The NHL regular season is beginning to wind down, however, for many fans, the real action is just starting. The Stanley Cup Playoffs have officially begun, and a total of 16 teams are ready for puck drop in the opening round.

Despite 50 percent of the league advancing into the first round, the Bay Area’s local hockey team, the San Jose Sharks, weren’t able to clinch a spot in the playoffs. Sophomore Charlie Giller expressed his family’s disappointment with the outcome stating “we’re really frustrated, it was really not a happy ending for us.”

Other students around campus have conveyed their excitement however as they root for teams outside of the Bay Area. Junior, Garrett Graham claimed that the “[Florida] Panthers are his ride or die team… watching them achieve the best overall record in the NHL gave me a great feeling. I’m 625 percent confident they’ll go on to win the [Stanley] Cup.”

Constantly seen around school sporting his Montreal Canadiens jersey, freshman, Nick Cope was “ready to give up on everything” when he came to the realization that his favourite team achieved the worst record in the entire NHL. “I’m just done man, I can’t take it anymore, the Canadiens make me dislike everything about sports and life… I’m going to stop even watching sports now… I’m devastated.”

The tournament bracket comes to a close in June when one winner will be crowned with the Stanley Cup Trophy, the ultimate feat for an NHL team.