Second round divides NHL fans

GIUSEPPE VALIANTE

MONTREAL—WithjusttwoCanadianteams standing after the first round of the NHL playoffs, not everyone is rooting for a Stanley Cup final showdown between the Ottawa Senators and the Edmonton Oilers. Take Dan Fougere, for example. The manager of Halifax’s Bubba Ray’s Sports Bar Too would like one-half of that matchup in the final — the Oilers.

From the Eastern Conference, however, Fougere is pulling for the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins — and a Sidney CrosbyConnor McDavid clash.

“I think that’s what a lot of people would love to see,” he said in an interview Tuesday. “If you somehow get those two facing off for the Stanley Cup final I don’t think it could get any better than that.”

Fougere has even changed the bar’s Facebook cover photo to include images of the two superstars.

Crosby is, of course, the local favourite, hailing from nearby Cole Harbour, while the 20-yearold McDavid has been one of Canada’s top talents since entering the league in 2015.

Not surprisingly, the Edmonton Journal’s editorial board has a firm opinion about where Canadian fans should direct their attention now.