As you may or may not know, there are now only four teams remaining in the playoffs. While some are convinced that anything short of winning a Stanley Cup represents a failure, I would contend that making it to this final four stage constitutes an indisputably really good postseason, if not a really good entire season.

The NHL then gives these superb final four teams the worst picks in the draft, because they're socialists and that's how they roll.

But what I'm trying to say here is that making it to the final four in the playoffs is good. It's really, really good. It wasn't that special in the Original Six era when it came with making the playoffs at all, but since then it's been something really good.

So which team has been the really goodest of all time since expansion you ask? Well, I'll tell you.

Team	Final Four
Philadelphia Flyers	16
Montreal Canadiens	15
Chicago Blackhawks	15
Boston Bruins	14
New York Islanders	10
Detroit Red Wings	10
Minnesota/Dallas	10
New York Rangers	10
Edmonton Oilers	9
Quebec/Colorado	8
Pittsburgh Penguins	7
New Jersey Devils	7
St. Louis Blues	6
Buffalo Sabres	6
Toronto Maple Leafs	5
Calgary Flames	4
Vancouver Canucks	3
Anaheim Ducks	3
San Jose Sharks	3
Carolina Hurricanes	3
Los Angeles Kings	3
Washington Capitals	2
Ottawa Senators	2
Tampa Bay Lightning	2
Florida Panthers	1
Minnesota Wild	1
Winnipeg/Phoenix	1
Nashville Predators	0
Atlanta/Winnipeg	0
Columbus Blue Jackets	0
Total	176

Wow! It's the Flyers! The Flyers are good! Really, really good! And they have been, consistently, forever! In their 44-year existence, the Flyers have never had a stretch of more than five years without a showing in the final four. No other team can come close to saying that.

Year	Stanley Cup Winner	Finalist	Lost to Winner	Lost to Runner-Up
1968	Montreal Canadiens	St. Louis Blues	Chicago Blackhawks	Minnesota North Stars
1969	Montreal Canadiens	St. Louis Blues	Boston Bruins	Los Angeles Kings
1970	Boston Bruins	St. Louis Blues	Chicago Blackhawks	Pittsburgh Penguins
1971	Montreal Canadiens	Chicago Blackhawks	Minnesota North Stars	New York Rangers
1972	Boston Bruins	New York Rangers	St. Louis Blues	Chicago Blackhawks
1973	Montreal Canadiens	Chicago Blackhawks	Philadelphia Flyers	New York Rangers
1974	Philadelphia Flyers	Boston Bruins	New York Rangers	Chicago Blackhawks
1975	Philadelphia Flyers	Buffalo Sabres	New York Islanders	Montreal Canadiens
1976	Montreal Canadiens	Philadelphia Flyers	New York Islanders	Boston Bruins
1977	Montreal Canadiens	Boston Bruins	New York Islanders	Philadelphia Flyers
1978	Montreal Canadiens	Boston Bruins	Toronto Maple Leafs	Philadelphia Flyers
1979	Montreal Canadiens	New York Rangers	Boston Bruins	New York Islanders
1980	New York Islanders	Philadelphia Flyers	Buffalo Sabres	Minnesota North Stars
1981	New York Islanders	Minnesota North Stars	New York Rangers	Calgary Flames
1982	New York Islanders	Vancouver Canucks	Quebec Nordiques	Chicago Blackhawks
1983	New York Islanders	Edmonton Oilers	Boston Bruins	Chicago Blackhawks
1984	Edmonton Oilers	New York Islanders	Minnesota North Stars	Montreal Canadiens
1985	Edmonton Oilers	Philadelphia Flyers	Chicago Blackhawks	Quebec Nordiques
1986	Montreal Canadiens	Calgary Flames	New York Rangers	St. Louis Blues
1987	Edmonton Oilers	Philadelphia Flyers	Detroit Red Wings	Montreal Canadiens
1988	Edmonton Oilers	Boston Bruins	Detroit Red Wings	New Jersey Devils
1989	Calgary Flames	Montreal Canadiens	Chicago Blackhawks	Philadelphia Flyers
1990	Edmonton Oilers	Boston Bruins	Chicago Blackhawks	Washington Capitals
1991	Pittsburgh Penguins	Minnesota North Stars	Boston Bruins	Edmonton Oilers
1992	Pittsburgh Penguins	Chicago Blackhawks	Boston Bruins	Edmonton Oilers
1993	Montreal Canadiens	Los Angeles Kings	New York Islanders	Toronto Maple Leafs
1994	New York Rangers	Vancouver Canucks	New Jersey Devils	Toronto Maple Leafs
1995	New Jersey Devils	Detroit Red Wings	Philadelphia Flyers	Chicago Blackhawks
1996	Colorado Avalanche	Florida Panthers	Detroit Red Wings	Pittsburgh Penguins
1997	Detroit Red Wings	Philadelphia Flyers	Colorado Avalanche	New York Rangers
1998	Detroit Red Wings	Washington Capitals	Dallas Stars	Buffalo Sabres
1999	Dallas Stars	Buffalo Sabres	Colorado Avalanche	Toronto Maple Leafs
2000	New Jersey Devils	Dallas Stars	Philadelphia Flyers	Colorado Avalanche
2001	Colorado Avalanche	New Jersey Devils	St. Louis Blues	Pittsburgh Penguins
2002	Detroit Red Wings	Carolina Hurricanes	Colorado Avalanche	Toronto Maple Leafs
2003	New Jersey Devils	Anaheim Ducks	Ottawa Senators	Minnesota Wild
2004	Tampa Bay Lightning	Calgary Flames	Philadelphia Flyers	San Jose Sharks
2006	Carolina Hurricanes	Edmonton Oilers	Buffalo Sabres	Anaheim Ducks
2007	Anaheim Ducks	Ottawa Senators	Detroit Red Wings	Buffalo Sabres
2008	Detroit Red Wings	Pittsburgh Penguins	Dallas Stars	Philadelphia Flyers
2009	Pittsburgh Penguins	Detroit Red Wings	Carolina Hurricanes	Chicago Blackhawks
2010	Chicago Blackhawks	Philadelphia Flyers	San Jose Sharks	Montreal Canadiens
2011	Boston Bruins	Vancouver Canucks	Tampa Bay Lightning	San Jose Sharks
2012				Phoenix Coyotes
2012				Los Angeles Kings
2012				New York Rangers
2012				New Jersey Devils

But, as you may notice from that chart (or other knowledge of hockey you had before you began reading this post), the Flyers have not won a whole lot of Stanley Cups.

	Appearances		Finishes
Team	Final Four	Finals	3rd/4th	Runner-Up	Cups
Montreal Canadiens	15	11	4	1	10
Edmonton Oilers	9	7	2	2	5
New York Islanders	10	5	5	1	4
Detroit Red Wings	10	6	4	2	4
Boston Bruins	14	8	6	5	3
Pittsburgh Penguins	7	4	3	1	3
New Jersey Devils	7	4	3	1	3
Philadelphia Flyers	16	8	8	6	2
Quebec/Colorado	8	2	6	0	2
Chicago Blackhawks	15	4	11	3	1
Minnesota/Dallas	10	4	6	3	1
New York Rangers	10	3	7	2	1
Calgary Flames	4	3	1	2	1
Anaheim Ducks	3	2	1	1	1
Carolina Hurricanes	3	2	1	1	1
Tampa Bay Lightning	2	1	1	0	1
St. Louis Blues	6	3	3	3	0
Buffalo Sabres	6	2	4	2	0
Toronto Maple Leafs	5	0	5	0	0
Vancouver Canucks	3	3	0	3	0
San Jose Sharks	3	0	3	0	0
Los Angeles Kings	3	1	2	1	0
Washington Capitals	2	1	1	1	0
Ottawa Senators	2	1	1	1	0
Florida Panthers	1	1	0	1	0
Minnesota Wild	1	0	1	0	0
Winnipeg/Phoenix	1	0	1	0	0
Nashville Predators	0	0	0	0	0
Atlanta/Winnipeg	0	0	0	0	0
Columbus Blue Jackets	0	0	0	0	0
Total	176	86	90	43	43

The Flyers have won a Cup only twice despite a staggering 16 final four appearances, which is a fairly devastating conversion percentage when you think about the emphasis put on that far right column. The Devils have just now made their seventh final four, but they could be less than a month from their fourth cup. The Canadiens have a similarly absurd batting average, winning the Cup in 10 of 15 final four showings.

So that part isn't great. But still, though the Flyers have rarely won it all, their ability to have "really good" seasons shouldn't be scoffed at. They do it all the time, and it makes being a fan of this team a consistent pleasure. Since first making a final four in the Nixon administration, the Flyers have made a final four during every subsequent administration (or Olympiad, to use a different but similar measure).

Let's look at some other teams on that table. The Los Angeles Kings, who seem to be completely incapable of not winning the Cup this year, have only made the final four three times, despite being the same age as the Flyers. The Caps have only made the final four a pathetic two times in 36 years, in just 5.5 percent of their seasons -- compared to 37.2 percent for the Flyers.

	Frequency of Appearance		Frequency of Finish
Team	Final Four	Finals	3rd/4th	Finalist	Cup
Philadelphia Flyers	37.21%	18.60%	18.60%	13.95%	4.65%
Montreal Canadiens	34.88%	25.58%	9.30%	2.33%	23.26%
Chicago Blackhawks	34.88%	9.30%	25.58%	6.98%	2.33%
Boston Bruins	32.56%	18.60%	13.95%	11.63%	6.98%
Edmonton Oilers	29.03%	22.58%	6.45%	6.45%	16.13%
New York Islanders	26.32%	13.16%	13.16%	2.63%	10.53%
Quebec/Colorado	25.81%	6.45%	19.35%	0.00%	6.45%
Detroit Red Wings	23.26%	13.95%	9.30%	4.65%	9.30%
Minnesota/Dallas Stars	23.26%	9.30%	13.95%	6.98%	2.33%
New York Rangers	23.26%	6.98%	16.28%	4.65%	2.33%
New Jersey Devils	19.44%	11.11%	8.33%	2.78%	8.33%
Anaheim Ducks	17.65%	11.76%	5.88%	5.88%	5.88%
Pittsburgh Penguins	16.28%	9.30%	6.98%	2.33%	6.98%
San Jose Sharks	15.79%	0.00%	15.79%	0.00%	0.00%
Buffalo Sabres	15.00%	5.00%	10.00%	5.00%	0.00%
St. Louis Blues	13.95%	6.98%	6.98%	6.98%	0.00%
Toronto Maple Leafs	11.63%	0.00%	11.63%	0.00%	0.00%
Ottawa Senators	11.11%	5.56%	5.56%	5.56%	0.00%
Tampa Bay Lightning	11.11%	5.56%	5.56%	0.00%	5.56%
Calgary Flames	10.53%	7.89%	2.63%	5.26%	2.63%
Minnesota Wild	10.00%	0.00%	10.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Carolina Hurricanes	9.68%	6.45%	3.23%	3.23%	3.23%
Vancouver Canucks	7.50%	7.50%	0.00%	7.50%	0.00%
Los Angeles Kings	6.98%	2.33%	4.65%	2.33%	0.00%
Florida Panthers	5.88%	5.88%	0.00%	5.88%	0.00%
Washington Capitals	5.56%	2.78%	2.78%	2.78%	0.00%
Winnipeg/Phoenix	3.23%	0.00%	3.23%	0.00%	0.00%
Nashville Predators	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Atlanta/Winnipeg Jets	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Columbus Blue Jackets	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Put another way, the Flyers have made it to the final four an average of once every 2.7 seasons, which is really, really good.

	Appearance Once Every … Years		Finish Once Every … Years
Team	Final Four	Finals	3rd/4th	Finalist	Cup
Philadelphia Flyers	2.69	5.38	5.38	7.17	21.50
Montreal Canadiens	2.87	3.91	10.75	43.00	4.30
Chicago Blackhawks	2.87	10.75	3.91	14.33	43.00
Boston Bruins	3.07	5.38	7.17	8.60	14.33
Edmonton Oilers	3.44	4.43	15.50	15.50	6.20
New York Islanders	3.80	7.60	7.60	38.00	9.50
Quebec/Colorado	3.88	15.50	5.17	--	15.50
Detroit Red Wings	4.30	7.17	10.75	21.50	10.75
Minnesota/Dallas Stars	4.30	10.75	7.17	14.33	43.00
New York Rangers	4.30	14.33	6.14	21.50	43.00
New Jersey Devils	5.14	9.00	12.00	36.00	12.00
Anaheim Ducks	5.67	8.50	17.00	17.00	17.00
Pittsburgh Penguins	6.14	10.75	14.33	43.00	14.33
San Jose Sharks	6.33	--	6.33	--	--
Buffalo Sabres	6.67	20.00	10.00	20.00	--
St. Louis Blues	7.17	14.33	14.33	14.33	--
Toronto Maple Leafs	8.60	--	8.60	--	--
Ottawa Senators	9.00	18.00	18.00	18.00	--
Tampa Bay Lightning	9.00	18.00	18.00	--	18.00
Calgary Flames	9.50	12.67	38.00	19.00	38.00
Minnesota Wild	10.00	--	10.00	--	--
Carolina Hurricanes	10.33	15.50	31.00	31.00	31.00
Vancouver Canucks	13.33	13.33	--	13.33	--
Los Angeles Kings	14.33	43.00	21.50	43.00	--
Florida Panthers	17.00	17.00	--	17.00	--
Washington Capitals	18.00	36.00	36.00	36.00	--
Winnipeg/Phoenix	31.00	--	31.00	--	--
Nashville Predators	--	--	--	--	--
Atlanta/Winnipeg Jets	--	--	--	--	--
Columbus Blue Jackets	--	--	--	--	--

Maybe you're thinking that the time frame I chose is deceptive, going by expansion to include all the Flyers glory years. Well, here is how the top of the final four appearances standings would look based on some other (mostly arbitrary) possible starting dates for counting.

1975: the first season with four rounds in the playoffs, when you actually had to win a lot to make the final four ...

Flyers - 14
Canadiens - 11
Bruins - 10
Islanders - 10
Red Wings - 10

Pretty good, eh? How's 'bout another cutoff date, this one past the Bullies era?

1980: the first season with 16 teams in the playoffs ...

Flyers - 10
Red Wings - 10
Blackhawks - 9
Oilers - 9
(North) Stars 8
Nordiques/Avalanche - 8

Look at that, the Flyers are still on top. Let's go even more recent, shall we?

1994: the first year of the current playoff format ...

Red Wings - 8
Flyers - 6
Devils - 6
Avalanche - 6
Penguins - 4
Stars - 4
Sabres - 4

OK, the Flyers are no longer in first, but being (tied) for second best behind the consensus greatest team of the last couple decades isn't too shabby.

2000: this millennium ...

Flyers - 4
Red Wings - 4
Devils - 4
Hurricanes - 3
Sharks - 3
Ducks - 3
Avalanche - 3
Penguins - 3

Back in a tie for first. Pretty awesome.

In conclusion, the Flyers have always been really good, and are probably the really goodest team ever. They may not have been the absolute best as much as anyone would like (or maybe even as much as they've deserved to be), but it's still really good, and something to be really proud of.

Not only are the Flyers always in "win now" mode, they manage to "win always." And that's really good.