“Most teams that finish first overall in the NHL have not gone on to have a whole lot of success. It’s usually that team that’s fighting tooth and nail to get into that eighth spot and once they get to the playoffs, they’re flying high and feeling really good about themselves.”

I’m not sure how Fleury defines “success,” but since 1986, the President’s Trophy winner has gone on to play in the Stanley Cup Final nine times. That’s a 36% chance of making it into the final series. And 7 out of those 9 times, they went on to win the Cup.

All due respect to Fleury—and I’m always a big fan of the underdog team that battles hard to get a spot in the playoffs—but I’ll take the odds of going into the post-season in 1st place over 8th place, anytime.