Who Are The Worst Playoff Performers Of All Time?

[winnipegger]

Nik ehlers has 4 goals in 40 playoff games. I like him but I'm getting tired. Why can't this guy score when it matters.

 

[Roksta]

I will nominate back to back Conn Smyth Trophy Winner, 5th all time in points behind the 4 Dynasty Oilers, 3 times SC Champion Sidney Crosby. He's lucky he's always been second fiddle!!

 

[PavelBure10]

Todd Bertuzzi and Markus Naslund during the West Coast Express days would always seem to disappear when it mattered the most.

 

[yada]

Nik ehlers has 4 goals in 40 playoff games. I like him but I'm getting tired. Why can't this guy score when it matters.

Thats even worse then rick nash

 

[Crosby2010]

Keith Primeau is up there when you compare his regular seasons. In 2004 people lost their mind because he was having a good postseason, but it was the only one he had. Overall he has 57 points in 128 playoff games. 18 goals. It is no surprise Detroit started winning Cups when he got traded and had Shanahan go the other way.

You can say Marcel Dionne, and I guess there is some merit there. He didn't play on good teams so you give him a break there, but he really should have had at least one great run at some point. He was certainly good enough to be a player that could do this during one playoff run.

I am more concerned about the guys who were in great situations with good teams and blew it. For that it is Joe Thornton for sure. Both Sedins come to mind as well. And I don't care how soft you are, you don't let Brad Marchand - a rookie at the time - punch you repeatedly in the face in the Cup final and just stand there like a pencil. The fact no teammates came to his defense and he didn't stop it himself was the moment I knew the Bruins were winning the Cup.

As a goalie does Luongo come into play here? And I mean as per being so skilled and having a great opportunity. I think he could fit the bill.

Right now I'd have to say the Maple Leafs core. Let's look at them individually:

Tavares - Was never inspiring as a playoff performer even on Long Island. Has had several years where he could have been a difference maker in Toronto. Lots of opportunities. All wasted.

Nylander - Might be the only one of the 4 not to make the HHOF, but he still has one playoff series win to his name. Never been a difference maker, his softness is always on full display in the playoffs

Marner - I don't know what it is, he is a great regular season player, but never scores at the moments you need him to in the playoffs.

Matthews - Like Marner, not horrible numbers. But very consistently just "meh" playoff numbers each year. Which is why they never get out of the 1st round. More than anyone Matthews can take over a series if he wants to.

All of the Leafs core still has a chance this season and following years to change this narrative. It happened with the likes of Datsyuk, Alfredsson, etc. who had a great run and it gave them a bit more of the benefit of the doubt.

 

[nowhereman]

Crosby is an overrated playoff performer himself, honestly. Lotta empty points and empty performances there.

Hahaha, what the hell am I reading here?

The guy's one of the best playoff performers of all time. "Empty points", FFS

 

[BLNY]

Hahaha, what the hell am I reading here?

The guy's one of the best playoff performers of all time. "Empty points", FFS

I thought my sarcasm was obvious.

 

[Crosby2010]

My eyes also just wince when I look at Todd Bertuzzi's playoff stats. It hurts. He was on several brilliant teams and did nothing.

Alexei Yashin has such a bad playoff reputation that his name is basically a verb

Anyone know why Woody Dumart's numbers were so bad on the Bruins back in the day? As for an old-timer he might fit the bill here.

Keith Tkachuk only because he barely made it out of the 1st round in his career and despite having plenty of opportunities and a bruising body to help him out he never made an impact over the course of 15 years in the playoffs. Not once.

We pick on Dionne, but if you look at Charlie Simmer and Dave Taylor's playoff stats you can tell Dionne was not getting any help from his linemates either

Why does no one ever mention Alex Mogilny?

Dave Andreychuk captains a Cup in 2014 but it made everyone forget that a guy who seemed built for the playoffs wear and tear was never much of an impact guy that time of year

Dan Cloutier cost his team two playoff years. How do you only make it to the 2nd round in 2003 but lead the playoffs in most goals allowed? That's how you know you had a bad postseason.

 

[nowhereman]

I thought my sarcasm was obvious.

My bad. But it wasn't immediately obvious because there are plenty of people who think that Crosby was gifted those Smythes and I have read countless times that Sid rode Malkin and Kessel's coattails. Sometimes I don't know what's sarcasm and what isn't!

 

[BLNY]

My bad. But it wasn't immediately obvious because there are plenty of people who think that Crosby was gifted those Smythes and I have read countless times that Sid rode Malkin and Kessel's coattails. Sometimes I don't know what's sarcasm and what isn't!

I do think Kessel was the clear winner in 2016. Murray could be argued too.

 

[JaegerDice]

Nik ehlers has 4 goals in 40 playoff games. I like him but I'm getting tired. Why can't this guy score when it matters.

Wow, I had no idea it was that bad.

 

[EpochLink]

Todd Bertuzzi and Markus Naslund during the West Coast Express days would always seem to disappear when it mattered the most.

I'll give Naslund a pass on here, at least he showed up and showed a pulse in the playoffs.

Bertuzzi was just a lazy floater who would get his feelings all hurt when people would gang up on him.

 

[PULSATING]

Idk if I'd call Luongo the worst playoff performer of all time, but he's probably the most bipolar playoff goalie of all time.

Outcome	Wins/Losses	GAA	Sv%
Luongo in Games Won	34	1.43	.952
Luongo in Games Lost	35	3.65	.882

So you basically have a goalie that's Conn Smythe calibre when things are going well, and flat out unserviceable when things are going badly. I don't think I've ever seen such a stark contrast between games won and games lost before. Of course, it's obvious you'll likely play worse when you're losing, but as a goalie, you wanna at least keep your team in the game and make it difficult for the opposing team. It's basically a coin flip with him, but if your odds of a bad performance are even slightly above 50% in a playoff game, you have a goalie that simply can't be trusted from series to series to help you advance.

I have a suspicion that nearly every goalie's stats look like that lol

 

[blundluntman]

I have a suspicion that nearly every goalie's stats look like that lol

Yeah after looking at guys like Price, Brodeur, Roy and Lundqvist, you're definitely right lol. Luongo's gap between wins and losses in sv% is still around 10% lower than the rest, but the gap isn't as big as I thought. I guess it comes down to consistency with him. All the guys I mentioned have put together great stretches for the most part, but Luongo's playoff runs usually wound up averaging at lukewarm at best.

 

[Outl4w]

Sorry, but the year the Flames went to the finals against Tampa he was a beast. That run alone disqualifies him from the worst ever.

The captain versus captain fight versus Vinnie is what the modern nhl lacks. Captains and players enforces responses for cheap shots and rat play.

 

[GreeningOil]

mcdavid and thats why he wont pass crosby all time

Sid, is that you? Lay off the sauce bud

 

[karltonian]

Could you specify which part of my post was false?

The entire thing, pretty much. A lesson for you in trusting HF posters' "data".

 

[Outl4w]

True, Wasn't built for speed, hitting, physicality (had the size, didnt use it), overall too easy going, no intensity

HE was a perfect fit for the california San Jose Life style. I still loved watching him, but always hated seeing him disappear in the playoffs.

 

[karltonian]

source:

All Time Leaders in Leading in Playoff Series (1918-2023)

All Time Leaders in Leading in Playoff Series, PTS* (1918-2023) * - tiebreakers: 1. Player with most goals. 2. Player with fewer games played. Most Times "#1 PTS" in Playoff Series Player Seasons TOT_SER #1_SER Gretzky Wayne 1979-97 42 24 Kucherov Nikita 2013-23 26 10 Sakic Joe...

forums.hfboards.com

your data gathering is broken

So why did Thornton never win any cups? Also why are his playoff stats so terrible?

I know you aren't arguing in good faith, but obviously because other teams can do it as well. E.g. Crosby won 3 Cups and didn't lead the Pens in playoff scoring any of those years. Phil Kessel led the Pens from the 3rd line in 2016.

His stats aren't terrible, they are about Datsyuk's.

 

[KevinRedkey]

I have a suspicion that nearly every goalie's stats look like that lol

You're probably right.

Lalime is another one that's like this. He literally has some of the best playoff stats of all time - even though he's known for being awful in elimination games.

 

[Gorskyontario]

I know you aren't arguing in good faith, but obviously because other teams can do it as well. E.g. Crosby won 3 Cups and didn't lead the Pens in playoff scoring any of those years. Phil Kessel led the Pens from the 3rd line in 2016.

His stats aren't terrible, they are about Datsyuk's.

Pavel Datsyuk's stats are skewed by a 6 point 21 game cup run as a rookie playing on the fourth line. To be fair to Thornton he also has a goose egg in 6 games as an 18 year old that make his stats look slightly worse.

Comparing Joe Thornton to Pavel Datsyuk as a playoff performer is about the most nonsensical thing I have read so far on these boards.

Datsyuk also played selke level defense while putting up .719 ppg . Thornton has .716 ppg basically being useless unless he was setting someone up.

 

[Hockeyholic]

Pastrnak is starting to become a strong contender for a thread like this.

 

[pnep]

your data gathering is broken

nope

 

[pbhockey22]

Not sure if this has been said (or if it counts), but the ESPN play by play folks are easily the worst ever.

Watching the Avs/Jets game and it’s incredibly painful. The guy on the broadcast just randomly goes silent because he can’t think fast enough, and loudly just yelled “penalty shot!” at the end of the 2nd when there was no indication whatsoever that a penalty shot was called (it was a hook at the blueline). And while AJ has improved, she’s still garbage and makes so many mistakes…and has her similar periods of silence where she doesn’t even know what to say

 

[The Panther]

The entire thing, pretty much. A lesson for you in trusting HF posters' "data".

That's possible, but inless you can specify something that was incorrect, I have to suspect the data I quoted (from one of the most trusted posters on the History forum who makes some of the best posts on this entire website) was correct and that you are being defensive without evidence.

Can you specify, for example, one playoff series in Thornton's career where he led all players (both teams) in scoring?