It's a dilemma.
Rangers fans can't make up their minds as to which team to support in the upcoming Stanley Cup Final Round – the defending champions Panthers or the challenging Oilers.
My buddy Bernie Rohde tells me he's going for Edmonton "because of Connor McDavid." He's the top; like sarsaparilla – or root beer.
The Maven's conscience tells me I should root for Florida because we want the Cup to remain in America.
Another pal says: "You can't root for Florida, they play dirty."
What Blueshirts Fans Need To Know About The Stanley Cup Final
<b>1.</b> There are many theories about picking the Cup winner. The easiest to remember is this: NEVER BET AGAINST THE CHAMPS!
And since when are the Oilers clean? They beat Dallas when Edmonton defenseman Darnel Nurse played woodsman and chopped down the Stars best center Roope Hintz.
Imagine if a Dallas guy cut down McDavid like that. If such a move ever was made, the province of Alberta would declare war against the state of Texas.
One buddy of mine majors in sports management. Lew King tells me he's for Florida because of the way GM Bill Zito has built his team.
"You have to admire the way Zito has constantly managed the Salary Cap while at the same time keeping his club at the top," says King. "And look what he did at the Trade Deadline, bringing in Seth Jones and Brad Marchand."
On the other hand, Marchand – Like Ken (The Rat) Linseman from another era – is hateful to many spectators who would like to wash that man right out of their hair.
"More hateful to me," seethes Moe Blanding, "are players like Sam Bennettand Matthew Tkachuk.They spend half the time running goalies and generally playing on the other side of the rulebook. They get away with way too much."
Panthers coach Paul Maurice has more admirers than ever. He thoughtfully answers all media questions and often will insert some quip that disarms even the veteran journalists.
On the other side Kris Knoblauch is fast becoming popular even outside Edmonton. He's straightforward, fair but not nearly as funny as the coach of Florida.
"The thing about Knoblauch that's so neat," says Jessica Myers, "is that he knows that he could have coached the Rangers. So they bypassed him for (Peter) Laviolette. When Kris got the Edmonton gig, he didn't go around bad-mouthing the Rangers. He thanked them for the Oilers opportunity."
What Edmonton features and Florida cannot match is star quality. No question, the Oilers own the best player in the world – McDavid – and arguably the second best in Leon Draisaitl.
That's not to say that Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart, Carter Verhaeghe or Matt Tkachuk are flubs. They are why Florida is on top but Edmonton is just the sexier team; and that's that.
Well, maybe it isn't that. There is something sexy about a goaltender like Sergei Bobrovsky and his defenseman Gustav Forsling. But I'm not sure what it is.
And speaking of goalies, there are few better stories than Edmonton native Stu Skinner who has climbed from the depths of derision to become one of the most competent of playoff-reliable puck stoppers. He's a living Dipsy-Doodle.
So, if you're a Rangers fan, who are you rooting for – The Champs or The McDavids?
My old pal Sig Demling has an interesting answer:
"I'm not rooting for either team," Demling concludes. "What I want is a seven-game series and then triple overtime. After that, may the better team win!"
Amen!