It is one of the most exciting times of the year, as the NHL playoffs just started this past week. Hockey is the one game where durability and strength are tested to the max, and whoever can last the longest and stay the hottest can satisfy their quest for the Stanley Cup.

It is one of many people’s childhood dreams to hoist up Lord Stanley in front of thousands of fans. Few have had the pleasure to hoist the cup and there can only be one team standing at the end.

Sixteen teams enter the tournament, each knowing that they have a chance to raise their hands holding the 34-pound trophy. However, for most players it weighs much more. They feel the weight of the world when lifting the cup. It is the hardest trophy to win and players know it.

Winning the cup doesn’t just mean you’re champions, it signifies long hard months full of goals, hits, fight and saves, and it’s a chance for legends to be made and heroes to rise. Arenas sell out with diehard fans chanting and singing to the high heavens, praying for their teams to win.

Players know the weight of the entire city that they play for lies on their shoulders. The great thing about the NHL playoffs is that any team can win, and momentum can sway from game to game.

It’s about sacrifice of the mind and body. Hockey is one of the most brutally tough sports out there and a player must put his body on his line for every game. The playoffs bring out the hatred between teams, whether or not they are rivals. Playoff series’ can feature two rivals beating each up until one team is left standing. Fans wait for this time to come every season, because they know their team can win the cup.

As for the playoffs already underway this season, all of the series matchups are heating up. I have had the privilege to watch my team, the New York Rangers, put together one of their best seasons in the history of the franchise. The Rangers are entering the playoffs as the top seed, and face the eight-seeded Ottawa Senators. The Rangers are up two games to one in the first round matchup (as of Tuesday) after beating the Senators in the last game 1-0, thanks in most part to the brilliant play of star goaltender Henrik Lundqvist.

Other series matchups include the Pennsylvania rivalry between the fourth-seeded Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers have surprised the Penguins in this high-scoring, fist-filled series in which they hold the lead at three games to none.

The President’s Trophy winner and number-one team in the NHL and in the Western Conference, Vancouver, is on the brink of elimination, losing the first three games of its series to the eight-seeded Los Angeles Kings. Upsets are brewing and playoffs have begun, so if you have the chance turn on the TV and catch a game. You will witness one of the best sporting events taking place. I know I will be watching every game and cheering for my team to win and fight for the Stanley Cup.