'That Don't Impress Me Much': Five Songs That Define My Stanley Cup Final So Far

SUNRISE, FLA. – The Stanley Cup is a grind – just look at some of the players who are clearly battling injuries but refuse to bow out with the sport's biggest prize on the line. 

For us reporters, it's also a grind - but you have to find a way to push through. Music has always been a massive part of my life and I often get songs stuck in my head that I relate to whatever is currently going on. 

The Cup final has been no different, so here's a rundown of five songs that have defined the series for me so far (I'm not counting 'La Bamba' or any Pitbull tracks because those were pre-existing and frankly haven't gotten stuck in my head):

Note: songs contain explicit lyrics - you've been warned.

Rainbow Colors by Three 6 Mafia featuring Lil Flip: While my home base is punk and metal, I also love southern hip-hop, especially the crunk era that spawned this track by the Oscar-winning Memphis crew. My first few days in Florida featured a lot of rain and humidity (shocker), and as I walked around my hotel's neighborhood, I couldn't help but loop this dense, dank song that is also one of my favorites by the group. It didn't hurt that I had a Walgreens pharmacy (name-checked by guest rapper Lil Flip during his verse) across the street.

Let's Go by Trick Daddy featuring Lil Jon and Twista: Florida's own Trick Daddy was blasting out of a fan's stereo during a Game 1 tailgate as I walked into the arena and this high-energy track truly put me in the mood for the Cup final opener. The fact the song samples metal icon Ozzy Osbourne certainly puts it in my good graces, too.

Cenotaph by Bolt Thrower: My favorite song by the legendary British war-metal band got a bunch of plays while I was writing in Florida, and while nothing in particular spawned it, I just feel like Cenotaph's driving nature makes it a great pump-up song. And yes, writers need pump-up songs, too - I'm not just handing that over to the jocks.

We Love the Dead by Electric Wizard: This burrowed its way into my subconsciousness as the Oilers went down 3-0 in the series in Edmonton. Electric Wizard is a fantastic stoner-metal band from England and they lean into the darker themes of the genre to, at times, comical levels. The Oilers pretty much seemed dead at the time, but their fans never wavered in their support. It's a long track, but stick around for the lead guitar work at the end. The payoff is worth it.

That Don't Impress Me Much by Shania Twain: I hate country music as much as I scorn jazz (just play tech-metal so someone else can enjoy it), but Shania Twain has undoubtedly put her stamp on this series already. Her pre-game concert before Game 4 in Edmonton may have been the cosmic turning point, as the Oilers haven't lost since the Canadian icon played and obviously she's massive in country-mad Alberta. The Oilers clearly aren't impressed by the Panthers anymore and the track is an earworm that even a snob like me cannot deny.