NHL Finals

Not to be outdone by Isaac, I am going to make a push for everyone to watch the Stanley Cup Finals. This was a Winter Olympic year, which means that the NHL pushed its season back again, meaning the NHL and NBA finals are taking place at about the same time. But no fear--every day features only one sport, so there is no chance that anyone who wants to watch both finals will have to choose between hockey and basketball.

The Stanley Cup finals begin tonight. A few reasons to watch:

1.) Do you complain that small market teams never get a chance? Do you gripe when the Yankees and Red Sox make the playoffs that it was expected because their payrolls are so high? Stop whining and start watching--this final is for you. The Carolina Hurricanes vs. the Edmonton Oilers. Big market, this is not.

2.) Hockey is amazing in HDTV. I think that hockey may be the most improved sport when watching on high-definition, as compared to the standard format. If you have problems following the puck or seeing the game on television, the high-def format really makes a difference.

3.) This should be a well-played series. Carolina has some great, fast forwards who can score goals, from aging superstar (who has never won a Cup) Rod Brind'Amour to soon-to-be superstar Eric Staal, with a lot of guys who can get the puck in the net and are fun to watch, including Doug Weight and Mark Recchi. On the other hand, Edmonton has arguably the best defenseman in the league at the top of his game in Chris Pronger, along with gritty two-way forwards like Michael Peca and Raffi Torres (big thanks to my Islanders for letting those two go). These games should feature some hard hits and some pretty goals.

4.) Hockey has the best tradition in sports--when the series is over, no matter how acrimonious things get, the players actually shake hands with their competitors and then each winning player gets to skate around the rink, raising the Stanley Cup above his head. I love watching the final handshake, which can get really dramatic in the rare instance that two players hate each other so intensely that they won't shake hands with each other (best exemplified by Cam Neely, who wouldn't touch Ulf Samuelsson). And no other sport has a tangible trophy that the players will pump above their heads. It's worth watching the entire series for just that moment.

5.) Hockey players are superstitious. Many won't shave at all throughout the playoffs. So by the end of the series, you have some pretty impressive beards to check out. Always good for a laugh (combine it with a mullet, and you could laugh for hours).

6.) Canada vs. USA. What does this mean? Two national anthems!

The finals start at 7:30 p.m. tonight on OLN. The rest of the schedule is here. Tune in!