93-94 42-29-13 97pts; 1st in division; first round playoff exit
94-95 24-17-7 55pts; 1st in division; first round playoff exit
95-96 34-37-11 79pts; 2nd in division; first round playoff exit
96-97 32-41-9 73pts; 5th in division; missed playoffs
97-98 26-41-15 67pts; 5th in division; missed playoffs
98-99 30-40-12 72pts; 3rd in division; missed playoffs
99-00 31-36-10-5 77pts; 4th in division; missed playoffs
00-01 27-36-15-4 73pts; 4th in division; missed playoffs
01-02 32-35-12-3 79pts; 4th in division; missed playoffs
02-03 29-36-13-4 75pts; 5th in division; missed playoffs
03-04 42-30-7-3 94pts; 3rd in division; made Stanley Cup Final
04-05 NO NHL SEASON
05-06 46-25-11 103pts; 1st in division; first round playoff exit
06-07 43-29- 10 96pts; 3rd in division; first round playoff exit
07-08 42-30-10 94pts; 3rd in division; first round playoff exit
08-09 46-30-6 98pts; 2nd in division; first round playoff exit
09-10 40-32-10 90pts; 2nd in division; missed playoffs
10-11 41-29-12 94pts; 2nd in division; missed playoffs
11-12 37-29-16 90pts; 2nd in division; missed playoffs
12-13 19-25-4 42pts; 4th in division; missed playoffs
13-14 35-40-7 77pts; 6th in division; missed playoffs
14-15 45-30-7 97pts; 3rd in division; second round playoff exit
15-16 35-40-7 77pts; 5th in divsision; missed playoffs
16-17 45-33-4 94pts; 4th in division; first round playoff exit (swept)
17-18 37-35-10 84pts; 5th in division; missed playoffs
To summarize:
- 25 years; 24 seasons
- 10 years making playoffs, 14 years missing playoffs
- Of 10 years making playoffs, 8 first round exits, 1 second round exit, 1 stanley cup final
I got thinking about how much disappointment there is with this team. But one can only truly appreciate and understand the current mistery fully in a historical context.
Truly, there have been two actual bright spots in the past 25 years since I'd say the last time they were an actual contender - which was the 93-94 season, I believe. January to June 2004 when they caught lightning in a bottle, and the extremely fun 14-15 young team. The only two times where they didn't either miss the playoffs or get eliminated in the first round. Other than that, alternating between bad (but not bad enough to draft #1), and utterly mediocre.
Something need to fundamentally change in this organization to make it a winning franchise. What is it?