The NBA, the NFL and MLB are the three professional sports leagues that Northeast Ohioans have traditionally grown to love with each league having a team in Cleveland.

At this time, the NBA playoffs and the start of the baseball season are must-see TV. But you know sports fans, we can’t get enough.

So, if you’re unfamiliar, may I offer you the Stanley Cup playoffs?

60 minutes, three periods, 16 teams, all for the right to play for the greatest trophy in sports: Lord Stanley’s Cup.

The energy that each second of the action brings is unparalleled compared to anything else in athletics. Let me tell you why.

First and foremost, the fans.

NHL arenas sit anywhere from 15,000-20,000 people and with only plexiglass separating the players and spectators, it’s an understatement to say that hockey’s diehards have a role that plays between a team winning or losing a playoff game.

When a visiting player is trying to get a puck out of the boards right next to the glass, the players scream and slam into the glass, trying to get into the opponent’s head as if they are wearing skates and a sweater for their favorite team.

The next reason why you should tune in is because, if you have a flair for the dramatic, oh boy, do the Stanley Cup Playoffs have good news for you.

Last year, two series saw teams come back from behind and win in the first round of the postseason.

The eight seed in the Eastern Conference, the Florida Panthers, took down the one seed, the Boston Bruins, a team that set the record for the most wins in a season in the history of the league, nonetheless, came back from a three games to one deficit in a game seven thriller in overtime.

That win for Florida took them all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals, losing to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games.

And in the Western Conference, the Dallas Stars saw themselves in a two games to one hole in their first round matchup against the Minnesota Wild, but Dallas rattled off three consecutive wins to advance themselves, eventually all the way to the Western Conference Finals, before losing to Vegas in six.

Anything can happen when it comes to the NHL’s postseason. It doesn’t matter if you have a lead in either a game or a series and it feels like you’re on top of the world, or if you find yourself down and your back is against the wall, no team is ever out of it until the clock hits triple zeros.

Lastly, a big reason why you should tune in to the Stanley Cup Playoffs this spring is because of the tradition.

Whenever a new league year starts, all 32 teams have one common goal in mind. Climbing the mountain.

And every year, for one team, their goal is met.

For everyone involved in the organization, players, coaches, front office, etc., lifting the Stanley Cup is why they put in the long hours they do. And when that one team does, it’s for my money, the greatest trophy presentation in sports. The commissioner gives the Cup to the captain of the winning team and he then proceeds to do a victory lap around the ice, lifting the Cup over his head in jubilation.

Can you imagine such a feeling? All the hard work, blood, sweat, tears, early mornings, late nights, injuries, doubts and everything else that comes in the journey of the NHL season, leads to this moment. When hard work has paid off.

Then, as an added bonus, the winning team would drink champagne out of the top bowl of the trophy. 

Drinking the unofficial beverage of celebration out of the ultimate prize of your sport. How fitting. 

Look, I understand the comfortability when it comes with familiarity. And as a sports fan, I definitely understand.

All of these traditions that we look forward to throughout the calendar year gives us something to look forward to seemingly every day. 

But if you’re open to it, give the Stanley Cup Playoffs a try.

To me, it is the greatest postseason in professional sports, and the second in all of sports, as the March Madness experience we just went through takes the top spot in my rankings.

The point is, if you find yourself flipping through the channels any time this spring, starting on April 20, throw on some postseason hockey.

And I’m sure you’ll fall in love with it as much as I did.

Matt Kiraly is an opinion writer. Contact him at [email protected].