The Flyers defeated the Washington Capitals 3-2 in overtime last night, advancing to the second round of the NHL playoffs. You knew that, right? What’s that, you’re not a hockey fan? This is the best time of year to start! Don’t worry, there’s plenty of room on the bandwagon. Here are 10 reasons to get Flyered Up, teeth optional.

10. Playoff Beards
Hockey players are a superstitious bunch. One of their practices is to start a beard at the beginning of the playoffs and not shave it until their team is eliminated or wins the Stanley Cup. This can get especially ugly, as some young players look like high school sophomores and older ones look like Robin Williams from The Fisher King.

9. Fights
Scuffles are much less frequent in the playoffs, but nothing can get a crowd and a team back into a game faster than an old fashioned set of fisticuffs. The real reason that the NHL allows players to drop the gloves? So fans can post them on YouTube with a Metallica soundtrack.

8. Martin Biron’s Stare
If I was on a breakaway and saw the Flyers goalie looking back at me, I’d probably lose the puck in my skates and trip over my own stick. I am convinced Marty’s stone cold gaze shaved at least .50 off his GAA. Plus, Biron may or may not be a member of the Lost Boys.

7. Playoff Overtime
It's inevitable that there will be another overtime game before the Flyers' season ends, and few things are more exciting in all of sports. Overtime is sudden death, meaning every faceoff, pass, shot, save, hit and penalty is magnified ten-fold. The tension can make your skin crawl, but there’s nothing sweeter than watching the good guys celebrate a winning goal.

6. Coatesy’s Corner
Steve Coates, a former player and current color commentator, is the clown prince of hockey broadcasters. During intermissions he hosts Coatesy’s Corner; segments can be described as anything from a public access news magazine to a 3AM commercial for an instructional hockey video.

5. The Lingo
You can learn new hockey-related words and phrases such as “five-hole,” “mucking in the corner,” and “that goalie stood on his head!” Collect ‘em all, trade ‘em with your friends!

4. Mike Richards
The Flyers' young gun is in the midst of a breakout season, scoring 75 points in his third NHL season. This 23-year-old alternate captain possesses a rare combination of scoring ability, defensive prowess and leadership. A true two-way forward, Richards anchors the power play at the point and kills penalties.

3. Tradition of the Cup
Lord Stanley’s Cup is the most intriguing trophy in professional sports; each year players from the winning team are given a day with the cup to do whatever they please. It’s been lost, dented, dropped in a fire, drank from, pissed in and served as both a dog bowl and baptism vessel… and those are only the ones we know about.

2. Daniel Briere
The Flyers’ big off-season signing struggled at times throughout the season, but remains a danger to opposing goaltenders every time he touches the puck. At 5-10 and 180 lbs soaking wet, Briere’s gritty play despite his size is something Philly fans love to see.

1. The Flyers Might Have the Best Shot at a Philly Championship
The Sixers aren’t ready yet, the Phillies have perennial pitching woes and the Eagles are stuck in some sort of Andy Reid pass-happy purgatory. The last three Stanley Cup Finals have involved a total of 6 different teams; that’s some parity. Are the Flyers talented enough to win it all? Probably not. But in the NHL more than other leagues, an inspired team can overcome deficiencies by getting hot at the right time. A game 7 overtime goal could do just that.

The Flyers second round series with top-seeded Montreal starts on Thursday.

Image Credit: Flickr user guano