Right about now I'm feeling happy about my decision to give up the NBA and start following the NHL. These Stanley Cup Playoffs have been exciting.

First, and most importantly, the Chicago Blackhawks are in the Western Conference Finals! In just their second playoff performance since 1997, these guys have returned Chicago hockey to prominence. They're set to face their archrivals, the Detroit Red Wings, for a chance at the Stanley Cup Finals. If I'm being realistic, I have my doubts about the Hawks' chances, but upsets are pretty commonplace in the NHL, so never say never!

Speaking of upsets, the East's top seed got knocked off by the Carolina Hurricanes. That might not sound like a huge deal, but when you consider that the top seed was the Boston Bruins, you can understand why I'm so happy. No Beantown four-sport quadrifecta this decade!

I will admit I was disappointed by the outcome of the Pittsburgh-Washington series. Back when I lived in Virginia we used to get Capitals games on TV, so I made them my secondary rooting interest. Even though the team I was rooting for lost, it's hard to complain about a good matchup that went seven games. Better luck next year.

So now we're down to four teams. If Pittsburgh wins the East it'll either be a rematch of last year's Finals or a rematch of the 1992 Finals, the last time the Blackhawks made it that far. Carolina doesn't have as much history as the other three franchises, but hey, they're doing all this as the 6th seed. As an unabashed lover of underdogs, you can guess who I'll be rooting for.

The Conference Finals start on Sunday. If you haven't been following these Playoffs, now's a good time to start!