The Detroit Red Wings have been the dominant NHL franchise of the last two decades.  Since 1991-92, the Red Wings have won 12 division titles, five conference championships, had 12 100 point seasons, and most importantly have claimed four Stanley Cup Championships.  Detroit has been absolutely brilliant during this time period almost to the extent that any season without a Stanley Cup is viewed as a disappointment.  There have been some great Detroit teams that didn't win the Stanley Cup.  For instance, the 1995 ,1996,2004, and 2006 teams all won the President's Trophy for the league's best record and none of them brought home the championship in June.  The 1996 and 2006 teams were especially disappointing as the 1996 team finished with an NHL record 62 regular season wins yet fell the the Colorado Avalanche in the semifinals while the 2006 team finished with the fifth highest point total in league history, yet were bounced in the first round by eventual conference champion Edmonton.

While Detroit has certainly had their share of playoff disappointment over the last two decades, they have also had their fair share of playoff glory.  In trying to decide the best of the Stanley Cup Championship teams I used four different factors.  Those factors were regular season point total, playoff won-loss record, number of individual awards won, and the   average regular season point total of post-season opponents.  Regular season point total is used to measure the team's success during the 82 game season while playoff-won loss record accounts for the team's dominance during the post-season.  The number of individual trophies won  is one measure of the talent and skill level of the team and the average regular season point total of playoff opponents is an indicator of the quality of competition the team faced.

 

Year	Reg. Season Point Total	Playoff W-L	Playoff Opponent Regular Season Point Average	Individual Trophies Won
1996-97	94	16-4	94.5	1
1997-98	103	16-6	92.75	1
2001-02	116	16-7	95.5	3
2007-08	115	16-6	96.25	6

While all four teams were certainly outstanding, I think the race for the best of Detroit's most recent championship clubs is between the 2001-02 and 2007-08 teams.  While the 1997 team was especially dominant during the post season , they were very pedestrian in the regular season finishing with half a point less than the regular season average of their post-season opponents.  The 1998 team was much better during the regular season than the 1997 team and almost as good during the playoffs, yet the fact that they finished with the lowest playoff opponent point total average by two points means that they faced slightly lesser competition on their way to the Cup.  Now let's focus our attention on the 2002 and 2008 teams.

The 2002 Detroit Red Wings were one of the most star studded teams in the history of hockey.  They boasted sure fire Hall of Famers Chris Chelios, Brendan Shananhan, Brett Hull, Luc Robaitaille, Igor Larionov, Nicklas Lidstrom, Sergei Fedorov, and of course captain Steve Yzerman.  They were led by legendary coach Scotty Bowman.    The team tore through the regular season winning 51 games and totaling 116 points., taking home the President's Trophy for the league's best record.  They had the most playoff losses with 7, but they had to go through defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado in a tough seven game conference final.   Nicklas Lidstrom became the first European born and trained player to win the Conn Smythe trophy and also took home his second consecutive Norris Trophy.  Chris Helios won the the league's plus/minus award and  the veteran made his last appearance to date on the First All-Star team.

The 2008 Detroit Red Wings were not as star studded as the 2002 incarnation but they had plenty of offensive firepower buoyed by outstanding veteran  goal- tending.  Like the 2002 team, the 2008 club was the league's best during the regular season, winning 54 games and tallying 115 points to win the President's Trophy.  Detroit was led by superstar forwards Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk who combined stellar scoring numbers with elite defensive play.  Both players garnered Selke Trophy nominations for the league's best defensive forward, which Datsyuk won, and they also both finished in the top ten in scoring.  Nicklas Lidstrom took home his sixth Norris Trophy of the decade, Datsyuk added the Lady Byng and plus/minus awards, and goaltenders Dominik Hasek and Chris Osgood shared the William M. Jennings trophy for fewest regular season goals allowed. Henrik Zetterberg added the Conn Smythe trophy to the team's mantle, and they garnered an outstanding 6 individual trophies during the season.

If I were to make a decision, I would personally take the 2002 team over the 2008 team.  While I personally feel that the 2008 team is one of the all time underrated championship clubs, the 2002 team just had a magical star quality about it.  Rarely do we get to see a team assembled that features seven Hall of Fame players and is led by, arguably, the best coach in the sport's history.  My only regret is that the 2002 team was victimized by the clutch and grab playing style of its time.  The 2002 Detroit Red Wings were a special collection of legendary talent and for that reason I deem them the best Detroit Red Wing championship club since 1997.