The other difference was that in '89 we had become used to having very good teams - at least during the regular season. The question was if they could get over the hump.
This team, at the top of the standings, comes after literally decades of regular season performance that ranged from terrible to "good".
So for me I'm trying to enjoy the ride a lot more. In '89 I was spoiled.
In '89 it was an almost no brainer that they would win (at least during the reg. season), so the highs and lows were based on whether my favorite players scored or not.
Peter Maher's book "Eternal Flames" documents the season game by game and is a must read.
https://www.amazon.com/Eternal-Flame.../dp/0771043066