Congrats to the New Jersey Devils for their Stanley Cup victory over the Anaheim Mighty Ducks last night. Must admit I was pulling for the Ducks, partly out of Western Conference loyalties (odd as it may seem to non-hockey fans, anything to the left of Pittsburgh on a map of North America is in the NHL’s “west”–it’s like the University of Michigan fight song: “Champions of the West!”). I was also drawn to Anaheim’s Cinderella story, which was probably even more of a surprise than the Anaheim Angels winning the World Series last fall. Most important, though, is that we were treated to some fine hockey–including the spectacle of a seventh game in the finals. The Devils prevailed, amid some great stories, including the remarkable playoff performance of Ducks goalie J.S. Giguere and the Devils’ game-winning goal from unlikely hero Mike Rupp, a guy who hadn’t suited up for most of the playoffs. As usual, the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora has an excellent summary of how the Devils made it happen.