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Leading up to Monday’s Game 1, Puck Daddy is previewing every facet of the Stanley Cup Final between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Nashville Predators — on the ice and off the ice.

For various and sundry reasons, the Puck Daddy Beard Watch took a breather this postseason. So consider this your official Beard Watch update, as we take a look at the face foliage for both the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Nashville Predators ahead of their Stanley Cup Final.

PENGUINS

Obviously, there wasn’t much turnover from last year’s Stanley Cup winners, which means there isn’t much novelty in the Penguins’ playoff beards. But there are some formidable follicles here.

Let’s start with last season’s most impressive beard for the Penguins:

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Nick Bonino’s beard is Pennsylvania Dutch approved. It looks like a large cloud on a windy day.

Or 1970s porn.

In any case, the HBK Line might be dead, but Beardino lives on.

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Sidney Crosby’s beard used to be a point of ridicule, but much like Sid worked hard to improve his shot and his defense, he has apparently willed his face into sprouting stubble worthy of a Telenovela.

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In fairness to Matt Murray, all he had to do for just over two rounds was rehab his injury and grow a sweet beard. But that time away from the crease was well-spent, as this is a sweet looking face bush on the Penguins goalie.

Much better than last season’s scraggy mess.

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Well this is something.

Jake Guentzel’s beard finally solves the riddle of “what would a cherub look like as a lazy stoner?”

That said, we’ve seen plenty of fair-haired players attempt a playoff beard, and this at the very least is not The Perry.

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