Guide to Picking Your NHL Playoff Team

When in doubt, blindly lick the Cup to pick a team to cheer for

It's the time of year when those fans of NHL teams who did not make the playoffs aimlessly look for a team to cheer for. Some may turn to the World Hockey Championships for a month to see their players play for their countries, while others will start looking for a team to follow during the NHL Playoffs. For those looking for a playoff team, look no further - Dirty Dangle has your Guide to Picking Your NHL Playoff Team and why you might like some of the teams competing for the Stanley Cup this spring.

In the East

Washington Capitals

• You have to love Bruce f-bomb Boudreau
• The Capitals have changed the way they play this year and have become more of a defensive team - it will be fun to see if it works.
• If they do win the cup, Alexander Ovechkin will probably climb over the boards and celebrate with the fans

Philadelphia Flyers

• The Flyers are a very exciting team to watch and have 3 lines that can put the puck in the net.
• They are big and strong and play a very physical (dirty) brand of hockey. You just never know what might have during a game.
• Watching home games in Philadelphia and seeing what crazy fans they have reminds me of an anthropology course I took in university about the Neanderthal man.

Boston Bruins

• If Zdeno Chara hoists the Stanley Cup, it will be the highest altitude the Cup has been to since Andrew Ladd took it to the top of a mountain
• The Bruins are bullies on the ice and punish their opposition with neck breaking hits (too soon?). Milan Lucic and Zdeno Chara are very scary guys.
• Tim Thomas was playing in beer leagues before he became one of the best goaltenders in the league - he's all around great guy who loves to compete

Pittsburgh Penguins

• Watch HBO 24/7, you'll like the Penguins.
• If you like underdogs, the Penguins are big time underdogs without Sidney Crosby and Geno Malkin
• Marc Andre Fleury is one of the most athletic goalies in the league and always fun to watch.

Tampa Bay Lightning

• Dwayne Roloson is 41 years old and has never won a Stanley Cup. He is still playing like a number one goalie.
• Steven Stamkos is one of the most exciting players in the NHL when he shows up, hopefully he can ignite during these playoffs and piggy back Martin St. Louis assist totals
• There's a rumour going around that if the Lightning win the Cup, Guy Boucher will reveal where his facial scar came from

Montreal Canadiens

• It's hard not to love watching Montreal Canadiens games. The fans are always so loud and make such a great atmosphere for playoff hockey.
• If you're a fan of riots, lighting police cars on fire, and looting local businesses, you'll want the Habs to win
• It's hard not to cheer for the Habs, they remind you of when you played in the Quebec Peewee Hockey Tournament when hockey was just about the love for the game - and you were 5"4

Buffalo Sabres

• Terry Pegula is the coolest owner in the NHL, and will probably be carpooling from Buffalo to Philadelphia if you need a ride
• If Buffalo wins you can eat 2 pounds of chicken wings and not feel bad because you're supporting the city
• The only time the always intense Ryan Miller will smile is if he wins the Stanley Cup - seeing this miracle is worth cheering for the Sabres

New York Rangers

• Henrik Lundqvist is a very good goaltender... and sharp dresser
• The more John Tortorella post-game interviews the better
• Dan Girardi blocks so many shots the United States Secret Service shows his highlights to trainees on how to protect the President

In the West

Vancouver Canucks

• Swedish twins are always a good time
• Just listening to Oh Canada in Vancouver gives you chills
• If the Canucks win the Stanley Cup, Ryan Kesler will interview bomb Gary Bettman's congratulations speech

San Jose Sharks

• Antti Niemi knows how to win in the playoffs, and can grow a great playoff beard
• With the Sharks firepower, there could be some high scoring games with the likes of Marleau, Heatley, Couture, Thornton and Pavelski
• Anytime the Sharks go on the powerplay, the Jaws theme song play, making it is socially acceptable to move your hands like a shark mouth chomping down

Detroit Red Wings

• Pavel Datsyuk defines the meaning of Dirty Dangle
• Like a fine wine, the Wings get better with age
• If you like seafood, you'll like the Red Wings fan tradition of throwing octopus on the ice

Los Angeles Kings

• You'll enjoy seeing who the celebrities are dating during Kings games at the Staples Center
• Drew Doughty's nickname is Doughnuts, it doesn't get more Canadian than that
• How can you not cheer for Ryan Smyth? Watching his mullet fly down the wing is what playoff hockey is all about

Nashville Predators

• Carrie Underwood will be in the stands.
• If you are the kind of person who likes to be different, cheer for the Preds, they don't have a whole lot of fans outside of Nashville
• Shea Weber is one of the best kept secrets in the NHL thanks to playing in Nashville, and if you didn't know, he can put the puck through the net

Phoenix Coyotes

• Cheer for the 3rd Canadian team in the Playoffs
• You should cheer for any team with Shane Doan on it
• The NHL still has control of the team, so who knows what calls might go their way during the playoffs

Anaheim Ducks

• Teemu Selanne is playing like he is 25 again, and also races rally cars in the offseason - whats not to love?
• Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf are game breakers and always exciting to watch.
• You know you loved the Disney Mighty Ducks movies as a kid - there is always the chance they could do the Flying V on a breakout

Chicago Blackhawks

• There is a good chance you are already a bandwagon fan from last year.
• If you are a female between 18 and 24 there is a good chance Patrick Kane will want to shag you.
• Jonathan Toews grows Wolverine sideburns during the playoffs