Since the N.H.L. doubled in size, from 6 to 12 teams, in 1967, how often have the top two regular-season teams met in the final?

Veteran-filled Detroit, champion of 1997 and 1998, has become a good regular-season team that fades fast in playoffs.

Michigan fans soon streamed onto the field to celebrate the close call and what would become Schembechler's only unbeaten and untied regular-season team.

Turned out to be a hell of a regular-season team, no more.

The stretch run came, and basketball's best regular-season team was outscored, 15-1.

That was the criticism in Cleveland and in Kansas City, where some of his super regular-season teams flopped in the playoffs.

For the Devils, life will go on without a coach who made them into one of the best and most consistent regular-season teams in the league in the 1990's.

The win also marked a team accomplishment as it clinched a President's Trophy as the top ranked regular-season team.

So much for the Series of the Century between the league's two best regular-season teams.

Last season, the Nets' level of achievement was based on establishing themselves as a competitive regular-season team.