It\u2019s playoff time. For half the league\u2019s fan bases, that means you already know what to do: lie on the floor, rocking in the fetal position and hating everything in the world. Rinse and repeat, for roughly two to eight weeks.<\/p>\n
The other half of us are jealous of you. That\u2019s why some of us might be thinking about crossing a very controversial line and hopping on the bandwagon of one of the playoff teams. Just a temporary fling, you know how it goes. Some of you would never consider it, of course. But if you would, you should at least choose wisely.<\/p>\n
This year, it\u2019s an easy choice: You should bandwagon the Buffalo Sabres.<\/p>\n
Seriously, we\u2019ve already been through this. The Sabres might be the single best bandwagon story of all time<\/a>, and when we asked their fans if they\u2019d be OK with some outside support, they gave us an enthusiastic thumbs up. So it\u2019s settled. This year\u2019s bandwagon team is the Sabres, and we don\u2019t need the annual guide to everyone else.<\/p>\n Unless \u2026 I mean, if everyone is bandwagoning the Sabres, isn\u2019t that a reason to maybe look elsewhere? After all, we\u2019re hockey fans \u2014 we can\u2019t ever agree on anything. Not unanimously. That\u2019s just not how this works.<\/p>\n So be it resolved: This year\u2019s best bandwagon team is the Sabres. But we\u2019re still going to do the annual guide, just in case anyone out there is feeling a bit contrarian. Buffalo takes top spot, for all the reasons we laid out a few weeks ago. Today\u2019s list is for the other 15 slots on the list.<\/p>\n As always, we want a team that has a semi-realistic chance of winning it all, because it\u2019s no fun bandwagoning a team that\u2019s gone after a week. But we\u2019d also prefer not to be too transparent about just taking the best team, because that will get you accused of front-running. We\u2019d prefer a likable team, ideally with a fan base we can tolerate. Some fun stories always help. And of course, it\u2019s harder to root for anyone with a recent Stanley Cup win.<\/p>\n Most years, we begin the list with the previous year\u2019s winner, because nobody wants to bandwagon the defending champs. We don\u2019t get that easy start this year because the Florida Panthers decided to skip the playoffs for a change. But that doesn\u2019t mean there aren\u2019t any options that stand out as poor choices, so let\u2019s dive in \u2026<\/p>\n 15. Tampa Bay Lightning<\/p>\n Why you should get on board: They\u2019re an extremely good team with a reasonably strong chance of winning a few rounds, and maybe the whole thing. They have Jon Cooper, who\u2019s always fun, and everyone should get to enjoy the experience of rooting for Nikita Kucherov at some point in their lives.<\/p>\n Why you shouldn\u2019t: There are three huge problems with picking the Lightning. For one, they have multiple recent-ish Cup wins, so it feels like a front-runner pick. Two, they\u2019re a team that tiptoes up to the line of being dirty fairly often, and might occasionally step over it, so eventually you\u2019re going to be halfheartedly trying to defend something everyone else is mad about. And finally, their path out of the Atlantic is going to involve beating some hugely likable young teams. Is that really what you want to be rooting for?<\/p>\n Bottom line: There\u2019s a certain appeal here, in the same way that it can be fun to go to the wrestling show and cheer for all the villains. Just know what you\u2019re getting yourself into.<\/p>\n 14. Vegas Golden Knights<\/p>\n Why you should get on board: It\u2019s a good roster that\u2019s been built through the sort of aggressive, take-no-prisoners approach you only wish your team wasn\u2019t too scared to try. They\u2019ve got as good a shot as anyone to win the Pacific, but with only 95 points, you\u2019re not exactly picking a powerhouse.<\/p>\n Why you shouldn\u2019t: You\u2019re signing up for John Tortorella and Kelly McCrimmon and no goaltending and the Mitch Marner playoff experience, while implicitly supporting a fan base that\u2019s never suffered through any real on-ice hardship. Come on.<\/p>\n Bottom line: Vegas the bandwagon team is a lot like Vegas the city \u2014 lots of fun for a weekend, but you\u2019ll start to hate yourself if you stay too long.<\/p>\n 13. Colorado Avalanche<\/p>\n Why you should get on board: They\u2019re a fantastic team with a ton of fun talent, plus it\u2019s always good to root for Gabriel Landeskog. And despite having 121 points, they\u2019re in the league\u2019s toughest division, so their path out of the first two rounds is a tough one. When you think about it, that means they might not even really count as a front-runner pick.<\/p>\n Why you shouldn\u2019t: Come on, they\u2019ve been in first place all year. This is definitely a front-runner pick, and you\u2019ll get no respect for following along if they end up winning.<\/p>\n Bottom line: Also, if you bandwagon the Avs, then you\u2019re only allowed to eat chickpea pasta and drink beet juice<\/a> for the entire playoffs.<\/p>\n 12. Boston Bruins<\/p>\n Why you should get on board: Written off a year ago, they skipped the whole \u201cfive-year rebuild\u201d thing we all agreed they needed and jumped right back into the playoffs. David Pastrnak is fun. Jeremy Swayman is good enough to win a series or two if he heats up. And as a bonus, this is your first chance in nearly two decades to bandwagon a Bruins playoff run without getting Brad Marchand stench all over you.<\/p>\n Why you shouldn\u2019t: Most years, this edition of the Bruins would rank higher. But this season is unusually stacked with underdog stories, so picking one from the city that already gets to play for a major championship every few years feels like a stretch.<\/p>\n Bottom line: Also, they\u2019re playing the Sabres in round one. And you love the Sabres.<\/p>\n 11. Los Angeles Kings<\/p>\n Why you should get on board: They\u2019re another underdog, one that was playing poorly enough at one point to get their coach fired. But they got rolling down the stretch and now enter the playoffs with some momentum. Plus, it\u2019s your last chance to cheer for Anze Kopitar, who rules.<\/p>\n Why you shouldn\u2019t: They\u2019re going to get absolutely destroyed in Round 1.<\/p>\n Bottom line: I mean, you\u2019d certainly earn some bandwagon cred by getting in early if they did go on a run. But that feels so unlikely that I just can\u2019t put them in the top ten.<\/p>\n 10. Philadelphia Flyers<\/p>\n Why you should get on board: They\u2019re another one of this year\u2019s big surprises, and they wear the underdog role well. It took a while, but Rick Tocchet has them locked into a Flyers identity<\/a>, and they\u2019ve got the vibe of a team that could be an unexpectedly tough out.<\/p>\n Why you shouldn\u2019t: Even given the amount of Penguins fatigue out there, rooting against Sidney Crosby and friends in what could be their final run will be tough for a lot of fans. And realistically, the Flyers aren\u2019t winning the Cup this year.<\/p>\n Bottom line: Like the Bruins, the Flyers are a story that would be hard to resist most years, but that gets a little bit lost in the clutter of this one.<\/p>\n 9. Dallas Stars<\/p>\n Why you should get on board: They\u2019re probably the second-best team in the league, but because they\u2019re stuck in a division with the Avs they get to pretend to be underdogs. Put it this way, you may never get a chance to bandwagon a better team that didn\u2019t finish first in anything. Their Cup chances are very legitimate, and they\u2019re plenty of fun to watch.<\/p>\n Why you shouldn\u2019t: They\u2019re navigating some tough injury luck heading into the playoffs, and a first-round loss is absolutely possible.<\/p>\n Bottom line: The Stars have been a popular pick in this feature for years, but I\u2019m not sure this is the season to ride with them. Put it this way: Do you really want to jump on board with a 112-point team that might only last a round?<\/p>\n 8. Edmonton Oilers<\/p>\n Why you should get on board: For the same reason we list for this team year after year \u2014 every fan deserves to cheer for the Connor McDavid experience at least once in their life. As a bonus, if you decide to latch onto the Oilers, you\u2019re pretty much guaranteed to see a ton of goals.<\/p>\n Also, if McDavid wins a Cup here, he\u2019ll finally feel justified to leave Edmonton, which means he\u2019ll almost certainly land with your favorite team.<\/p>\n Why you shouldn\u2019t: The Leon Draisaitl injury situation makes their early prospects at least a bit shaky, although they should be able to beat the Ducks without him. Still, after back-to-back conference titles, this pick feels a little front-runny.<\/p>\n Also, if McDavid can\u2019t win a Cup here, he\u2019ll finally feel justified to leave Edmonton, which means he\u2019ll almost certainly sign with your favorite team.<\/p>\n Bottom line: There\u2019s also the whole Canadian Stanley Cup drough<\/a>t thing, which you may or may not care about<\/a>.<\/p>\n 7. Pittsburgh Penguins<\/p>\n Why you should get on board: Because, despite being widely assumed to be the only team that was openly tanking from October, they made the playoffs with room to spare. And more importantly, this might be your last chance to root for a Sidney Crosby playoff run. Mix in a very winnable first-round matchup, and there\u2019s room to believe that we could get some real magic out of this team. If so, you\u2019ll want to have been on the bandwagon early.<\/p>\n Why you shouldn\u2019t: It\u2019s still the Penguins, home of five Stanley Cups and several of the greatest players in the sport\u2019s history. It\u2019s OK to say you\u2019re jealous.<\/p>\n Bottom line: You\u2019ve hated them before. Can you get past that now? Not everyone can, and that\u2019s understandable. But if you could ever get on board, now is the time.<\/p>\n 6. Minnesota Wild<\/p>\n Why you should get on board: The Wild are in a weird spot thanks to the playoff format, having firmly established themselves as one of the league\u2019s best teams and yet facing life without home ice advantage through the first two rounds. That\u2019s tough, but if you like the idea of nailing an underdog pick, this is about the best chance you\u2019ll have.<\/p>\n Beyond that, they\u2019re a fun team built around Kirill Kaprizov and Quinn Hughes. And remember, they acquired Hughes in the sort of midseason blockbuster that\u2019s almost extinct, so a Wild championship would put some pressure on the league\u2019s boring GMs to start doing their jobs.<\/p>\n Why you shouldn\u2019t: Not everyone wants to root for Bill Guerin these days, which is fair enough<\/a>. Also, that whole thing where nobody is actually picking them to win the Central.<\/p>\n Bottom line: They\u2019re a pretty good pick. And as a bonus, you can become one of those fans who make complaining about the playoff format your whole personality.<\/p>\n 5. Ottawa Senators<\/p>\n Why you should get on board: They\u2019re yet another Eastern underdog, but this one has real teeth. Now that Linus Ullmark seems to have rediscovered his game, there aren\u2019t any major weaknesses here<\/a>. A win over the Hurricanes would be an upset, sure, but hardly a shocking one, and after that, who knows how far a run could go? If it happens, everyone will say that they saw it coming, but your stamped bandwagon ticket will prove it.<\/p>\n Why you shouldn\u2019t: You know when Brady Tkachuk does something especially Tkachuk-y, and Sens fans have to pretend to defend it through gritted teeth while looking like they want to swallow their own tongue? You\u2019re signing up for that.<\/p>\n Bottom line: They\u2019re a solid top-five choice.<\/p>\n 4. Anaheim Ducks<\/p>\n Why you should get on board: They\u2019re young and all sorts of fun. They score a lot and give up even more. And nobody on the planet thought they\u2019d even make the playoffs, unless you were some sort of super genius<\/a>. Now they\u2019re not only here, but they also have a puncher\u2019s shot at winning a weak Pacific.<\/p>\n Why you shouldn\u2019t: Joel Quenneville will be a non-starter for many, for obvious reasons<\/a>. Beyond that, while they could win a round or two, an actual Cup run feels exceedingly unlikely.<\/p>\n Bottom line: They\u2019re also apparently very mean to the league\u2019s agents<\/a>, and we\u2019ll leave it to you to decide if that\u2019s a plus or a minus.<\/p>\n 3. Carolina Hurricanes<\/p>\n Why you should get on board: In a season where nothing in the East has made any sense, the Hurricanes are the exception \u2014 the conference\u2019s Ol\u2019 Reliable, sitting at the top of the standings and heading into the playoffs as trendy Cup picks, just like they do every year.<\/p>\n Why you shouldn\u2019t: Uh, yeah, about that \u201cevery year\u201d thing \u2026 it also involves collapsing in the playoffs. Not early, mind you, so you can probably expect to see them win at least a round or two. But after that, things typically get dicey.<\/p>\n Bottom line: Honestly, I like this pick a lot. It might not be sexy, in that you\u2019re not pinpointing the league\u2019s next big thing. But in a year where everyone will be trying to do that, there\u2019s a certain appeal in just going with a favorite \u2014 especially when it has not broken through in a while, so you\u2019re not just chasing past glory.<\/p>\n 2. Utah Mammoth<\/p>\n Why you should get on board: The league\u2019s newest team, sort of, comes into its first postseason with a ton of potential. They\u2019re a good team with a clear path to postseason success through the dreary Pacific, and we should all want that so we finally get to see a team win a division they\u2019re not even in. They have a weird Zamboni<\/a>, which \u2026 sure, why not. They\u2019re playing the Golden Knights, who are easy to root against, and will have a very good shot at pulling off an \u201cupset\u201d that wouldn\u2019t really surprise anyone. And their new and still developing fan base wouldn\u2019t get all weird about having some temporary support.<\/p>\n Also: They did it<\/a>.<\/p>\n Why you shouldn\u2019t: It\u2019s hard to see them going further than the conference final unless everything broke just right, and they should have gone with the plural Mammoths. Other than that, I\u2019m not coming up with much.<\/p>\n Bottom line: This is the part where you\u2019re realizing which team is left, and trust me, I\u2019m not any happier about it than you are.<\/p>\n 1. Montreal Canadiens<\/p>\n Why you should get on board: As much as I hate to admit it, there may not be a team in the league that\u2019s been as much fun this year, especially over the past few weeks. From Cole Caufield to Nick Suzuki to Martin St. Louis, this is an almost embarrassingly rootable collection of personalities. Even Brendan Gallagher is quasi-likable these days<\/a>. They haven\u2019t won a Cup in decades, but the history is there, the building will be rocking, and we know this franchise can pull the occasional playoff run out of nowhere. If it happens this year, they\u2019re going to be undeniable.<\/p>\n Why you shouldn\u2019t: I say this with love, but there isn\u2019t a fan base in the league that\u2019s further up their own behinds than this one, which can make it tough for a bandwagon fan to fit in. But even that doesn\u2019t feel like as much of an issue these days as it has been in the past, so you can probably overlook it. Just don\u2019t suggest that anyone might be better than Lane Hutson or mention the overrated hot dogs, and you\u2019ll be fine.<\/p>\n Bottom line: Can they beat the Lightning? Sure. Will they? It\u2019s dicey, so you\u2019re taking a risk here. Will you have fun rooting against Nikita Kucherov, one of the most underrated villains in the league? You absolutely will. So do it. Cheer for the Montreal Canadiens.<\/p>\n (Until the second round, when we should all want them to get swept by the Sabres.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s playoff time. 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