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WhatIfSports 2015 NHL Stanley Cup Power Rankings
Using our NHL simulation engine, we placed the 2014-15 Chicago Blackhawks in a round-robin tournament featuring the last 25 Stanley Cup champions. Every team in the tournament played every other team 51 times. The simulation generated each team's winning percentage (Win %) and average goals for (GF) and against (GA) per game.
To simulate these games or any other theoretical matchups of your choosing, try the WhatIfSports.com NHL SimMatchup tool.
| 2014-15 Chicago Blackhawks vs. Last 25 Stanley Cup Champions | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Win % | GF | GA | Play vs. Blackhawks | |
| 1 | 1988-89 Calgary Flames | 71.1 | 3.92 | 2.60 | SimMatchup > |
| 2 | 2000-01 Colorado Avalanche | 65.8 | 3.16 | 2.32 | SimMatchup > |
| 3 | 1995-96 Colorado Avalanche | 64.9 | 3.43 | 2.59 | SimMatchup > |
| 4 | 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks | 63.1 | 2.85 | 2.19 | SimMatchup > |
| 5 | 2010-11 Boston Bruins | 56.9 | 2.57 | 2.22 | SimMatchup > |
| 6 | 1998-99 Dallas Stars | 55.6 | 2.60 | 2.33 | SimMatchup > |
| 7 | 2006-07 Anaheim Ducks | 54.7 | 2.90 | 2.65 | SimMatchup > |
| 8 | 1993-94 New York Rangers | 52.9 | 2.91 | 2.78 | SimMatchup > |
| 9 | 2003-04 Tampa Bay Lightning | 52.5 | 2.79 | 2.68 | SimMatchup > |
| 10 | 1989-90 Edmonton Oilers | 52.3 | 3.75 | 3.61 | SimMatchup > |
| 11 | 2007-08 Detroit Red Wings | 51.5 | 2.61 | 2.59 | SimMatchup > |
| 12 | 2001-02 Detroit Red Wings | 51.5 | 2.61 | 2.50 | SimMatchup > |
| 13 | 1992-93 Montreal Canadiens | 51.1 | 3.38 | 3.40 | SimMatchup > |
| 14 | 2009-10 Chicago Blackhawks | 50.4 | 2.82 | 2.73 | SimMatchup > |
| 15 | 2002-03 New Jersey Devils | 48.6 | 2.03 | 2.06 | SimMatchup > |
| 16 | 2008-09 Pittsburgh Penguins | 47.7 | 2.88 | 3.05 | SimMatchup > |
| 17 | 2014-15 Chicago Blackhawks | 45.7 | 2.14 | 2.37 | Champions! |
| 18 | 2013-14 Los Angeles Kings | 44.8 | 1.95 | 2.22 | SimMatchup > |
| 19 | 2005-06 Carolina Hurricanes | 44.0 | 3.25 | 3.64 | SimMatchup > |
| 20 | 1990-91 Pittsburgh Penguins | 43.9 | 3.86 | 4.24 | SimMatchup > |
| 21 | 1996-97 Detroit Red Wings | 41.8 | 2.42 | 2.87 | SimMatchup > |
| 22 | 1997-98 Detroit Red Wings | 41.2 | 2.44 | 2.89 | SimMatchup > |
| 23 | 1999-00 New Jersey Devils | 39.8 | 2.44 | 2.98 | SimMatchup > |
| 24 | 1991-92 Pittsburgh Penguins | 38.0 | 3.68 | 4.49 | SimMatchup > |
| 25 | 1994-95 New Jersey Devils | 36.5 | 2.30 | 3.02 | SimMatchup > |
| 26 | 2011-12 Los Angeles Kings | 34.0 | 1.95 | 2.64 | SimMatchup > |
The Chicago Blackhawks captured their third Stanley Cup title in six years, defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games. After uncharacteristically surrendering four goals in Game 2 and three goals in Game 3 to trail in the series 2-1, goalie Corey Crawford and the Blackhawks defense allowed just two goals over the final three games. For the 2014-15 season, there is no question that the Blackhawks are the NHL's best. But how does the team compare to past Stanley Cup champions? We put the Blackhawks into a tournament against 25 past champs to see how they stacked up.
The Blackhawks ranked in the middle of the pack, finishing 17th with a 45.7 winning percentage. Of the 26 teams in the field, the Blackhawks were 23rd in scoring, averaging 2.14 goals per game. But their 2.37 goals allowed was the seventh-lowest mark. The statistics align with the Blackhawks' performance during the 2014-15 season, ranking 17th in the NHL in goals with an average of 2.68 per game, balanced by a 2.27 goals allowed figure that was second-best in the league.
The team to beat in the tournament was the 1988-89 Calgary Flames, which averaged a simulation-best 3.92 goals per game. On the other end of the spectrum, the worst-performing team was the 2011-12 Los Angeles Kings, which won the Cup despite being a No. 8 seed.
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS DYNASTY
The Blackhawks are on a roll lately. After reaching the playoffs just once in a 10-year stretch, Chicago has been postseason-bound in seven consecutive years. Using the same style of simulation, we placed each of the past seven Blackhawks teams into a tournament to determine which is best.
This year's 'Hawks finished fifth in the simulation, winning nearly half of their games. The best Blackhawks team was the 2012-13 Stanley Cup champions, winners in more than 66 percent of simulations.
| Best Chicago Blackhawks Team of the Last Seven Years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Win % | GF | GA | Play vs. '15 Blackhawks | |
| 1 | 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks | 66.5 | 2.76 | 2.03 | SimMatchup > |
| 2 | 2008-09 Chicago Blackhawks | 57.7 | 2.76 | 2.32 | SimMatchup > |
| 3 | 2013-14 Chicago Blackhawks | 53.3 | 2.62 | 2.39 | SimMatchup > |
| 4 | 2009-10 Chicago Blackhawks | 52.5 | 2.63 | 2.49 | SimMatchup > |
| 5 | 2014-15 Chicago Blackhawks | 46.6 | 2.11 | 2.29 | Champions! |
| 6 | 2010-11 Chicago Blackhawks | 42.2 | 2.42 | 2.76 | SimMatchup > |
| 7 | 2011-12 Chicago Blackhawks | 31.4 | 2.18 | 3.20 | SimMatchup > |
