'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYH/8QAFAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAf/aAAwDAQACEAMQAAAAxmEE/8QAHxAAAQIGAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIRAAMEBQYhEyJx/9oACAEBAAE/AMdx1FRcqqmts/mTMtyiha+rzmceQ4GjoiP/xAAUEQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA/9oACAECAQE/AH//xAAUEQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA/9oACAEDAQE/AH//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The playoffs are coming to an end, with the Stanley Cup Finals series beginning on Saturday, June 3. It has been over two decades now since a team last won the Cup with a sweep.
The Florida Panthers have already punched their ticket to the Stanley Cup final after they swept the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Finals. They are awaiting the winner of the Western Conference final between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Dallas Stars to battle for the biggest prize in hockey.
The path to the Stanley Cup final is filled with difficulties. Teams must compete for 82 games throughout the season before qualifying for the post-season. When it comes to the playoffs, the competition becomes much more challenging than the regular season.
Getting a sweeping win in the playoffs is difficult, but there have been several occasions when a team lifted the trophy after sweeping their opponents in the finals. The last time an NHL team won the Cup by sweeping its opponent was from 1995 to 1998, four times in a row.
Detroit Red Wings, the last NHL team to win the Stanley Cup with a sweep
Detroit Red Wings, one of the most successful hockey clubs in NHL history, were the last team to hoist the Cup with a series-sweep win. They swept the Washington Capitals in the 1998 finals.
The Red Wings are also the second-last team to do the same. They won the 1997 Cup after sweeping the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Detroit Red Wings won the coveted Cup with a sweeping win in the finals twice between 1995 and 1998. Meanwhile, the Colorado Avalanche and the New Jersey Devils were the other two teams to win the Stanley Cup with a sweep.
The Colorado Avalanche swept the Florida Panthers in the 1996 finals, while the New Jersey Devils swept the Detroit Red Wings in 1995. The record for most sweep wins in the final belong to the Montreal Canadiens, who hoisted the Cup six times by sweeping their opponents.
The occurrence of sweeps is common during the initial rounds of the NHL playoffs. The Floria Panthers recently swept the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Finals, the only sweep victory in the entire 2023 playoffs. It will be interesting to see if the Panthers can win the Cup with a sweep.
