Let’s face it: 14 of the 30 National Hockey League teams don’t make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. So it’s not unlikely that you’re sitting at home, trying to figure out which postseason team is worthy of your support. Perhaps I can help:
Anaheim Ducks Why They Could Win Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry up front, a balanced D and two good goaltenders. Why You Should Cheer for Them Let’s call it like it is: the Ducks, though a favourite, are not a likeable hockey team. Between Perry, Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler, they’ve become the new Vancouver Canucks. Thus, if not for them, cheer for Bruce Boudreau. The man deserves it. Just pray the series doesn’t go seven. Chicago Blackhawks Why They Could Win Three Cups in the past six seasons tend to make you a favourite. Artemi Panarin replaces Patrick Sharp, and the defence core has been bolstered. So, basically, the Blackhawks are up a de-Winnipegged Andrew Ladd. Why You Should Cheer for Them Joel Quenneville is one of the most entertaining coaches in the game. Whether he is grabbing his crotch or kicking a towel, can you honestly say you’re not looking forward to another Spring of Coach Q? Dallas Stars Why They Could Win A high-octane offence led by Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and Jason Spezza propelled the Stars to a second-place overall finish in the NHL, not to mention the division title in the Central, the league’s toughest. Why You Should Cheer for Them For perhaps the first time since the 2005-06 and 2006-07 Buffalo Sabres – also coached by Lindy Ruff, the NHL has a legitimate contender that plays a run-and-gun style. The Stars are a real fun team to watch, and it will be great watching them shove their style of play down the throats of the “Defence wins hockey games” crowd. Detroit Red Wings Why They Could Win Darren Helm, Dylan Larkin and Andreas Athanasiou, among others, land Detroit amongst the fastest teams in the NHL. Their older veterans that might have lost a step – Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Richards… – are proven winners that can still play. Why You Should Cheer for Them For those of you living under rocks, Pavel Datsyuk might not be back in the NHL after this season. I, for one, want to see as much Magic Man – one of the best, if not THE best, two-way players this game has ever seen – as possible. Florida Panthers Why They Could Win Florida has three lines that score a bunch and two goaltenders who have had outstanding seasons. “Yeah but their possession num–“ Shut up, ride the wave. Why You Should Cheer for Them Because it would be hilarious for everyone outside of British Columbia if Roberto Luongo wins himself a ring. Also, Jaromir Jagr winning a Stanley Cup 24 years after his last one? Amazing. Los Angeles Kings Why They Could Win They’re the Kings. They possess the puck better than any other team – first in Corsi Close, by a significant margin, this season. They’ve won two of the past four Stanley Cups. After missing the Playoffs last year, one would imagine they will be chomping at the bit for a third title, especially considering their rivals, the aforementioned Blackhawks, just won their third Cup in six years. Why You Should Cheer for Them Is there anybody out there who doesn’t want two solid months of Darryl Sutter? Minnesota Wild Why They Could Win If they play to their potential, the Wild can run with anyone in the league. First Round upsets of division winners St. Louis and Colorado the past two years is evidence of this. Why You Should Cheer for Them A Devan Dubnyk Stanley Cup? LOL Oilers. Nashville Predators Why They Could Win After years of having to play a stifling defensive system to survive, Nashville finally has a couple of competent scoring lines to complement their vaunted back end. If Pekka Rinne can remember how to play goal, the Preds are in business. Why You Should Cheer for Them A hugely passionate fanbase has seen a chronic lack of playoff hockey during the Predators’ first 16 seasons, with the team never making it out of the second round. Also, nothing says championship like golden buckets. New York Islanders Why They Could Win The Islanders are a rambunctious team that underperformed during the regular season, scraping into the Playoffs in a Wild Card spot. If they can turn it on at the right time, look out for the Islanders. Captain John Tavares enters the postseason thoroughly en fuego. Why You Should Cheer for Them Of all of the fanbases in the league, this one might be the most deserving of a break. No Playoff series wins since ’93. The new arena is an hour away from the old one. Even if you manage to make it there, you could be one of the literally thousands of paying fans that can’t see half the damn ice. Shut up, here’s a scarf, go Nets. New York Rangers Why They Could Win A team with oodles of Playoff experience only got experiencier with the addition of Eric Staal. Plus, any team with Henrik Lundqvist has a chance to take it all. Why You Should Cheer for Them Lundqvist deserves a ring for bailing out the Rangers game after game, season after season. He ‘aint gettin’ any younger, either. Philadelphia Flyers Why They Could Win The Flyers were one of the hottest teams closing out the regular season. They have some good structure thanks to first-year Head Coach Dave Hakstol, and their goaltending situation has been solidified by the tandem of Steven Mason and Michal Neuvirth. Why You Should Cheer for Them The Flyers have a variety of intriguing storylines: Flyers co-founder and longtime owner Ed Snider passed away earlier this week. Dave Hakstol is a rookie coach coming out of the collegiate ranks. The Flyers made a heroic run to secure a Playoff spot. And don’t forget the Ghost Bear! Pick one. Pittsburgh Penguins Why They Could Win After losing their first 4 games under replacement Head Coach Mike Sullivan, the Penguins won 32 of their remaining 50 games. Sidney Crosby (8-game point streak) and Phil Kessel (12 points in his last 9 games) come into the Playoffs red hot. Why You Should Cheer for Them Due to injuries, postseason meltdowns and a healthy dose of bad luck, Penguins fans have been robbed of additional Stanley Cups after winning in 2009. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are generational talents – with Marc-André Fleury not far behind – that any hockey fan would be blessed to watch play for – and win – Lord Stanley’s Mug once more. San Jose Sharks Why They Could Win The Sharks are sixth in the NHL in Corsi Close and possess a balanced attack, two good goaltenders and a Wookiee on defence. Why You Should Cheer for Them Yes, yes, the Sharks have let us down in the past. Several times. But are there two guys that deserve a Cup more than Joe Thornton and James Reimer? What better time to shake off the monkey? St. Louis Blues Why They Could Win The St. Louis Blues won the Central Division. They’ve had a Cup-contending team for the past few years and goaltender Brian Elliott comes in having posted some spectacular numbers to close out the regular season campaign (we’ll gloss over his getting pulled in the Blues’ season finale). Why You Should Cheer for Them The aforementioned Elliott is set to start for the Blues in Game One. Despite having consistently posted good numbers during regular seasons for St. Louis, the Blues have consistently supplanted him with a different starter for the Playoffs (Jaroslav Halák, Ryan Miller, Jake Allen…). It appears Elliott has the ball in his court. Here’s hoping it stays that way. Tampa Bay Lightning Why They Could Win Last year’s Cup finalists enter the Playoffs with significant injury problems, but goaltender Ben Bishop had another sterling season and Tampa’s team is deep and, now, experienced. Assuming they stay in the hunt that long, their lineup will only improve as the injured players return. Why You Should Cheer for Them The Lightning’s quest for the Cup last year was hampered by significant injuries to Ben Bishop and Tyler Johnson. It would be awesome to see what they can do when they – eventually – have a full lineup. Washington Capitals Why They Could Win Excellent goaltending, a solid defence core and a potent, multifaceted attack. Oh, and they won the President’s Trophy. What’s not to like? Why You Should Cheer for Them What, you mean a RUSSIAN player can captain a Stanley Cup-winning team? What kind of a sick, twisted world are we living in?! Happy Playoffs, everybody!!
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Peter FerrellThis is a hockey blog. CategoriesArchives
September 2016
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