OT: Your SECOND favorite NHL team?

[Hunn]

I have a soft spot for the Bruins since the days of their painful rebuild, 2006-2011.

The Islanders btw might be on the same path the Bruins were 12 years ago. Consider:

1. Abomination of a GM – check,
2. Young inexperienced coach – check,
3. Losing the captain, "the face of the franchise", aka JT, for virtually nothing – probably,
4. Still there are pieces to build around (Bergeron) – Barzal,
5. And hopefully, a new GM can lure a defenseman out of Ottawa – .

I know the comparison is kind of forced, but I want to believe in 2023, why not?

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Due to my "masochistic" tendencies (I'm Isles fan after all), I also closely followed Chicago during their dark days and Carolina before their cup.

When I lived in the US, Phoenix/Arizona was the closest NHL team geographically, and they were all but certain to move at that time, so I cheered for them as well.

Right now, besides the Bruins, I will cheer for the Jets and Predators in the upcoming "Isles-less" playoffs. It should be exciting.

 

[danteipp]

At least someone has some sense in this thread. This whole thread is terrible. There is no such thing as a "second team" in your favorite sport. For my second and third sports, there might be a second team I kind of like, but in hockey its the Islanders or no one. There will be teams I root against or different ones I pick to root for in the playoffs each year if we are not there, but there is no second team. And if there was, it certainly would not be the ****ing Devils. After the way their fans were talking about us earlier this season, I cannot wait to see the completion of their collapse. They have been just as bad as us the past month or so.

Ah, so there is some of the disconnect. I am a big hockey fan and, despite their best efforts to annoy me, football (both NFL and college) and baseball still come before hockey for me. It is getting closer and closer, especially given the Mets ownership situation, but hockey still trails them a bit. Especially since I play fantasy football and baseball and tend to make some nice $$$.

 

[dlawong]

2nd favorite team is leafs beause of their exciting young players and their great coach/GM team.

Next are in no particular orders (Teams easy to cheer for and exciting teams not yet won a Cup recently):
Jets, SJ, Tampa, Nashville, Vegas

Next (teams I can cheer for):
Canucks, Oilers, NJ, Pathers, Flyers and Avs

Next (teams I somewhat like):
Ducks, Blues, Kings

Next:
All other teams in non Metro divisions (do not care for or dislike)

Definitely not so much:
All other Metro teams because they either have won Cups too many time or have been tough to play against for the Isles physically.

Last:
Rangers just because they get all the top UFA wanting to play in the NYC area and their fans always showed up in big numbers to cheer against the home team at Isles home rink.

 

[HajdukSplit]

Nashville, even before the became "hip"

 

[bobilly45]

Islanders

 

[BrockLobster]

not really anyone, i just enjoy watching hockey....i suppose anyone playing the rangers

This is my answer too.

 

[Bood12]

A tie between whoever is playing the Leafs and the Rangers, and if Tavares is going to go to the Leafs their opponent is going to be my 2nd favorite team

 

[MattMartin]

Islanders and whoever plays Washington, Pittsburgh, Rangers, and Sabres.

 

[PWJunior]

Islanders and whoever plays Washington, Pittsburgh, Rangers, and Sabres.

Add Toronto to the mix.

 

[MattMartin]

Add Toronto to the mix.

Funny, I took them out.

 

[Quickdraw2828]

None. Supporting 2 teams is like cheating on your wife.

Agreed

Blackhawks

 

[MarsTBOW]

Mine was the Maple Creeps until Darcy ManTucker took out Peca's Knee

 

[bioman22]

Ever since Jimmy Devellano left the Islanders I had one eye on the Red Wings.

Geez I miss Jimmy.

Me as well. Then I really ran with two favorites for a while with Detroit having Yzerman and then Yzerman-Federov. God what joy to watch live!

 

[Quickdraw2828]

I can't help but pull for Winnipeg after they had their team taken away . They didn't deserve that. Devistated a lot of good fans. If weren't in a big TV market it would have happened to us too.

 

[Lights911]

If I had to choose a second team it would be the Blackhawks. I’m a really big Patrick Kane fan and I really like their jerseys.

 

[YearlyLottery]

I saw this and thought Darth was back. Now I'm sad.

 

[xECK29x]

Avs in the West. Patrick Roy was my favorite player growing up and I had a sweet Avalanche poster with Sakic, Forsberg and Roy in my room. Will never forget seeing Ray Bourque win and lift that cup!

In the East I do have a soft spot for the Leafs, no idea why. I did like Gilmour, Sundin, Potvin and CuJo.

 

[doublechili]

Quebec.

 

[Quicklime]

Just moved from Austin to Denver, and Claude Lemieux was always the “better Lemieux” to me since I can’t stand Pittsburgh.

Avalanche all the way.

 

[sabremike]

Sad to say you guys are no longer my second fave. After seeing their awful fans clog up this board with their crap my new second fave is "Whomever is playing the Leafs".

 

[sabremike]

Just moved from Austin to Denver, and Claude Lemieux was always the “better Lemieux” to me since I can’t stand Pittsburgh.

Avalanche all the way.

Claude Lemieux scored the goal that not only destroyed my childhood but that lead to my eternal pain and misery: the game 7 OT winner vs my Whalers in the 86 Adams Division Final. If the Whalers had won that game they would've beat both the rags and Flames and won the cup. And if they had won a cup they would never have died. Someone can drop a piano on Claude like in one of those old cartoons.

 

[Doshell Propivo]

Claude Lemieux scored the goal that not only destroyed my childhood but that lead to my eternal pain and misery: the game 7 OT winner vs my Whalers in the 86 Adams Division Final. If the Whalers had won that game they would've beat both the rags and Flames and won the cup. And if they had won a cup they would never have died. Someone can drop a piano on Claude like in one of those old cartoons.

If we're going to play "woulda shoulda" for those playoffs then let's remember that the Flames were handed a gift by the Oilers. If not for that own goal, Edmonton most likely wins the cup.

Don't mean to diminish you losing your team. That sucks.

 

[IslandersFan17]

Sabres. Mainly because I am a die hard Bills fan and I feel for certain contingency of their Sabres fan base.

Despite the perception, there are actually a lot of really good folks in Buffalo.

 

[sabremike]

If we're going to play "woulda shoulda" for those playoffs then let's remember that the Flames were handed a gift by the Oilers. If not for that own goal, Edmonton most likely wins the cup.

Don't mean to diminish you losing your team. That sucks.

Thanks for reminding me of the Oilers and how they got Gretzky because Howard Baldwin was the main guy in the merger talks and the Whalers couldn't sign him despite being the league's flagship team and risk pissing off the NHL. There's a "woulda shoulda" for you that very few people know.

 

[PDCIslander41]

The Canucks. Hometown.