Lehkonen's OT goal on St Jean Baptiste Day vs the Knights lmao. We got destroyed by Tampa.
They Caps entire 2018 playoff run was amazing. We beat teams that had previously eliminated us in multiple previous seasons, and ones that just always seem to have our number. The amount of games that went to OT (both regular season and playoffs) was insane ... and then to have the Nationals copy them in 2019 is some of the best sports I've ever seen in this area 💘🥰🤘😎🤘
@@PinholesGraham Add in the 18 Ot/SO games we played in during the regular season, and it's a miracle they held up to make it too the finals. That's six extra equivalent games of hockey we had to play that year ... Also don't forget that one of those five playoff OT games was a DOUBLE OT thriller of a game against a VERY good Blue Jackets team. The Caps were in very real danger of falling to 0 - 3 in that series to start with. Bringing back all the nightmare first round exits of the past (and the four we've added since then >.< .... ) You mention the empty netter Vegas missed as our net minder was chasing squirrels, bit don't forget "The Save" by Holtby on a shot Tuch SHOULD have buried ...
Issue with this ranking is it's purely numbers based. Series like 2008, 2011, and 2019 should be higher just because of the intensity of the series and how every game was must-watch hockey just because of how heated the series got and how entertaining they were
I could not be happier you didn't mention the "totally not a trip" in Game 5 of the 2019, or else i would've gone down that rabbit hole of incredulousness again lmaooo
It’s funny to me that game 6 of 2012 is close to the worst ranked game because despite that, it’s incredibly memorable for Bernier’s 5 minute major. Which I guess is also why the stat line was so one sided. LA ran over the devils for 5 straight minutes and the devils just had no fight left after those demoralizing 3 goals
Great video, love the channel. That being said, I have a major quibble with a stamens of yours. Your praise of Pronger. Did you watch game 5? Happen to see. Byfuglien lay waste to Pronger?
wow this video is amazing. the production value is so high, it is criminal that this doesn’t have more views
It’s criminal that you have rights
@@CLoudy215planetwhat😭
The Jon Bois is strong with this one, excellent job and looking forward to your other content! :D
The last ~2 minutes of the 2020 final felt so surreal. At that point the Stars felt like there wasn't a chance, and seeing the close ups of their bench without any noise from a crowd drove home how final it felt. I'm really glad they're having a resurgence this year because, man, that felt like the end of an era.
that series was so stressful i lost like 5 pounds over the course of the series LMAO
It just felt like “thank god we can move on from the bubble”, because god knows what those players felt in there.
The Stars played on like 21 plus injuries. We were on a technical third string goalie that needed hand surgery after the series because he had no feeling in three of his fingers. Our captain needed three surgeries to repair everything from hip to shoulder injuries sustained throughout the playoffs. Tyler Seguin needed knee surgery and missed the first half of 2021. Roope Hintz fractured his ankle in the semis and then hurt his hip in the finals. Miro had hip issues, Klinger and Lindell had shoulder and hand injuries respectively, Blake Comeu had a separated shoulder, and Radek Faksa broke his wrist.
We had no chance to beat Tampa. Our entire first, second, and third lines were almost all broken. We have a valiant effort and after the final whistle blew, I was absolutely floored. When news broke about just how many players we had injured, I was beyond upset lol
2011 still hurts to think about. My respect for Bergeron is sky-high to this day.
Gotta wonder where Chicago/LA 2014 would rank here. I know it’s not the final, but people at the time were saying it might as well have been. That series was absolutely insane.
I may calculate that on my own. If I do, I'll let you know how it calculates out!
@@PinholesGraham I appreciate you and all of the hard work you did for this video dude!
@@ZiggyValentine check the pinned comment :>
@@PinholesGraham That was fast! Thank you dude!
Everyone knew whoever won that series was gonna be the cup winner rags were never and never will be champs
Two things.
1) If you ever make merch, you need to put the phrase “At least we got an overtime goal” on a shirt.
2) The way you used music in this one is excellent. Well done!
Even though we lost game 1, that 2018 finals opener is one of my favorite games I’ve watched in recent times and really got me hyped that year. Really enjoyed the Jon Bois style and content you have on your channel, keep up the great work man!
I agree on Game 1, it was amazing. But if we *had* won it, it would've been a sweep and people would respect the series even less than they do now :')
Reflections on my casual sports fandom:
I read your comment, and am surprised to see this compared to Jomboy, who is more comedic while analytic, assuming a speak to text typo.
I then search the John Boy sounding name to find that "Jon Bois" is yet another distinct sportscaster of the internet.
Today I Learned...!
I am just starting to get into hockey and I’m so happy that I found your channel. This was truly an awesome video I can only imagine the amount of work you put into this.
I've had multiple requests to run the numbers for the 2014 West Final between the Kings and Blackhawks, soooo....
GP: 7
SC/G: 51.428
xGF% diff/G: 6.436
xGF% diff (lower): 48.6
2+ score diff/G: 14.918
3+ score diff/G: 5.693
LC/G: 1
Goals/Game: 7.286
Matchup/Story: 4
Game 1 (CHI 3-1): 137.7
Game 2 (LAK 6-2): 114.8
Game 3 (LAK 4-3): 147.0
Game 4 (LAK 5-2): 15.3 (oof)
Game 5: (CHI 5-4 2OT): 188.0
Game 6 (CHI 4-3): 227.9
Game 7 (LAK 5-4 OT): 265.0 (#1 out of all games in this video...and it is also the only game I've ever seen where the xGF were exactly dead even: 2.74-2.74)
No length bonus: *4th*
No xGF modifier: *1st*
No score penalty: *2nd*
Overall ranking: *1st*
that 2014 WCF was seriously the best hockey ive ever seen. That series WAS the Finals. Everyone knew whoever came out of it, was winning the Cup. Even as a Hawks fan, that series is probably my favorite ever, although its hard to beat out the 3 series that you end up winning the Cup in.
Also, for 2015, i think the Story Score should be given an extra point because that series was the one that would decide if the Blackhawks were gonna be a Modern Day Dynasty. By winning it, they cemented their Dynasty, but in the dust, showed what would be what we know as the current day Lightning that have been to 3 Finals with 2 Cups.
@@madiganyt Man do I miss the days when our teams were battling for the cup. You guys had a longer run, but it was fun while it lasted. Never have I been more nervous as a fan than I was during the playoffs at the Madhouse, that place was going nuts at all moments. Super intimidating, then you had to hear that goal song to rub it in after every Blackhawks goal.
@@ZiggyValentine CHELSEA CHELSEA I BELIEVE THAT WHEN YOURE DANCING SLOWLY SUCKING YOUR SLEEVE, THE BOYS GET LONELY AFTER YOU LEAVE, ITS ONE FOR THE DAGGER, ANOTHER FOR THE ONE YOUR BELIEVE!
CHI-LAK rivalry was just peak hockey and was almost the best match up. A never miss series for them.
@@madiganyt I think because it was built on respect more than hatred. As a Kings fan, I don’t remember being particularly annoyed by Hawks fans. We all knew we were witnessing something special.
@@ZiggyValentine same, i definitely wasnt a fan after 2014 though lmao. But i have so much respect for guys like Quick and Kopitar and Doughty. Theyre all amazing players and made our 3 Cup journey just that much more special
This is an awesome video. High production value, great narration, and a unique approach to the rankings.
Even though I'm biased as a Bruins fan, I still think 2011 is one of the best playoff series of all time. The grit, the animosity, the talent, all made for a crazy series. I'm glad you showed the alternate ranking, because damn that was fun to watch, regardless of the scoring.
I actually do believe that the best finals for a first time fan to watch would of been the 2018 finals. An understandable and heart thrilling story with ovi and the knights, and an outcome that was unanimously celebrated. The best cup lift of all time, the save, too much excitement every game. Nothing else to say. We all have our own personal favorites, mine will always be 2018.
It is a great cup lift, but I think 1994 Mark Messier has a little something to say about that.
I was happy for Ovi but I started the series rooting for the expansion Golden Knights to do the impossible. I was a bit disappointed to see them go out in 5 games like that. But it was still great hockey.
Never forget that women by the boards 👏🏼 loved watching that series as well
I hear you, but 2019 had a similar story. A team left for dead mid season, an unbelievable run to make the playoffs, then 4 tough series all culminating in a team that had waited longer than any other in the league's history getting their first cup.
If 2018 didn't hook you in, 2019 sure as hell would have.
2018 had the distinction of being the first finals since 2007 where both teams could win their first ever Stanley Cup, so you knew it was going to be historic either way. In this century, it only happened three times: OTT vs ANA, VGK vs WSH and VGK vs FLA
Can’t imagine how intense it was watching that 2009 Game 7 live, especially for Pittsburgh 👀
LOVED this video my goodness. The effort and execution was phenomenal.
One thing I’d bring up is 2019. I can’t explain why great it is, but that series was the one that made me a hockey fan. I’ve always watched football with my family, but watching a series like that made me realize hockey was the best sport for me.
Totally agree on 2017, I remember that series feeling a lot more interesting and exciting than it actually was.
The instant nashville lost game 1, it was over. Pittsburgh was in the drivers seat the entire time.
I think the reason the blues bruins is so loved is that even though a team dominated it didn't mean they were guaranteed to win the game. Made it feel that any game could go any way no matter what was happening. And look what happened in game 7.
The series was hockey at its core. It was heavy, skilled, & wildly entertaining. It was indeed like watching two heavyweight boxers slugging it out & each still getting up when they were knocked down. By far the best series; as nice as advance stats are such as this video, they have to be taken with a grain of salt. No advance stat can measure eye test, and did 2019’s SCF well surpass it. It was beautiful, plus the storylines included.
That damn slew foot missed call haunts me still lmao
@@craigborth8047 Are you talking about the game 5 trip?
First off, you need to send this video out to SB Nation or another Sports Media company because this is so high quality and I think it is on par with something that would be made by any of those companies.
Secondly, while the Avs vs Lightning series ranks low it will always be memorable to me for a very specific reason. The Avs head coach, Jared Bednar, once played for the ECHL's Huntington Blizzard back before I was born. Huntington has not had hockey in over 20 years, and the fact that one of its former players was able to win hockey's most coveted trophy still fills me with joy that a small city in West Virginia contributed to hockey history in a small way.
I appreciate this, because I bet if you made a video on the best series just from memory, historical context, big moments et cetera, it would come out different. It’s interesting to see such a relatively objective analysis.
Edit: also, not a Pens fan?
Nvm. I have my answer 😂
Finally, someone understands!
Lol I like the fact that you put the 2010 final in the first place when The Hockey Guy said it is his least favorite
Great video I can tell this took alot of time and effort. Don't agree with every pick but that's ignoring stats and talking about actual excitement I can't argue the stats lol. You should make a video about the 15 best playoff series (not finals exclusive) in the last 15 years that would be really cool too.
Wow the production value here is insane! I'm subscribing for this alone, but small edit, The Wings swept Columbus, Pittsburgh swept Carolina in 2009
I remember this vid a while back, and just recently rewatched it. What a treat
and then it turns out that this video has a whole bonus channel with more essay videos!
time to binge
Holy shit. It’s a Jon Bois video about hockey. I can die happy. (I kid, though honestly it’s the highest praise I could give.) excellent work!
The Jon Bois influence is real I love this
Crazy that nothing before 2008 counts as last 15 years anymore 🤯
This is a fantastic video, I loved the math that was put into this, sounds like something I would want to do but I could never make it look this good. I'm so glad it came across on my feed! My only critique would be that I would love to see a few more clips from the games throughout the video. I'll be on the lookout for more of your videos!
The amount of effort that was put into this is absolutely incredible. This deserves so so much more praise than it's gotten
Fantastically done video. Not enough love given to these types of video essays, they are hard to make and even harder to write. Well done
Thanks so much, Brady! Glad you enjoyed it so much :)
Never seen your videos, but bro.
This is incredible. Not just the result, but the way that you 'showed your work' and then laid it all out earns a sub from me 💪
Thanks, Myklow! Glad you enjoyed it so much :)
@@PinholesGraham hell yeah man keep it up!
As a fellow Caps fan, I can’t thank you enough for ending this sweet video with our goal
For those wondering where this year's Stanley Cup Finals would rank, these are the stats (assuming that my calculations are correct lol) and their ranking since 2008. (If the rankings seem too low, remember this is the ranking after already adding all of the 5 games from this year to the list, so the series is out of 16, and the games is out of 95)
Games: 5 (T-13th)
Goals/G: 7.60 (2nd)
Lead Changes/G: 0.60 (6th)
Scoring Chances/G: 62.40 (3rd)
xGF %diff./G: 9.69 (11th)
xGF %diff. cumulative: 42.61 (12th)
Time 2+ diff./G: 20.56 (12th)
Time 3+ diff./G: 14.33 (15th)
Story: 4 (T-3rd)
Game 1: 151.1 (33rd)
Game 2: 31.4 (88th)
Game 3: 281.6 (1st) (!)
Game 4: 104.2 (60th)
Game 5: 17.0 (91st)
Series overall: 54.6 (14th)
Well, at least we got an overtime goal
Brilliant! My calculations are a touch different though...they rank the 2023 SCF as worse than MTL/TBL...16th.
Funny how the only great game according to the model was the one the Panthers won :)
@@PinholesGraham Thank you for this! I figured with the general lopsidedness in Vegas’ favour, this was gonna be a lower ranking series- but that game 3?!? That’s BIZARRE. But, such is hockey.
@@PinholesGrahamSimilar to 2021 actually. The only really exciting game was the one that Montreal won. Games 2 and 5 were okay as well though. The panthers got blown out three different times which made it pretty un exiting.
@@politicalbandwagon4989Montreal actually outshot Tampa in game 2
@@chrisuncleahmad As a habs fan believe me I remember lol. Not just outshot, completely dominated. They probably had double the zone time as Tampa. But Vlasilefsky was an absolute wall the entire game and just two little mistakes by the Montreal d-men managed to turn into goals. I don’t think I’ve ever been saltier than after that game.
one of the best hockey videos i have watched in a long long time. good stuff.
This video is top notch. Getting an entertaining deep dive into these series is such a pleasure
Man do I have to be at least the thousandth person to reiterate it: Jon Bois rehashed! You've earned a subscriber from this video man well freakin done!
Bruh this production is insane for a small channel. Subbed and you deserve more
This video reminds me of a Jon Bois video. And that is a massive compliment. Excellent work.
This is one of the greatest videos I have ever seen. Can't wait to see more stuff like this
wow, the amount of research and time this must have taken to do. Thank you! Great video!
Thank you, Jared!
I was expecting a cliché S-F tier list. Boy was I pleasantly surprised! Awesome video!
This is just absolutely incredible. Can’t wait for you to blow up like you absolutely deserve to!
It would be awesome to see a video like this, but ranking the runs that the team that won the cup made along the way, using similar math. This video was awesome. Hope your channel grows a lot!
That's an idea...hmmm...😉
@@PinholesGrahamI'd love to hear how the Avs/Lightning rankings change factoring in how many league/franchise records the Avs set last season
The script writing and narration of the 2020 finals was beautiful
Oh my god this video is so good this needs more views. Deserves to be in the millions this is very good well out video fr
This could've been a chart party video. Good stuff
Can't wait to come back in a few months and see your view counts in the 6 digits, keep up the great work!
Fingers crossed! Thanks for watching :)
The '08 and '09 finals were peak hockey, haven't seen a final that good since. '04 still my favorite.
This is the best hockey video I’ve ever seen
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it :)
This deserves more views. Phenomenal job
Man this is an incredible video, so refreshing to see hockey content like this
Model seems really quite good, at least for my tastes. When you started explaining, I decided to write down my top 3 and bot 3 based on my personal memory/feelings to compare at the end.
(Un)luckily, my team has not been in the final in the past 15 years, so I was free-ish from personal bias.
For best I had:
1)PIT-DET rematch
2) BOS-VAN
3) CHI-PHI
For worst I had
13th) LA-NYR
14th) LA-NJ
15th) TB-MTL
Great video, really enjoyed your explanation.
You put in so much effort. Hockey fans everywhere must see this
I sure hope they do! :) Thanks for watching!
@@PinholesGraham no problem. Still don't know how 2010 got 1 but I'll take it
I’ll never forget the energy that was going around in St. Louis when they finally brought a Cup home in 2019. It was like a movie, the atmosphere inside of Ballpark Village for the game 7 watch party was like nothing I’ve ever experienced.
Wow, I’ve always wanted to see those type of Jon Bois videos but with hockey and that’s just a dream come true. Kinda sad that my Canadiens get the last spot tho 😢 But keep up the good work!!
Don't worry! Your series against the Maple Leafs and Golden Knights that year would score really high of they were on this list :)
I appreciate the work that went into this video and the mathematical angle means you looked at these series from a very unique perspective.
For me, the thing that makes a game or a series great is simply "Did it have a dramatic finish?" That to me is the golden snitch so to speak. It decides whether or not a game will be remembered for a long time. A close, evenly played, fast-paced matchup can be fun and exciting but without that trademark moment, there's nothing to burn it into your brain for a long time. And you definitely did seem to care about that with all the times you stated "at least we had an overtime goal" but you didn't really include that in your metrics. I would have thought 2009 or 2013 would have won #1, both of them had unbelievably iconic endings. 2010 had an ending that was memorable but kind of quirky and odd too. I did not recall the 2010 series as a whole to be truly riveting like 09 or 13 either but perhaps I'm not the best judge of that.
I also think what would have been cool would be if you had gone back to 2006 and stopped at 2021. Then you could say this was about the Cup Finals during the NHL on NBC/Doc Emrick era. Before 2006 there was a strike that eliminated a full season, before that the playoffs/finals was on ESPN/ABC and occasionally FOX, and the game looked and felt different. Significant rule changes were made in between. My point is, it serves as a very clear dividing line between 2 different eras of hockey. So I tend to group Cup together the Cup Finals of the 1990s and early 2000s right through 2004 as one era and all the ones from 2006 on as another era. Hockey in the 90s felt louder, bigger, more important. The Sports Illustrated cover in 1994 said "Why the NHL is hot and the NBA is not" right as the Finals of both sports was going on. Nike and Fox really got the word out to the masses and everyone with their rollerblades and their makeshift hockey nets in the streets seemed to care more about it. The star players were larger than life on par with the star power athletes of any of the other sports. Even when it had 4 consecutive years of 4 game sweeps. Hockey post 2005 had added some fun gimmicks like removing the 2-line pass for better action and the shoot-out for regular season tied games, but the background noise was quieted as the sport struggled to find footing, ratings, identity it once had. Cup Finals games that didn't air on NBC were broadcast on the obscure OLN, which rebranded to Versus, which rebranded to NBC Sports Network which was eventually trashed. This video was a review of hockey in that quieter era for those of us who still care to watch. And as your video shows, it was still worth watching.
I think the poetic nature of the prose in your video is rubbing off on me here so I'll quit while I'm ahead.
sweet video bro, im gonna check ur channel rn and see your other content but I was wondering if you maybe could do this for other sport events like the NBA finals or the last FIFA world cup finals. This video format is one of the cleanest ive seen, super high quality bro
seriously awesome video dude this was a ton of fun to watch. ofc 2010 had to rank #1. i will never emotionally recover from that loss😢
Damn the editing is solid
Well made
Also, 29:48 I remember watching that game live on tv when I was 7
Good times
Can't argue with the math but I'm surprised we were this high. You touched on it a little bit. I think a lot of people, myself included just thought those games in Washington were such a wash for the Caps that they tend to dismiss them. Still so happy we finally got a Cup.
Why does this not have more views? great job man
Good stuff, Raleigh! I enjoyed the entire video and loved the statistics.
This is why I wish we had more championship rematches in other sports. They always deliver.
Edit: I knew 2010 was gonna be number one. Easily my favorite final since ‘94.
Great video man! You just earned a sub 🙏 keep it up youre gonna be huge one day 🔥
Fastest sub I’ve ever subbed. You are incredible, I cannot wait for you to blow up. Maybe you’ll get hired by Secret Base someday
This is fantastic. Well done!!! Keep it up Pinhole Graham!!
Absolutely incredible video! You nail the storytelling along with the stats. So glad I found this channel!
Absolutely incredible video, so well executed and thought out - thank you so much for making this!!
This video is straight gold in every way
Thanks, Aiden! :)
Tremendous work ! Masterclass. Would be awesome to get the exercise further and analyse previous finals too 👍👍👍
Let's say, the Original Six Era (1942-1967). Much less series/matches to study. Should be manageable/captivating
Good choice of music in these videos. You have fine ears for ambience and mood.
"They named a whole year after Roland Emmerich's fourth best film" is a joke worthy of Mystery Science Theater 3000.
great video dude. really high poduction, loved it
This was so good,, I watched the entire thing before my ADHD meds kicked in lol so thats quite the compliment if I do say so myself :)
now im gonna go binge the channel ttyl
also also:
my first guess was that 2009 pitt & 2010 chicago would be high... was pleasantly surprised that my fav (&first fully watched) cup series(es?) were top two LOL
2009 championship film was the first documentary type movie I had every watched at my ripe age of like 7 (only because sid was POPPIN in elementary n I HAD to know wtf was up lol -- anyways, so I have a personal attachment to that series so imagine my pride & ego knowing that my fav cup series is one of the best (objectively) woohooo
Phenomenal job, my friend
Liked and subbed, gotta get that comment in because more people should see this
Your content is underrated
Even though I'm pretty new to hockey, I really enjoy your videos
Glad I could help introduce you to the best sport on earth! :) Stick around for more!
Sir, you are phenomenal. Subbed. Notifications on.
25:23-25:40 I’d love to see a “Playoffs Past” episode for this series.
I still remember game 6 of that 2013 Stanley cup finals, I just remember since that game was in Boston, the whole stadium just went quiet so fast after the final goal
amazing video jesus i cannot say how much i love it
Took a few minutes to get into it but appreciate the build-up to the games. Can only imagine how large the spreadsheet is behind the curtain
This is an amazing video, earned a new follower
Sick vid man needs more views
Very Jon Bois-esque, love to see the production value. Maybe try deviating a little from his style in the future, but either way this is a fun video, especially cause Bois doesnt cover hockey.
Very good production!!
Amazing work. Enjoyed watching from start to finish
Not surprised at all that the Habs v Lightning series was last place, and that pains me to say as a Habs fan, but if these stats were run on the Leafs or Vegas series that year, I'm sure they'd stack up pretty well with other round 1s and 3s.
We had no hope in hell of winning the cup, but that run was so fun to watch anyway.
Great video. Only thing I would have wanted was for you to put who won each game (maybe next to the game number.)
I thought about doing that, but I didn't want to spoil the actual games more than I already has for people who hadn't seen them :)
Awesome video! You should do this type of video about NHL rivalries!
While I don’t agree with the metrics, great idea, fun video
Interesting! What rankings would you change?
You should make more videos using these statistics. This was very entertaining!
Thanks, Ryan! Glad you enjoyed it :) Coming up soon will be two videos looking at the last 15 years of Stanley Cup Finals runs, using most of these same statistics. See you there!
As a chicago fan those series were electric when I was younger, and it is kinda cool to see that by these metrics they were some of the best of the best
This is great. Here's an idea: Greatest NON-final playoff series of the past 15 years. Some of them were more thrilling than the final itself during certain years.
I love this idea ! The only catch is that I'd have to do all the math for about 225 series, and doing the math for just these 15 took ages. I may narrow it down by around to start with. Thanks for the comment! :)
@@PinholesGraham Maybe conference finals? The Avs/Wings series, obviously, would rank high.
@@PinholesGraham ducks Blackhawks 2015 has to be up there
I'm a Habs fan and so will forever remember that run to the Finals, but yeah it's no surprise I tend to act as though it all ended with Lehkonen's OT goal on St Jean Baptiste Day vs the Knights lmao. We got destroyed by Tampa.
This is so nerdy and I'm all for it
They Caps entire 2018 playoff run was amazing. We beat teams that had previously eliminated us in multiple previous seasons, and ones that just always seem to have our number. The amount of games that went to OT (both regular season and playoffs) was insane ... and then to have the Nationals copy them in 2019 is some of the best sports I've ever seen in this area 💘🥰🤘😎🤘
One crazy stat from that year is that there were 10 overtime games in those playoffs, and the Caps played half of them!
@@PinholesGraham Add in the 18 Ot/SO games we played in during the regular season, and it's a miracle they held up to make it too the finals. That's six extra equivalent games of hockey we had to play that year ...
Also don't forget that one of those five playoff OT games was a DOUBLE OT thriller of a game against a VERY good Blue Jackets team. The Caps were in very real danger of falling to 0 - 3 in that series to start with. Bringing back all the nightmare first round exits of the past (and the four we've added since then >.< .... )
You mention the empty netter Vegas missed as our net minder was chasing squirrels, bit don't forget "The Save" by Holtby on a shot Tuch SHOULD have buried ...
I love the video. So much time and effort went into this I love it. Also… pens own the caps 🤐
Sick video dude. Keep it up
Issue with this ranking is it's purely numbers based. Series like 2008, 2011, and 2019 should be higher just because of the intensity of the series and how every game was must-watch hockey just because of how heated the series got and how entertaining they were
I could not be happier you didn't mention the "totally not a trip" in Game 5 of the 2019, or else i would've gone down that rabbit hole of incredulousness again lmaooo
It’s funny to me that game 6 of 2012 is close to the worst ranked game because despite that, it’s incredibly memorable for Bernier’s 5 minute major. Which I guess is also why the stat line was so one sided. LA ran over the devils for 5 straight minutes and the devils just had no fight left after those demoralizing 3 goals
Great video, love the channel. That being said, I have a major quibble with a stamens of yours. Your praise of Pronger. Did you watch game 5? Happen to see. Byfuglien lay waste to Pronger?