This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Point Park chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.
The snow has melted, the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and the 82 game regular season has come to an end. It’s time for playoff hockey.
This is the most desired and cherished time in a hockey fans life. If you are lucky enough to have your favorite team in the running for the Stanley Cup, chances are you will be completely on over-drive for the next few weeks.
Here in Pittsburgh, hockey is so much more than just a sport to its fans…it’s a lifestyle. Fans of the Pittsburgh Penguins will plan their lives over the coming weeks around when the Pens will play. This year is no different; the Pens are set to play the New York Rangers in a best of 4 series beginning this Thursday evening in New York City in hopes of coming out on top and advancing to the Eastern Conference Semi Finals.
Us Pens fans are very fortunate to have some of the top players in the league on our roster in addition to have some of the top players of all time working behind the scenes for the organization. Since the acquisition of Sidney Crosby back in ’05, the Penguins have made it to the post season 9 out of the 10 seasons he’s been here.
You must win at least 16 games out of a potential 28 games to win the coveted Stanley Cup. It could take two months of constant physical play just to hoist a 35-pound trophy. But for professional hockey players, that is priceless. The tears, the injuries, the dehydration, the over time play, the traveling, the exhaustion, the fear, and the anxiety are nothing once they lift that cup for the first time.
As for the diehard fans, chances are you find yourself feeling the same way as your favorite men on ice skates. You’ll cry, you’ll scream, you’ll throw inanimate objects, and do your best to try to function the next day after staying up well past midnight to show your support for your boys. The anxiety one feels during a game 7 or potential clincher is beyond anything you will ever experience.
If your team is lucky enough to play until June, it doesn’t matter how emotionally and physically drained you are; watching your favorite team huddle around Lord Stanley after just winning the title of Stanley Cup Champions is priceless.