Why These Stanley Cup Finals Are Extra Special For David Backes.

"I've thought about this moment for a long time, of playing for that ultimate prize you dream of when you're a kid. Now it's reality. It's us against one other team, and one of us is going home with that Stanley Cup," said Backes. "We're concentrated on the Boston Bruins winning a Stanley Cup. With this group of brothers we've created here, we're all in for our team, and whoever the opponent is, we're gonna face them head on."

"There's maybe nine, maybe 10 guys I played with if you count some of the younger guys," he said. "I know their captain (Alex Pietrangelo) pretty well. He's a really good friend of mine. But we'll learn to hate each other over a seven-game series and rekindle our friendship after that if that's the case. I wish him the best, but when that series starts, it doesn't matter what emblem is on the other side. The Spoked B will be all I'm thinking about."