Bruce Boudreau in Laurel (M. Richter)
Caps fans’ hangover may not be completely over, but at some point we still need to start watching hockey again. Now is as good a time as any.
The Chicago Blackhawks and the Anaheim Ducks series is 2-2. Tampa Bay leads New York 3-2 going back to Tampa, but the Rangers, as we know, won’t go down quietly. Everyone has their own reasons to root for or against teams, but here are some reasons that are as good as any.
Chicago Blackhawks – They’re going for their third cup in six years. A model franchise. If they were to win, the Caps could say, “We swept the Stanley Cup champions this season.” A compelling reason to cheer for them, especially after the Winter Classic.
Anaheim Ducks – One name: Bruce Boudreau. Do you want Bruce to win the Cup? This could result in more blame on Alex Ovechkin, the “coach killer.” Bruce was a good coach in Washington, until he wasn’t. He got the team back on the map. He got the team back in the playoffs. He reunited the fan base with the team. Maybe he does deserve a Cup, and it will always be a shame that it didn’t happen in Washington.
Tampa Bay Lightning – Go Eastern Conference! There is always some bragging rights when your conference wins the Cup. The Caps went 2-1 against Tampa this year. Another winning record against the potential Stanley Cup champions. In addition, they would knock out the hated New York Rangers.
New York Rangers – You might ask yourself, “Why would I root for the team that knocked us out?” You can say, “We lost to the eventual champions. Not bad.”
These are all really good teams. There are plenty of reasons to root and not to root for these teams. However, you shouldn’t root for any of them. You should root for the NHL. Yes, root for the league. The more exciting these games are the better for the league.
My allegiances go 1) Caps. 2) The NHL. The more popular the league is, the more fans there are. Let’s hope each series goes seven games, which each game decided in overtime.
