With the Devils out, who do I cheer for? Eastern Conference Version

Well my team is out, but that doesn't mean I go into hibernation for the post season, with all the cards I collect and my love of the game prevents me from giving up. So here are my options and reasons for each team:

Eastern Conference Teams:

Pittsburgh Penguins
Why cheer for the Pens
Well there are a few reasons for me to back this team. Being a Nova Scotian (my current residence), Sidney is huge out here and the choice of many out this way is the Pens so I will have a few people to cheer with. My man Bill Guerin works in the front office which is another huge plus and Robert Bortuzzo and I share the same birth place which I always cheer for Thunder Bay boys.

Why to cheer against the Pens
I dislike teams that go and buy championships at the trade deadline and the Pens are pretty much a time that kind of team this year. Also, they are heavy favourites and I tend to like underdogs a little more.

Montreal Canadiens
Why cheer for the Habs
The only reason I have to cheer for them is, I keep pulling Habs hits like they are going out of style!! Wait until you see my next couple box breaks. So if the Habs win the Cup, I am hoping to unload these cards at high prices or at good trade values.

Why cheer against the Habs
I have lots of friends and people I know (some obnoxious) that make it far too easy for me to want to cheer against them. Therefore, I don't see myself really ever wanting them to win anytime soon.

Washington Capitals
Why cheer for the Caps
Nick Backstrom is a favourite of mine and to see him do well would be great and I don't hate Ovi so it might be fun to see him go on a playoff run and grow a caveman beard. Joel Ward has been known to jack up his play during the playoffs and a former CIS kid winning the Cup would be cool too.

Why cheer against the Caps
They are a Southeast team and barely deserve to be in the playoffs let alone a third place seed. Ovi can be obnoxious too, but I really can't hate this team no matter how hard I try.

Boston Bruins
Why cheer for the Bruins
Boston won the Cup two years ago and I was meh about that, but this time around they have Jagr and Pandalfo which would be two feel good stories about them winning the Cup. Tyler Seguin is a player I like a fair bit so seeing him win would be cool too. Unlike some teams in the post-season, their roster is pretty much been the same for the past few seasons.

Why cheer against the Bruins
They are just one of those team I have never loved. Maybe it goes back to the 88 post-season when they bounced the Devils in 7 in the Conference Finals.

Toronto Maple Leafs
Why cheer for the Leafs
They are my assigned team in the Drop The Gloves! playoff tournament and I am a former team owner! Seriously, I was an Ontario teacher before moving out east so technically I owned some of the franchise.

Why cheer against the Leafs
Everything from their misspelled name to the many fans in Leafs Nation that feel the need to write graffiti in all the washrooms in Southern Ontario give me reason to cheer against them. I just can never bring myself to doing so and I am really sorry Mark because I do want you to be happy and you are a good friend.

New York Rangers
Why cheer for the Strangers Rangers
Marc Staal.

Why cheer against the Rangers
I don't need a reason, I am a Devils fan.

Ottawa Senators
Why cheer for the Sens
I have a few reasons here, first I used to live in Ottawa so I wouldn't mind seeing them win. They have survived many injuries and they are a young and fun team with lots of home-grown/drafted talent. I even met Craig Anderson's parents during the 08 WHC in Halifax and they were so nice to me that I became a fan of his before he had a starting gig anywhere. The Sens have maybe the most underrated defense in the NHL (and sure they have Karlsson, but every one of their defence would be top 4 on most NHL clubs). Daniel Alfredsson has given as much to that franchise as any other player has to their respective clubs and seeing him win would be a feel good story.

Why cheer against the Sens
There aren't many reasons for me to cheer against them except that the Canadian media would start to annoy me.

New York Islanders
Why cheer for the Isles
John Tavares is a player I like a great deal and I think it would be huge if he could get his club deep into the playoffs because he would be the reason for their success, no doubts there. Also, there would be a fair bit of neat irony with Nabokov making it to a Cup final with a team he refused to join at first. Keith Aucoin would be a great feel good story for a career minor league superstar to finally get a Cup chance.

Why cheer against the Isles
They are pretty close in proximity to the Devils, but they were never a hated rival really since their domination in the NHL was ending as the Devils became a NJ franchise. I don't have many reasons to cheer against them other than Garth Snow would likely get more credit for the win than he deserves.

Well that is the Eastern Conference, I will try to finish up the Western Conference in the next day or two and get back to my HOF autos!