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4 New Jersey Devils Who Desperately Need Stanley Cup Championship

By Nick Villano

Former New Jersey Devil Scott Stevens (C) raises the Stanley Cup during the 2003 Championship 20th Anniversary Celebration Presented by Citizens before the first period between the New Jersey Devils and the Philadelphia Flyers at Prudential Center on February 25, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Former New Jersey Devil Scott Stevens (C) raises the Stanley Cup during the 2003 Championship 20th Anniversary Celebration Presented by Citizens before the first period between the New Jersey Devils and the Philadelphia Flyers at Prudential Center on February 25, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /
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New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils head coach Lindy Ruff: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

4 Devils Who Need Lord Stanley’s Cup: 4. Lindy Ruff

This isn’t talked about enough. It’s likely because most national analysts give the Devils no shot to actually win the Stanely Cup, but Lindy Ruff would go down in history if he were to win the Cup. Right now, the oldest coach to win their first Cup is John Muckler, who won the Cup with the Edmonton Oilers in 1990. At the time, he was 56 years and 41 days old.

Lindy Ruff is seven years old than Muckler. He would be by far the oldest coach to win his first Cup. Ruff has been close before. His most famous painful moment came with the Buffalo Sabres in 1999. Dominik Hasek helped carry the Sabres to the Final against the Dallas Stars. Game 6 at Marine Midland Arena was all the way in Triple OT.

That’s where Brett Hull scored in one of the most controversial goals of all time. The rebound comes to Hull’s stick, and he puts it past Hasek. Only one problem; his foot was in the crease. At the time, it was illegal to put a skate in the crease at the time of a goal. The goal should have been overturned, but there was no replay at the time.

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After such a devastating finish, the Sabres never came as close to the Cup again. Ruff hasn’t either. He had some good teams in the mid-2000s in Buffalo, and there was some hope when he was in Dallas, but he just never had the right chemistry. There’s something special about this Devils team, so this might be Ruff’s best chance to win it all since 2006. He only has so many more shots at this, and he could retire this offseason for all we know. It would be nice if he could go out on top.

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