Best (Hockey) Time of the Year

This is the best time of the year. Okay, well, maybe I've overstated that. The holidays are the best time of the year. But this is right up there. It's the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and even though my LA Kings have missed the playoffs, again, I love the excitement the post-season offers. There are several other teams I enjoy following: Anaheim Ducks, New Jersey Devils, San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks, and New York Islanders.

As I write this, the Blues-Canucks game is on in the background (2nd intermission, 2-1 Canucks), and I'm about to head over to NHL.com to catch up on the matchups. (Did the Ducks make the playoffs? I'm a little out of touch, I guess. I'll have to check.)

My pick for the Stanley Cup? I haven't followed the other teams much (i.e. at all) this year, so a blind guess is the San Jose Sharks. But one thing I love about the NHL is that any team can pull it off in the playoffs. So your guess is as good as mine.