Why we love the playoffs: let us count the ways.(NHL Playoff Preview)

The prize is the Stanley Cup, the oldest and most revered trophy in North America. It's also the only one that immortalizes its winners by engraving their names on the silver chalice. Rich in tradition, the Stanley Cup playoffs are the best time to watch hockey, for numerous reasons.

"For me, the most exciting thing is the first round," says former Islander Ken Morrow, now a scout for the team. "You get some great matchups, the underdogs trying to knock off the big guys."

There's plenty more to like.

Sudden-death overtime: In the playoffs, overtime can be over in a minute, or it can last for hours. That uncertainty enhances the drama.

Although regular-season overtime (which lasts a maximum 5 minutes) is exciting, partially because it uses a four-on-four format, nothing compares with the nail-biting intensity of five-on-five OT in the playoffs.

"It's the most exciting part of the playoffs, but it's not easy to play overtime games," the Devils' Sergei Brylin says. "It's great if you win, but if you lose, it's a tough way to lose a game."

Having scored the Cup-winning goal for the Devils in the second overtime in 2000, the Stars' Jason Arnott knows the upside. "With your adrenaline running, it's not as nerve-racking as people may think," he says. "There's not as many hits, but it's still fast skating, and the tempo is still upbeat, (with) a lot of great plays and great saves. The intensity is unreal in overtime."