RALEIGH, NC -- Here's the second part to my 'If You Like This Team..." series! Same rules apply, and sound off in the comments if you agree or have other ideas!
If you like the LA Kings, you might like... the Pittsburgh Penguins!
- This one was actually one of the first ones I thought of--the teams seem to kind of be two sides of the same coin. Both teams have a clear winning culture in the past ten or so years (the Penguins have won the Cup in 2009/2016/2017, and the Kings won in 2012/2014), and because of that, most fans don't like either team, or are just sick of seeing them win. However, both teams are also kind of struggling with older core groups of players, and both are likely going to start rebuilding a little over the summer. Even though the Penguins made it to the playoffs this season, with a sweep by the New York Islanders, it's clear something's not quite right with that team, and it'll be interesting to see what the organization decides to do. Though the Kings were much lower in the standings, they're in a similar boat.
If you like the Minnesota Wild, you might like... the New York Rangers!
- This one feels a little like a stretch, but I think it works. Like the Rangers, the Wild feature a lot of American players, namely Zach Parise and Ryan Suter (and the Rangers with Brady Skjei, Jimmy Vesey and Chris Kreider). Both teams are slower, grinding-type of teams that can slow down games and win without scoring a whole lot of goals--speaking of, both teams also boast goaltenders that are franchise players in Devan Dubnyk (Wild) and Henrik Lundqvist (Rangers). While the Wild haven't outright said it, the organization has hinted that they'd be willing to trade away fan favorites (like Charlie Coyle, who was traded to the Boston Bruins, or Nino Niederreiter to the Carolina Hurricanes), and it seems like they're starting to maybe look at rebuilding like the Rangers are.
If you like the Nashville Predators, you might like... the New York Islanders!
- This one's another bit of a stretch, but I think it works fine. Both fandoms are loud and proud, and if you listen to a game, you'll hear some quite creative chants and cheers from each team's fans. Both teams also rely on usually outstanding starting goalies, with the Predators hanging onto Pekka Rinne and the Islanders relying on Robin Lehner. The two teams also feature a colorful cast of characters that put on a show at every game, making both teams fun and exciting to watch on and off the ice.
If you like the San Jose Sharks, you might like... the Boston Bruins!
- This one is probably one of my favorites, and I actually found way more similarities than I thought I would. First, we'll start with Joe Thornton, who's played for both teams, and while he hasn't played for the Bruins since 2005, Bruins fans still think incredibly highly of him. The two teams always seem to be battling right to the bitter end, but haven't come up with the Cup--the Bruins haven't won since 2011, and the Sharks have never won it. Both teams are generally regarded year-to-year as two of the strongest teams in their respective divisions, and they're well-regarded around the league. And, it'd be remiss to talk about either of these teams without talking about their similar core group of players, with Thornton, Joe Pavelski, Brent Burns and Martin Jones on the Sharks, and Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara, Brad Marchand and Tuukka Rask on the Bruins.
If you like the St. Louis Blues, you might like... the Philadelphia Flyers!
- These two teams are some of the scrappiest in the league, but they also both have some stellar talent in Vladimir Tarasenko for the Blues and Claude Giroux for the Flyers. Both teams are kind of streaky, and aren't entirely consistent year to year--one year they go on a tear, the next, they're sitting at home during the playoffs. Both teams boast young goaltenders in Jordan Binnington (Blues) and Carter Hart (Flyers) that are promising and provide fans with a great sense of hope for the future as well.
If you like the Vancouver Canucks, you might like... the Buffalo Sabres!
- These two teams rely on their young guns to get the job done, and for the most part, they did this season even if they didn't get the result they wanted. The most striking similarity between these two teams is the way their future cores are set up--both teams have an American (Brock Boeser for the Canucks and Jack Eichel for the Sabres), a Canadian (Bo Horvat for the Canucks and Jeff Skinner for the Sabres), and a Swede (Elias Pettersson for the Canucks and Rasmus Dahlin for the Sabres). They also both feature goaltending tandems that have had flashes of success, but haven't quite figured it all out. If you're looking for young teams, these two are going to be two of your best bets.
If you like the Vegas Golden Knights, you might like... the Columbus Blue Jackets!
- This is a super fun one--they have a lot of similarities in the way the teams are run, and how they play on the ice. First, both teams are ones that you should be following on social media, whether your a fan of the team or not. Their social media teams are some of the greatest, and they're hilarious when the two teams play each other. They're also both the newest teams in their respective conferences, and I genuinely think that breeds fun. Both teams feature players that in years past have flown under the radar but are now superstars--like Nick Foligno, Cam Atkinson and Seth Jones for the Blue Jackets and Jonathan Marchessault, William Karlsson and Nate Schmidt for the Golden Knights. Goaltending is another pattern here, and both teams have typically stellar goaltending in Marc-Andre Fleury for the Golden Knights and Sergei Bobrovsky for the Blue Jackets. Two fun teams for sure!
If you like the Winnipeg Jets, you might like... the Montreal Canadiens!
- This one was a little tricky and I'm a little hesitant to post it since I know most Canadian teams hate each other, but I feel like it's a good comparison nonetheless. Like I said, both teams are Canadian teams, and I think both of them are solid teams that can make a push for the playoffs each year. Both teams have a load of franchise players that will likely finish their careers in their respective teams, which is definitely something to applaud and be excited about. They both have strong, veteran goaltenders in Connor Hellebyuck for the Jets and Carey Price for the Canadiens. Additionally, they each have a Finnish player that's shaping up to be a franchise player--Patrik Laine for the Jets and Jesper Kotkaniemi for the Canadiens.
There are all of the comparisons! Let me know what you think--do you have better fits for certain teams? I'd be super curious to see what you guys think and who you think are similar teams in the league.
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