Who do we want to win the Cup? If anyone?
The NHL playoffs are in full throttle, and these two weeks for the conference semifinals is right up there for the best part of the whole year in terms of hockey watching. Every day there are two games on — one early for the Eastern Conference and one late in the Western Conference. The action is exciting, the eight teams left have all earned their place by winning a round and it’s just perfect. There’s not too much to consume, but not too little to be wanting more as tends to be the case as the rounds dwindle down.
In about five or six weeks, some team is going out-last all the others and win the Stanley Cup. It’s likely to be a new feeling of joy — of those left only Colorado (2022) is a recent champion. Everyone else is looking to win for the first time (Vancouver, Florida) or the first time in a long time (NYR, Dallas, Edmonton) Even Boston (2011) and Carolina (2006) have gone a sporting generation since their last title with Brad Marchand and coach Rod’Brind Amour as the only direct respective ties to the last Bruin and Hurricane championship.
With the Penguins on the sideline, who does the Pensburgh crowd want to see come out on top?