Imagine, for a minute, Henrik Lundqvist and the Stanley Cup in the same room. Beautiful overload.

The New York Rangers were dumped in five games - convincingly - by the Pittburgh Penguins in the first round. As a result, the 34-year-old Lundqvist is watching the remainder of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with the rest of us, and has to wonder if he'll ever get his name on the silver chalice. After years of 20, 12, 25, and 19 playoff games, Lundqvist started only five this year - and finished only two.

So, with "The King" in our thoughts, here's a list of NHL greats whose careers ended short of fulfilling their dream of lifting the Stanley Cup:

Pavel Bure

Few flew like the "Russian Rocket."

Pavel Bure was one of the more electrifying players of a generation ago, with unmatched speed and goal-scoring abilities. He ranks 14th all time in playoff points per game with 1.094, thanks to a marvelous run with the Vancouver Canucks when he broke into the league as a 20-year-old.

In 1994, when the Canucks went to the final where they lost to the Rangers in Game 7, Bure had 16 goals and 15 assists in only 24 games, firing a remarkable 101 shots on goal. Even more unbelievable: 13 of his goals were scored at even strength.

Following another 11-game spring run with Vancouver in 1995 in which he scored another seven goals, Bure would play in only four more playoff games, with the Florida Panthers in 2000. Life isn't fair.

Bure finished with 35 goals and 35 assists in 64 career playoff games.

Mats Sundin

Speaking of unfairness, that brings us to Mats Sundin, who gave the Toronto Maple Leafs the best years of his life, with little to show for them apart from personal success.

Always the focal point of the Toronto offense, carrying the Jonas Hoglunds, Fredik Modins, and Lonny Bohonoses of the world along with him, Sundin finished his playoff career with 38 goals - eight of them game-winners - and 44 assists in 91 games.

Sundin never got as close as the Stanley Cup Final, though two of his Maple Leafs teams were eliminated as one of final four standing. But as is the case with the rest of the Sundin era in Toronto: It was never his fault.

Thank God for that Olympic gold medal.

Lundqvist

Among goalies who've played at least 115 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, only four have a save percentage equal to or higher than Lundqvist's .918: Dominik Hasek (.923 in 119 games), Ed Belfour (.920 in 161 games), Martin Brodeur (.919 in 205 games), and Patrick Roy (.918 in 247 games). Hasek, Belfour, and Roy are in the Hall of Fame, and Brodeur will join them when he's eligible.

What makes Saturday's events - Lundqvist allowed six goals on 23 shots in New York's Game 5 defeat - more stunning is that Lundqvist went into the game with a .923 career save percentage in the playoffs. The Penguins took a a hammer to it.

What makes Lundqvist's postseason exploits even much more impressive is when he's had his most success: in his age 29 to 32 seasons, when he won 39 games in the spring.

Eric Lindros

"The Big E" did some of his best work during the postseason.

Eric Lindros' 1.075 points-per-game average in the playoffs ranks 18th all time, and he too tasted playoff success early in his career, in his age 21-23 seasons, when he played 43 playoff games for the Philadelphia Flyers.

Lindros was a force when the Flyers waltzed to the Stanley Cup Final in 1997, winning each of their first three series in five games before being swept for the Cup by the Detroit Red Wings. Lindros had 12 goals and 14 assists in 19 games that year, in what Flyers fans thought was surely the first of their club's multiple attempts at glory.

That's not the way hockey - or life - works, though. Lindros would play only seven more playoff games for the Flyers, playing only three more with the Dallas Stars in 2007 as a 33-year-old to end his Cup dreams. In his final 10 postseason games, Lindros managed only two goals and two assists, as injuries robbed him of his early dominance.

Adam Oates

Adam Oates couldn't pass his way to a Stanley Cup - but did he ever try.

The Hall of Fame setup man played 163 playoff games throughout his storied career, and he racked up 114 assists and 42 goals. His .957 points per game bests Cup winners Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull, and Maurice "Rocket" Richard.

Oates went on numerous playoff runs throughout his career. He had 20 points in 16 games in his second taste of the Stanley Cup Playoffs as a 25-year-old with the Red Wings, 20 points in 13 games with the St. Louis Blues in 1991, 17 points in 21 games with the Washington Capitals in 1998 as a 35-year-old, and his last run was great, too. Oates, in his only playoff appearance with the then-Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, had 13 points as a 40-year-old in 21 games in 2003.

Oates did it all during his time in the NHL - except win a Stanley Cup. He's not the only one.

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After outscoring the Philadelphia Flyers 10-2 in the opening three games of their first-round series, the Washington Capitals now find themselves heading to a Game 6 after failing to clinch a second-round berth in their first two tries.

Despite holding a 1-8 record in their last nine playoff games with a chance to eliminate their opponent, the Capitals aren't concerned about their past postseason struggles.

"Not worried about it," said defenseman Matt Niskanen, per Jordan Hall of CSN Philly. Friday's 2-0 Game 5 loss - that saw the Capitals outshoot the Flyers 44-11 - marked the first time Washington loss back-to-back games in regulation all season.

"I don't think this team has any playoff experience," Karl Alzner added, when asked if it was fair to be concerned about the team's postseason history. "It's our first playoffs together. In my opinion, no, sorry to be cheeky. That's the truth I think."

As far as head coach Barry Trotz is concerned, the pressure is on the Capitals to close this series out. But after a dominant Game 5 performance that ended in a loss, he doesn't see a need to change his team's approach heading into Sunday's game.

"Keep playing that way and it'll turn," he said.

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The St. Louis Blues are exactly where they didn't want to be.

After failing to close out the Chicago Blackhawks for the second game in a row, the Blues head home for Game 7 having completely relinquished momentum to the defending Stanley Cup champions.

A 3-1 lead heading into the second period of Game 5 wasn't enough, as the Blackhawks stormed back for five unanswered goals, improving to 15-1 in their last 16 Game 6s.

Ahead of Saturday's game, Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock said it doesn't matter where the series ends as long as the Blues win, and is expecting his team to respond with the season on the line.

"They raised the bar," Hitchcock said postgame. "Now it's our turn to answer."

Suddenly on the brink of their third consecutive first-round elimination, the Blues season, and potentially Hitchcock's position with the team, hang in the balance.

"They had a great second, they did what they had to do and now we're in a spot where we've got home-ice Game 7 to determine our season," said Scottie Upshall. "Now it's down to 60 minutes, whoever wants it, gets it. We're in our own building and we're going to take advantage of it."

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Andrew Shaw's return to the Chicago Blackhawks' lineup was a memorable one.

Having served a one-game suspension in Game 5, Shaw was back on the ice for Game 6, scoring the insurance marker for Chicago while playing a key role on the Blackhawks' top line in the 6-3 victory.

Already a member of two Stanley Cup-winning teams, Shaw marveled at the atmosphere in the United Center on Saturday night, saying it's like nothing he's ever heard.

"It was probably the loudest I've ever heard the United Center," Shaw told Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times. "I was out there at one point, my ears were buzzing."

Andrew Ladd, who won it all with Chicago in 2010 and returned to the Blackhawks at the trade deadline, echoed Shaw's comments.

"It was amazing," Ladd said. "The loudest probably that I've ever heard the building, which says something."

Game 7 goes Monday night in St. Louis.

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Dutch Gretzky made his first goal as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks count.

Dale Weise bagged his first goal since being acquired from the Montreal Canadiens, in Game 6 against the St. Louis Blues, and the marker was a big one. It turned out to be the game-winner - and the third of five goals in a row - forcing a Game 7 on Monday night.

Weise is not only a goal scorer but a title holder:

"It's special," Weise said about being a Blackhawk. "It's a special group."

Game 7 on Monday night at 8:30 p.m. ET is going to be special, too.

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CHICAGO- Artem Anisimov, Trevor van Riemsdyk and Dale Weise scored during Chicago's dominant second period, and the Blackhawks beat the St. Louis Blues 6-3 on Saturday night to send their first-round playoff series to Game 7.

Andrew Shaw added a third-period goal in his return from a one-game suspension for using a gay slur during Chicago's 4-3 loss in Game 4. Andrew Ladd had a goal and an assist as the Blackhawks improved to 15-1 in their last 16 Game 6's in the playoffs.

Chicago trailed 3-1 in the series, but stayed alive with a 4-3 double-overtime victory in St. Louis on Thursday. Then, the defending Stanley Cup champions trailed 3-1 after one period in Game 6, but found a way again.

Game 7 is Monday night.

Vladimir Tarasenko, Alex Pietrangelo and Scottie Upshall scored for St. Louis, which lost in the first round of the playoffs in each of the last three seasons. Brian Elliott made 30 saves.

Trailing 3-1 after one and facing the possible end of their title defense, the Blackhawks roared back with perhaps their best period of the season.

With St. Louis center Kyle Brodziak in the box for hooking, Anisimov got Chicago within one when he poked home a rebound opportunity for his third goal of the series. That seemed to spark the Blackhawks, and Elliott made a couple of nice stops on Richard Panik and Marian Hossa to keep the Blues in front.

But Chicago only turned up the pressure from there.

Panik left the puck for a streaking Jonathan Toews, and the captain slid it over to van Reimsdyk for the tying goal at 12:21. Spurred on by a raucous crowd of 22,260, which stood and applauded for a whole TV timeout at one point, Chicago went ahead to stay when Artemi Panarin passed from behind the net to Weise for a one-timer at 16:18.

It was Weise's first goal since he was acquired in a trade with Montreal on Feb. 26. It also was his sixth career playoff score, including a pair of overtime winners during his time with the Canadiens.

Shaw's third goal of the series, a power-play tally off a slick pass from Patrick Kane, made it 5-3 at 16:53 of the third, and Hossa added an empty-netter.

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