Every hockey fan should have a girlfriend team. If you're unfamiliar with the concept, you've got your main team (the wife), and the girlfriend team(s). Your main team never changes. No matter what happens, you'll always be a fan. However, there comes a time in every (hockey) relationship where one must wander.

The wife won't always give you what you want and need, and sometimes she's gone from April to October!

With that in mind, first examine the Western Conference to try and discover your girlfriend team in the West. And yes, it's perfectly acceptable to have a Western Conference girlfriend and an Eastern Conference gal.

San Jose Sharks - San Jose has been one of the better teams of the last decade but a lot of pundits assumed they were done being an upper echelon Western Conference team.

The Sharks destroyed the Anaheim Ducks in a for game sweep and will look to go to the Stanley cup finals for the second time in three years. If you're rooting for Joe Thornton to win a Cup, this year is as good as any.

Plus, the Sharks are one of the more veteran laden teams in the playoffs and who doesn't want to see the old vets shock everyone and win it all. Between Brent Burns, Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture, and Marc- Eduard Vlasic, his team is full of star power.

Choose the Sharks as your Girlfriend team if you like staying up late (assuming you live in the eastern time zone), want to boast the best playoff beards in the league, and want the strange moment of Evander Kane raising the Cup.

Vegas Golden Knights - Love an underdog? It may not be fair to give the winner of the Pacific division underdog status but as a first year team it's automatic.

Mark-Andre Fleury is worth the price of admission and this teams balanced attack with pure speed is a joy to behold. This team will no doubt be one of the more popular girlfriend teams and for good reason. After sweeping the LA Kings in round one, this team should be taken very seriously.

Make the Golden Knights your girlfriend team in the West if you like shiny new toys, going fast, and a team that can beat you at any moment.

Winnipeg Jets - The only Canadian team in the West is big, nasty and incredibly skilled. Possibly the best forward group in the NHL, led by Patrick Laine, Mark Scheifele and Captain Blake Wheeler. No team left in the playoffs can play a more bruising yet skilled game than the Jets.

Lock up the Jets if you want to cheer for Canada winning their first Cup since 1993, want to see the next greatest goal scorer in Laine, and don't want to see Pittsburgh win another Cup since Winnipeg may be the best matchup for the defending Stanley Cup champs.

Nashville Predators - While the Jets boast the best forward group, the Press have the best defensive core. PK Subban was nominated for the Norris and Roman Josi probably could've been too!

Nashville has been the most epic place to watch a hockey game the last couple years as the crowd is electric and animated with the best in game cheers the league has to offer.

Make Nashville your lady on the side if you appreciate the atmosphere of a game, love Carrie Underwood, and would love to see one of the most recent expansion teams win it all.

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