It's time to get down to business. The Penguins can't compete for a Stanley Cup themselves, which makes rooting interests in these Stanley Cup playoffs challenging.
However, there are, objectively, teams that the Penguins absolutely do not want to see win the Stanley Cup. Others, while not exactly ideal, are not nearly as egregious.
You thought our rooting guides were done, didn't you? Aha, you were wrong.
Here is the official Penguins fan rooting guide for the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, descending in order with #16 being the team of worst interest to #1 being the team with the most.
16. Washington Capitals
Nope, sorry, Ovi. We can give you standing ovations at PPG Paints Arena, but you've got to be out of your mind if you think Penguins fans want to see you hoist the Cup again.
You can be cordial during a rivalry, but this is not the setting. Time to bring back the "Crapitals" nickname. The humiliating first round exit is loading. No soup for you.
15. Vegas Golden Knights
The Golden Knights are the bratty, rich kid of the NHL. They horde cap space on long term IR and make out like a bandit come playoff time. They were gift-wrapped a Stanley Cup way too early into their existence in 2023.
Meanwhile, the other expansion Kraken are left out to dry with scraps. You've got to be a sick person if you want to see Vegas win another one.
14. Tampa Bay Lightning
For the exact same reason, nobody should want the Lightning to win again. They've won their share. They had their mini dynasty.
We also don't need any more Nikita Kucherov discourse and accolades on the docket. At this rate he's going to put himself in the GOAT conversation pretty soon.
13. Ottawa Senators
Might just be me, but I cannot stand this team. They're so cheap and dirty that seeing them win the Stanley Cup would feel like watching Thanos snap at the end of Infinity War. He got away with all his madness and won.
They're going to give Toronto a run, and I'm worried for what long term damage they're going to do to one of their stars. Please, none of this scum late in the playoffs.
12. Florida Panthers
I'm not a fan of redundancy. When the Atlanta Braves won the World Series in 2021, I was really excited for them. The moment 2022 started, I was rooting against them with every fiber of my being.
The same goes for hockey. I was overjoyed when Florida won last year, but them winning this year would not be nearly as fun. You had your time. Let someone else have a turn.
11. Colorado Avalanche
They also have redundancy syndrome. It's not back-to-back or anything, but they've won too recently for my taste.
Consider also that they're not going anywhere. They'll have plenty more opportunities with Makar and MacKinnon. We don't need it this year.
10. New Jersey Devils
If the Stanley Cup ends up in New Jersey, it might not come back. This Devils team is very uninspiring, unlike their squad from 2023.
They're one of those "rivals' that's been fairly irrelevant for a long time, and there hasn't been much beef in recent years. Still, no Penguins fan would wish anything good on the Devils.
9. Carolina Hurricanes
Perhaps they're too high. This is my North Carolina resident bias showing. My college roommate is also parched for a Stanley Cup. I've been mooching off his season tickets for four years now.
Carolina has owned Pittsburgh for a ridiculous amount of time, but I wouldn't be so upset if they won. I would be upset, don't misunderstand, but I can't be extremely mad when I get free tickets two to three times a year. Thanks, as always, Nathan. I hope they win (I don't, really).
8. Edmonton Oilers
This one also may be personal, but I want to preserve Sidney Crosby discourse as long as possible. I believe that if Connor McDavid wins a Stanley Cup that Crosby discourse will come to a screeching halt, and I don't want that.
McDavid needs a Cup to cement his legacy, or he's going to end up like Dan Marino, which I covered several months ago. I wouldn't cry a river, but I would be unsettled by an Edmonton championship.
7. Montreal Canadiens
I'm not a fan of the Canadiens soaring to new heights so quickly. Even though their rebuild has taken a while, they're ahead of schedule, and they took the spot the Columbus Blue Jackets were destined to have.
That's unforgivable, and I do not want them winning anything. This was supposed to be for #13. You played with your food at the end of the regular season and got away with it. No thanks, not this year.
6. Toronto Maple Leafs
I have nothing against Toronto. They're a powerhouse, and they're primed to make a deep run.
But man...would it be funny if they lost again. I'm 23 years old, so you can consider me in the meme generation. Maple Leafs memes are so funny, and I can't pass up more if they're on a platter for me. I would be okay if they won, but I would be even better if they didn't.
5. Los Angeles Kings
They're in the territory of "have won recently, but not that recently". It's kind of a limbo for the Kings right now, and for the fact that Los Angeles has been dealing with those wildfires, I would be happy for them in that regard - give them something to rally around.
On the other hand, it's a big market, and I don't like big markets. Maybe not with hockey as much as other sports, but I like little guys. Would be okay, but there are better options.
4. St. Louis Blues
We're officially in "this is acceptable" territory. The Blues have done this type of thing before - going from worst to first back in 2019.
They weren't exactly "worst" this season, but them catching fire and riding it all the way to the promised land would be pretty cool to see.
3. Dallas Stars
I don't think Dallas is going to do much of anything by the way they've been playing recently, but I like the Stars. I always root for them in the playoffs for the sole reason of getting to hear their goal horn and song more.
They're due for a Cup, and I'd be excited if they finally put it away and won it.
2. Winnipeg Jets
Hear me out. Can you imagine the rift if the first Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup since the age of the dinosaurs (1993) was Winnipeg?
Oh, that would be glorious for discourse's sake. I'm also a massive fan of their playoff atmosphere. The Whiteout hasn't gotten enough screen time in recent years. It's time to put the playoff woes away and finish it off, Jets.
1. Minnesota Wild
One word: Flower.
He did it with Vegas (which hurt a bit), but why not one more time, for old time's sake?
Marc-Andre Fleury winning one last Stanley Cup with a city that loves hockey more than any city in America would be absolutely delicious. It's an uphill climb, but this would be the sweetest outcome, and it's the one Penguins fans should be on the edge of their seats rooting for.
Keep in mind these are not our predictions for anything. Those are up on the main page, so go ahead and check out who we've got going far in these Stanley Cup Playoffs!
Happy watching, Penguins fans. The black and gold will be back here soon...very soon.