The Dallas Stars Are Done, Here’s Who You Should Cheer For

Apr 19, 2015; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames players skates during the warmup period in game three of the first round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Vancouver Canucks at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

The Dallas Stars season ended just over one week ago and since then the 2015 NHL playoffs have begun. Most fans had hoped the Stars could build on a playoff appearance from last season but it was not made to be for the 2014-2015 team. It began with a disheartening loss at home to the Chicago Blackhawks on opening night and ultimately finished with a wild 7-6 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings in mid-March. Although we may all be disappointed about how the season went, it doesn’t change the fact that the most exciting time in the NHL is in full swing. So, since our Stars aren’t competing this year, who are we hoping will hoist Lord’s Stanley Cup in June?

Here are a few suggestions of who you should and should not be cheering for right now.

Tampa Bay Lightning
-In my opinion the Tampa Bay Lightning are one of the most exciting teams to watch in the entire league. They finished atop the standings in goals for per game (3.16) and play a fast, exciting brand of hockey. They also feature former Stars captain Brenden Morrow on their fourth line. Morrow was a fan favourite with the Stars for a long time and if the Stars aren’t competing this year, all the best to Mini Mo in the pursuit of his first Cup! Aside from Morrow, the Lightning possess one of the best pure goal scorers in the league. Steven Stamkos is a top tiered goal scorer in the league who is a delight to watch on a nightly basis. His patented one timer from the right circle is a work of art that finds the back of the net more often than not. If you are a hockey fan who enjoys watching lots of highlight reel goals on a nightly basis, you should be hoping the Lightning go deep into the playoffs!

Winnipeg Jets
-From a Stars standpoint, I am currently a fan of whoever plays against Winnipeg. The Jets made the playoffs this season for this first time in a long time (Since 1996). They finished in the final wild-card spot in the Western conference with 99 points. Sound familiar? Yes, the Dallas Stars did a lot of the same things last season when they made the playoffs. Watching the current Winnipeg-Anaheim series brings about a ton of pain. The Dallas Stars were in this exact position last year and should have been again if they had only been able to nail down a few more third period leads. I strongly feel the Stars had a better and deeper team than the Jets this season, but the difference between one being in the playoffs and one not being there was goaltending. Every time I watch the Jets play in the playoffs this season I think about what could have been for the Stars. If the Jets can pull off an upset of Anaheim in the first round, what tells you the Stars would not have been capable of that if given the opportunity? Sorry Jets fans, I would hate to see you do anything but lose in four.

Ottawa Senators
-I may be a little late in writing this, as the Senators are down 3-0 in their first round series against the Montreal Canadiens, but I will continue to support the Senators as long as they last in this year’s playoffs. The Senators are one of the NHL’s best stories this season. Their current general manager, Bryan Murray, was diagnosed with colon cancer this past offseason. Despite his season-long cancer treatment schedule he remains focused on his job to make the Senators the best team possible. He accomplished one of his goals when the Senators made a miraculous late season run to make the playoffs on the last day of the regular season. Andrew Hammond stepped into the crease in early February and only lost a handful of games the rest of the way. His inspiring play and Murray’s battle with cancer galvanized the Senators and pushed them into the postseason. If that wasn’t enough, days before game one of their first round series, the Senators heard news that assistant coach Mark Reeds had passed away after a fight with cancer. The Senators have been through everything this season and still managed to make the playoffs. Before game three the Senators held a moment of silence for their fallen coach. Head coach Dave Cameron was seen crying in his hands for the duration of the tribute. Now if that doesn’t give you reason to cheer for a team this playoff season, I don’t know what will.

Don’t be that guy…
-In the end, it does not matter who you cheer for this playoff season. The Stars understand your frustration and will welcome you back to the fan base for next season. However, I have one warning for hockey fans out there when it comes to finding an alternative team. Don’t be that guy who says “I’m Canadian, I want a Canadian team to win”. Because I am Canadian myself I hear this often. If you hear this in the next few days tell your friend to take a hike. The team who has won the Stanley Cup the past four seasons has been the team who has the highest number of Canadian roster players. In these past four seasons, none of the Cup winners have been a Canadian based team. So next time your buddy says “I’m Canadian, I just want a Canadian team to win”, ask him if he means the Pittsburgh Penguins? The Penguins host the most Canadians on their roster this playoff season with 15.

Who are you currently cheering for in the playoffs? Let us know below in the comment section!