Toronto closed out the series in game six to take over as Cup champions.
The Devils, cup champions of 1995, felt as if they had won.
The Penguins, cup champions in 1991 and 1992, are now 6-0.
But the second period was disastrous for the defending cup champions.
No cup champion since Montreal, in 1970, has failed to make the tournament the following season.
The team with the best record at the end of the cup was crowned the cup champion.
For the last three seasons, the Western finals have produced the eventual cup champion, and that is very likely to be the case this season.
The italicized text in the table indicates the other cup champions that made it the Soviet top-3.
As a result, no Cup champion was crowned for the first time since the flu pandemic in 1919.
Santos declared as the cup champions by aggregate score of 6-1.
