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Five Reasons Why Anaheim Ducks Fans Should Want the Devils to Beat L.A.

June 1, 2012, 1:38 AM ET [50 Comments]
Steve Palumbo
San Jose Sharks Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
If you are a die hard Anaheim Ducks fan you have to be pulling your hair out every time somebody turns on the TV or radio and some local news or radio show is singing the praises of the hated LA Kings.

From the first time Scott Niedermayer lifted the 35 lb Holy Grail of hockey above his head and on, Anaheim fans have taken great pleasure in reminding Kings fans who won the states first Cup. Now the Kings are just three wins away from joining the Ducks as a Southern California team with hockey's most glorious and coveted prize, the Stanley Cup.

You don't want that to happen, do you?

So why not root for the New Jersey Devils? I know a few Ducks fans that want a team from the West to win, but the Kings? That's almost like wishing your girlfriend would leave you to date the guy that has picked on you since grade school. It makes no sense.

So I'm here to remind those fans on the fence why the Devils are worthy of your support.

5. The Devils and Ducks have always worked well together. In fact they have completed several good trades for both clubs. The Jeff Friesen/Oleg Tverdovsky for Petr Sykora trade helped both teams reach the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals. Sykora became a fan favorite with the Mighty Ducks. He's gone full circle after earning a spot of the 2012 Devils after an exceptional preseason tryout. Current Ducks Sheldon Brookbank and Rod Pelley are just a few of the names that have been dealt to Anaheim from New Jersey in recent years.

4. Ryan Carter plays on the Devils surprisingly good fourth line. Besides Martin Brodeur, Patrik Elias and Petr Sykora, he is the only other player on the team to win a Stanley Cup. He won that Cup as a member of the Anaheim Ducks in 2007.

3. The Scott and Rob Niedermayer factor. Scott left the Devils via free-agency to play with his brother Rob in Anaheim. Scott went on to become the Ducks captain and well, the rest as they say is history. Rob later left the Ducks and joined the Devils. It's well documented that NJ tried to get Rob before Scott left as a way to keep him in a Devils uniform. Had they been able to pull that off, Anaheim may never had won that Cup. Scott is still very much a part of the Ducks and Devils family, in fact New Jersey retired him number 27 earlier this season.

2. Yes, the Devils did beat the Ducks in 2003 and despite three shutouts of his own in the Finals Martin Brodeur was denied the Conn Smythe. Instead the playoff MVP went to J.S. Giguere. Consider this a make-up call.

1. The number one reason to root for the Devils if you're a Ducks fan? Because if they don't win, the Kings will and next season will be almost unbearable, especially when the Ducks and Kings go head-to-head. Can you imagine all the fake Stanley Cups Kings fans will smuggle into the Honda Center? Shivers.


Let's hope the Devils do what the Ducks couldn't this season, keep the Kings consecutive Cup-less years streak intact.

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