2011 NHL Playoffs: Which Remaining Team's Bandwagon Should You Hop On?
The horn has sounded in the final game of your team's playoff series, and they are on the losing side of the handshake line.
As you prepare to wash your jersey and put away your rally towel, you feel a little depressed that you won't be seeing your team take the ice until September.
But if you just can't get enough of NHL hockey, don't worry. The eight remaining teams have plenty of room for fans who want to cheer them on towards the Stanley Cup.
Whose bandwagon are you going to ride?
Here are the eight remaining teams in the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs and why you should bandwagon for each. Make your own decisions, but at the end of this slideshow, I am going to reveal which team I am pulling for now that my Pittsburgh Penguins are on the golf course.
Boston Bruins
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In the first round, Boston took on their fiercest rivals in the Montreal Canadiens and emerged as the victors in Game 7, which was won in overtime.
They are now taking on the Philadelphia Flyers and hope for revenge from last year's Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Bruins dropped a 3-0 series lead as the Flyers won in seven games.
This year, Boston has jumped out to a 1-0 series lead after a commanding 7-3 victory in Game 1 in Philadelphia.
Players to Root For
Tim Thomas: The Vezina Trophy finalist is second in the NHL with five playoff wins. He also has a .924 save percentage (sixth) and a 2.33 GAA (eighth).
Nathan Horton: The star forward is finally getting a taste of the Stanley Cup Playoffs after spending several years on the struggling Florida Panthers. He has five points in eight playoff games and is first in the NHL with two game winning goals.
Zdeno Chara: The 6'9", 255 pound defenseman has a wicked shot at 105.9 miles per hour and was first in the league this year with a plus-33 in the regular season. He has one point and a plus-four in seven playoff games.
Why You Want to Go Along for the Ride
You'll want to be on the Bruins bandwagon if you can't stand the Flyers and want to see them sent packing early. You should also be prepared for some disappointment, though, as the Bruins have gone home early in recent years despite being one of the top seeds.
Detroit Red Wings
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The Red Wings swept the Phoenix Coyotes in their Western Conference Quarterfinals, and are now in a re-match of the 2010 Western Conference Semifinals with the San Jose Sharks.
Last year, San Jose knocked out the Wings in five games. If Detroit isn't careful, they will face the same fate this season.
Players to Root For
Nicklas Lidstrom: The 41-year-old captain of the Wings still has what it takes to play like a top defenseman. After tallying 62 points in the regular season, he has three points and a plus-four through six playoff games.
Henrik Zetterberg: The 2008 Conn Smythe winner re-joined the team for the semifinals after missing the quarterfinals with an injury. He scored on his second game back, tallying the Wings' lone goal of Game 2 on the power play.
Pavel Datsyuk: The three-time Selke Trophy winner, who is a finalist again this season, posted 59 points and a plus-11 despite missing 26 games with injury. He has eight points and a plus-six through the postseason so far.
Why You Want to Go Along for the Ride
You want to jump on the Wings' bandwagon if you love hockey history. Detroit is one of the Original Six franchises, and has seen many greats such as Gordie Howe and Steve Yzerman don the red and white.
However, you must be able to stomach seeing an octopus being thrown on to the ice before each playoff game.
Nashville Predators
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The Predators advanced to the second round for the first time in franchise history after upsetting the Anaheim Ducks in the Western Conference Quarterfinals.
They are currently tied one game apiece in their semifinal series with the Vancouver Canucks. Matt Halischuk scored the game-winning goal in double overtime of Game 2 to send the Preds back to Nashville with a chance to take control of the series.
Players to Root For
Mike Fisher: The former Ottawa Senators center, acquired in a trade, posted 12 points in 27 games upon his arrival in Nashville. He is now leading the Preds with eight points in the postseason.
Pekka Rinne: The Vezina finalist has made several big saves in two games against the Canucks. After posting his second straight 30-win season this year, he is first in the NHL with five playoff wins with a .903 save percentage and a 2.52 GAA, which is ranked ninth in the NHL.
Jordin Tootoo: Tootoo is a great example of a feel good story. He took time off from the Predators to enter into the NHL's substance abuse program, missing over a month of game action. The bruising forward has five points and a plus-three through the first eight playoff games.
Why You Want to Go Along for the Ride
If you love a Stanley Cup Cinderella story, you are in the right place. The Preds are a talented, yet underrated, team who have upset potential.
Nashville is also the country music capital of the United States and has a lot of great entertainment options. The Preds have a live band that plays at intermissions, and you might even get a glimpse of country superstar Carrie Underwood, who is married to Fisher.
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Philadelphia Flyers
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The Flyers are hoping to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight year. Last season, they entered the playoffs as the eighth seed and went all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals, where they lost to the Chicago Blackhawks.
This year is a little bit of a different story.
Philadelphia finished as the second seed in the Eastern Conference and were a top team for pretty much the entire regular season. They dispatched the Buffalo Sabres in a well-fought seven game series and are now re-matched with the Bruins, the team they bounced back from a 3-0 series deficit against to make the Conference Finals.
Players to Root For
Claude Giroux: In his second full NHL season, he led the Flyers with 76 points and is again the team's scoring leader of the postseason with 11 points. His point total is first in the NHL, as are his 10 assists.
Chris Pronger: The physical veteran defenseman missed the first five games of the Sabres series with a hand injury. He has one point and a minus-three in his return. Prior to coming to Philadelphia, he was a Stanley Cup finalist with the 2006 Edmonton Oilers and a winner with the 2007 Ducks.
Ville Leino: The sophomore forward is finding his game after playing in just 55 games last year. After a 53 point regular season, he now has five points in Philadelphia's first eight playoff games.
Why You Want to Go Along for the Ride
The Flyers have one of the longest Stanley Cup droughts in the league; they have not taken home a Cup since 1975. You want to see their suffering end and feel they could make another run at the trophy this year.
In addition, you love a hard-hitting, in your face style of hockey that is mixed with some great offensive talent.
Fans who do not like the color orange or get headaches thinking about goaltender carousels would not make good additions to this bandwagon.
San Jose Sharks
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The Sharks, once known as regular season stars who could not perform in the playoffs, are slowly starting to shed that label.
They advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals last year for the first time since 2004, and although they were swept by the Blackhawks, it was a step in the right direction.
This year, they could send the Wings packing for the second straight season and currently have a 2-0 series lead in their semifinals series.
Players to Root For
Benn Ferriero: In the first postseason game of his first postseason trip, Ferriero scored the game-winning overtime goal that started the series off on the right foot.
Antti Niemi: The 27-year-old goaltender was Chicago's starting goalie during last year's Stanley Cup run. Although he has faltered at times this season, he is still 5-2 in the playoffs.
Logan Couture: The Calder Trophy finalist had 56 points and a plus-18 in the regular season. He is currently second on San Jose in postseason scoring with seven points in eight games.
Why You Want to Go Along for the Ride
The Sharks have gotten over being the laughingstock of the playoffs and are emerging as serious contenders. You can come on to the bandwagon expecting bigger and better things rather than preparing yourself for more disappointment.
In addition, if you are a fan of anyone but the Detroit Red Wings, you always want to root for the team that has a chance to take down Detroit's stacked lineup.
Tampa Bay Lightning
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The Lightning, under first year head coach Guy Boucher, are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2007. They came back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Pittsburgh Penguins to advance to the second round, where they are currently playing the Washington Capitals.
Players to Root For:
Vincent Lecavalier: The Lightning captain is one of the three players still on the roster from the 2004 Stanley Cup championship. He is second in the NHL with 10 points in the postseason and first with three game winning goals.
Martin St. Louis: He was also a member of the 2004 Cup championship team and is still producing at a high level. He is third in the NHL with five playoff goals and three power-play goals.
Dwayne Roloson: The 41-year-old goaltender, who was in the 2006 Finals with the Oilers, has stepped up his game in the playoffs. He is ranked first with six playoff wins and a .947 save percentage. His 1.80 GAA is ranked second.
Why You Want to Go Along for the Ride
Tampa already did the unexpected by eliminating the Penguins, and they are now up two games to none on the Washington Capitals, a heavy Eastern Conference favorite. If you are not one of those people who can't stand southern hockey teams, you will want to root for the Lightning's continued success.
Vancouver Canucks
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The Canucks won the Presidents Trophy after posting a record of 54-19-9 for 117 points.
They recently exorcised their demons against the Blackhawks, who eliminated them in the last two postseasons. This year, they defeated Chicago in seven games to advance to the Western Conference Semifinals, where they are currently facing the Nashville Predators.
Players to Root For
Daniel Sedin: He claimed the Art Ross Trophy from his twin brother Henrik, who won the award last year. He had 104 points in the regular season and currently is tied for first on the Canucks with seven points in the playoffs.
Alexandre Burrows: The physical forward has been a pleasant surprise in the postseason. He scored the game-winning overtime goal that sent the Blackhawks home, and it was his second goal of the night. He also tallied the Canucks' lone goal in a double overtime loss to the Predators on Saturday.
Chris Higgins: A trade deadline acquisition from Florida, Higgins had five points in 14 games after coming to Vancouver. He has two goals in nine playoff games, and both have been game-winning goals.
Why You Want to Go Along for the Ride
The Canucks are in control of their own destiny after finally defeating Chicago. The fans are extremely passionate, and the city and arena went nuts after Burrows' Game 7 goal.
Goaltender Roberto Luongo could also be finally starting to prove that he can perform in big games, and he has held his own against another strong goaltender in Pekka Rinne.
Washington Capitals
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Last year, the Capitals were embarrassed in the playoffs when they dropped a 3-1 series lead to the Montreal Canadiens and lost in seven games.
This year, they breezed through their first round with the New York Rangers and sent them packing in five games.
However, their semifinals series with the Lightning has been a little more challenging, as they are about to head to Florida without a win.
Players to Root For
Alexander Ovechkin: The Capitals' captain and one of the faces of the NHL, he led Washington with 85 points in the regular season and is again leading the team with seven points in the playoffs.
Jason Arnott: The 2000 Stanley Cup winner has been a strong veteran addition to the Capitals roster. He posted seven points and a plus-three in 11 games after joining the team and has four points and a plus-three through seven postseason games.
Michal Neuvirth: The rookie goaltender took over starting duties after Semyon Varlamov started struggling with injuries. After going 27-12-4 in the regular season, he is fourth in the NHL with a .928 save percentage and first with a 1.77 GAA in the playoffs.
Why You Want to Go Along for the Ride
Should the Capitals bounce back and win the series against the Lightning, they could come out of the Eastern Conference for the first time since 1998. Ovechkin has yet to win a Cup like rival superstar Sidney Crosby, so if you're a fan of his, you can cheer him on in his journey.
Where Are You Going to Go?
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Well, I promised that I would reveal whose bandwagon I have jumped on now that the Penguins have been eliminated. And I am proud to call myself a Vancouver Canucks bandwagon fan.
I chose the Canucks partially because of my friend, who happens to be a passionate Vancouver fan. She got me watching the games and hooked on their high speed style of play.
Furthermore, I think players such as Ryan Kesler and the Sedin twins have great personalities, much like beloved Penguins forward Max Talbot.
I watched Game 7 against Chicago, and although I have nothing against the Blackhawks, it was nice to see the Canucks finally get over the hump and look ahead to playoff success.
In the Eastern Conference, I am riding the Tampa Bay Lightning bandwagon. Sure, it wasn't fun to see them beat the Pens, but they have a lot of underrated talent and a solid first-year coach. Plus, Pens fans love to hate the Capitals, so we can't' cheer for them as it is.
Who will you cheer for if your team has already been eliminated?
Leave a comment and let me know!
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