![]() They barely snuck into the playoffs after stumbling through the second half. Why you should get on board: Nobody believes in them! Including their fans, coach and all their players!Īnd rightly so, probably. I wouldn’t have the guts, but if you do, I respect it. This series might be over in three games.īottom line: I can’t in good conscience recommend the Panthers this year given their matchup, even as I can still see the appeal. Why you shouldn’t: They’re going to absolutely get their doors blown off by the Bruins. And unlike last year, you can’t even be accused of frontrunning, because the 2022 Presidents’ Trophy winners had to scrape into the playoffs with a hot second half. The fan base has been through a ton, the team is talented and fun to watch, and they’re the classic little brother that keeps getting picked on by the more successful sibling. Why you should get on board: They don’t have Joe Thornton or Claude Giroux anymore, but otherwise just about all the things still apply from last year when we anointed them the easy pick as the best bandwagon team in the league. The Athletic's NHL staff makes their playoff picks: Why you shouldn’t: You should care about being called a frontrunner, because they’re the worst.īottom line: Picking the reigning champs as the worst possible bandwagon team is a bit of a cliché and I don’t do it every year, but this year you can get all the skill and potential from a team whose fan base isn’t still hungover from the parade. Screw what people say, you’re taking the defending champs. ![]() The Avs are one of the most exciting and entertaining teams in the league, and we all deserve nice things. Why you should get on board: Because you don’t care about being called a frontrunner. It’s time for my annual bandwagon-hopper’s guide to the 16 playoff teams. You want fun characters, good stories, an OGWAC or two, and ideally not too many players you’ll feel dirty for rooting for. You want a team that’s good enough to win, but not so good that you look like a frontrunner. Your team was bad this season, you endured it all, and now the games really matter and you deserve to have a quick fling, you know? But the truth is that it’s just more fun to watch the playoffs with a rooting interest, even if it’s a flimsy one that you won’t hesitate to abandon as soon as the final horn sounds on that fourth loss. It’s a controversial path, one that some hockey fans will swear is forbidden. ![]() Or you could go the dreaded bandwagon route.
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