Recently, my friends and family have begun to make jabs at me every time I wear this huge, ugly beanie when the Penguins play. They laugh at all the "superstitions" I have as I wear the hat that I bought the last time my favorite hockey team won the Stanley Cup. No matter what I am doing or where I am, I always make sure that I am home in time to hurry up and change, throw on my over-sized jersey that I have had since I was a little kid and put on my ugly beanie before sitting down on the right side of the couch to watch the game.There is something truly amazing about playoff hockey, especially this season, for a variety of reasons:
1. The Pittsburgh Penguins
First of all, it's great when your favorite team makes it into the playoffs. However, it is even better when they come from behind as an underdog to make it into the Stanley Cup finals. This year is even better for me because my team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, has made it into the finals. The last time the Penguins won the Cup was in 2009, and hopefully they will be able to bring it home again.
2. Superstitions
Even though I have my own superstitions, there are many others whose rituals are much more bizarre than mine. From drinking Diet Coke to being the last one on the ice, hockey players hold onto anything that they believe will give them any type of edge over their opponent. My favorite of these superstitions are the "playoff beards." (And may I say, the beards are really coming in nicely this year.)
3. Hometown Pride
There is always a sort of hometown pride whenever any sports team advances further into the season. Lately, I have seen people wearing their jerseys out in public, something they would not usually dare to do during the regular season. You begin to form a connection with others around you who share in the love you have for this game. Hometown pride runs rampant when teams hit the playoffs and the air of playoff excitement runs through fans.
4. The Rookies
Each year in the playoffs, young rookie players rise to the occasion and make great contributions to their teams. This year the rookie Penguins players did not disappoint. Matthew Murray stepped up after the injury of Marc-Andre Fleury to become the goaltender for the team. Murray has done an amazing job, making countless saves to bring the Penguins into the finals. Bryan Rust is another rookie who has done amazing things for the Penguins. Rust scored two goals in the last game of the series versus the Tampa Bay Lightning in which the Penguins won 3-2. Along with Rust, rookie Conor Sheary has accomplished some impressive feats on the ice. Sheary and Rust both scored in the firs period of Game 1 of the finals to lead the Penguins to a win. Sheary also scored in overtime of Game 2 for a Penguins win. The rookies for the Penguins have accomplished amazing feats, making it possible for their team to be in the Stanley Cup finals.
5. Larger than Life Players
The Stanley Cup Finals lend itself to allow for heroes to emerge. When the Penguins won the Cup in 2009, Sidney Crosby and Marc-Andre Fleury emerged victorious. Who will be the heroes this year? So far, a variety of players have contributed to the success the team is experiencing. Hockey lets larger than life personalities emerge, allowing players and teams to rise above to live in fame forever.
I will tune in with the rest of fans to watch the rest of the Finals series. I will put on my lucky hat and jersey, sit on the right side of the couch and cheer my team on as they race for the Cup.
