Parity is rarely a word that has been used to describe the National Hockey League playoffs in recent years.
The past two Stanley Cup Finals have pitted the Detroit Red Wings against the Pittsburgh Penguins, so it hasn’t been real exciting if you aren’t a fan of those teams.
But this season’s playoffs have a vastly different feel to them.
The race to the Cup is clearly up for grabs. Teams such as Washington, San Jose, Chicago and New Jersey (the top four teams in the league) all lost the first game in their opening series.
The Red Wings have long been the standard-bearer for hockey, an annual powerhouse whose fans aren’t satisfied unless the Cup is being hoisted around “Hockeytown.”
But even mighty Detroit has been tested by the upstart Phoenix Coyotes, who seem to gain more and more fans as they win.
The Stanley Cup is wide open this year. While I believe the eventual champion will come from the Western Conference (sorry, Capitals fans), picking that winner is as tough as ever.
At this point, any of the eight teams from the West have a shot at advancing to play for the Cup.
And it’s the way hockey should be.
