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Here’s why the New York Rangers can win the Stanley Cup

By Scott Esposito

Artemi Panarin #10 and Mika Zibanejad #93 of the New York Rangers celebrate a 5-4 overtime victory over the Washington Capitals. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Artemi Panarin #10 and Mika Zibanejad #93 of the New York Rangers celebrate a 5-4 overtime victory over the Washington Capitals. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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Sidney Crosby and Mika Zibanejad. (Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images)
Sidney Crosby and Mika Zibanejad. (Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Pittsburgh Penguins

Season: 2009

Average age: 26.6

Summary: Sidney Crosby was 21 when he led the Pens past the Detroit Red Wings in seven games. The Red Wings were the defending champions with an average age of 31.2. Prior to that postseason, most of Pittsburgh’s key players lacked much NHL playoff experience. Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, and Marc-Andre Fleury each entered with 25 games, while Kris Letang had 16. In the 2008-09 regular season, Crosby, Malkin, and Staal were the Pens’ top three scorers.

SId the Kid didn’t disappoint in the playoffs, with 31 points in 24 games, second only to the 22 year old Malkin who had 36 points and took home the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP.

Chicago’s Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane during the Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup Victory Rally in June 2010. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/MCT via Getty Images)
Chicago’s Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane during the Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup Victory Rally in June 2010. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/MCT via Getty Images) /

Chicago Blackhawks

Season: 2010

Average age: 26.6

Summary: The Hawks knocked off the Flyers (average age 27.7) despite many of their key players having entered the Finals with limited postseason experience. Only three of Chicago’s top ten regular season scorers skated in at least 30 playoff matches prior to this postseason: Marian Hossa (98), Brian Campbell (64), and Andrew Ladd (34 — including a Cup win with Carolina in 2006). Patrick Sharp entered with 29. Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith, Troy Brouwer, Kris Versteeg, Brent Seabrook, and Dustin Byfuglien had 17 apiece, while Patrick Kane had 16. And the starting goalie Antti Niemi? Zero previous NHL playoff experience.

The leading scorers for the Hawks were the two 21-year olds, Toews and Kane.  Toews was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP for his 29 points in 22 games.

Artemi Panarin scores on Jonathan Quick.
Artemi Panarin scores on Jonathan Quick. /

Los Angeles Kings

Season: 2012

Average age: 26.7

Summary: Los Angeles won its first Stanley Cup in its 44th season, dispatching the Devils in six games. Prior to this postseason, Kings’ standouts Dustin Brown, Drew Doughty, and Jonathan Quick each played in just 12 playoff games. Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles’ leading scorer during the regular season, had played only six times in the postseason. That inexperience was offset somewhat by Mike Richards’ 63 playoff appearances, along with Justin Williams’ 51 (including winning the Cup with Carolina in 2006) and Jeff Carter’s 47. But only Williams and Richards finished among the top five Kings in points during the season.

In the playoffs, the Kings were paced by 27 year old Dustin Brown followed by 24 year old Anze Kopitar and 22 year old Drew Doughty.

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