First, I have been to a WCF game & my sister was at game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final & when the Devils won, nobody booed them. So I completely understand the atmosphere.
Second, however petty the in game booing may sometimes be, there's a big difference between that & booing someone's accomplishment after the fact. It's one thing if it's a goon that's planted a dirty hit that lays out your star player for a couple weeks & then he gets the Lady Byng. It's another to boo a guy's award just because you like your guy better.
Third, trying to compare the reactions of Anaheim fans, most of which probably couldn't tell you which seed their team came into the playoffs as, to the reactions from fans in an area where the fans should be a lot more knowledgable is a tad misleading.
Fourth, I think you are comparing apples to oranges with the riots. It's a totally different crowd & mentality when you're talking about a sport like basketball. When the Stars won the Cup in 99, the place went nuts & the parade was a blast...and friendly to boot. It was a completely different scenario when the Cowboys won the Superbowl in 92.
Fifth, while Giguere & Broduer's stats were pretty similar, there is no doubt that Giguere carried the team for the most part & that's what the Conn Smythe is all about.
Sixth, I'm obviously not comdemning every single Devils fan, just the ones that were booing...and there were an awful lot of boos.
And finally, the Devils fans screwed up in their duty to boo Bettman.
