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Cup victory will bust long slump for one finalist

Pittsburgh Penguins v Montreal Canadiens - Game Three

MONTREAL- MAY 4: A fan holds a mock Stanley Cup prior to Game Three of the Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Montreal Canadiens and Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell Centre on May 4, 2010 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Penguins defeated the Canadiens 2-0 taking a 2-1 lead in the series. (Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images)

Richard Wolowicz

This year’s Cup winner will raise the Cup with a sense of triumph just like any other, but the franchise itself might utter a sigh of relief when they’re not screaming their lungs out. The reason is simple: regardless of who wins, someone will end up busting a serious Stanley Cup slump. For the last two years, there’s almost been a been-there done-that mentality for the champions. The Pittsburgh Penguins won their third Cup and it hadn’t been too long since their last time while the Detroit Red Wings took their eleventh the season before. Overall, only eight different NHL franchises raised the Cup since 1993.

Whether it’s the Habs, Flyers, Sharks or Blackhawks, there’s no doubt that winning it all will be a special (and unique) feeling for the winner. TSN expands on this point.

The Blackhawks have not won since 1961, a stretch six years longer than that of the playoff-challenged Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Philadelphia Flyers changed the face of hockey and their opponents, using intimidation to win the Cup way back in 1975.

It’s been 17 years since the Montreal Canadiens had a parade down Rue Ste.-Catherine, which is an eternity for the most storied franchise in the league.

And while the San Jose Sharks have yet to win the Cup since joining the NHL in 1991, with recent playoff failures, some feel the organization is overdue to win their first title.

The Blackhawks and Flyers had a single Stanley Cup Finals run in them during the 90s; both teams were crushed. As you may remember, Chicago once had a loaded roster that included the likes of Jeremy Roenick and a goaltending duo of Ed Beflour and Dominik Hasek while Philadelphia was powered by Eric Lindros and the Legion of Doom line. The Habs haven’t been this close to Cup glory since Patrick Roy helped them win it in 1993 while the Sharks were defeated in the Western Conference Finals by the once-hot Calgary Flames.

So if you’re looking for jaded fans who “act like they’ve been there before,” you’re watching the wrong sport. At least this year.