NHL technically opened with the global series games in Prague where the Devils swept the Sabres in two games.
but today begins the season in North America
triple header today:
Seattle hosts St Louis at 4:30 ET (a rare weekday matinee I guess)
then
Florida raises their championship banner vs Boston 7pm ET (I guess unless the storm messes with this one)
then
Utah hosts Chicago at 10pm ET.
Seattle? Utah? WTF? 5 years ago I would have thought this was an EA Sports game.
I figure we could use this thread to talk hockey, make predictions, trash talk/chirp each other, whatever.
makes sense - I knew it was up in the air so I added "unless the storm messes with this one"
Quote:
the Panthers won't be doing any celebrations tonight due to the hurricane.
makes sense - I knew it was up in the air so I added "unless the storm messes with this one"
Yeah the Panthers organization announced it yesterday of Twitter. Sorry brother, wasn't calling ya out, haha.
Excited for tonight. This is the season I make the most money with a little sports betting. PJ, any early Stanley Cup predictions?
Lets go Rangers.
My SC dark horse is the Jets at +2500
But I bet NYR +1300, MTL +12000 (LOL) and NJD +1200
I think NYR/NJD are two complete teams.
but in the East BOS, TOR, FLA, and CAR can all contend and PIT still has Sid, Malkin, Karlsson, etc. so the East is so hard.
That said EDM is the overall favorite and they just lost a game 7 in the SCF, so who is to say they're not the favorite? and DAL is loaded.
I don't mean to indicate the Rangers don't have talent, they obviously do, but last year NYR 5v5 goal differential was 1. All situations goal differential was 52.
I believe that was the largest discrepancy for a positive team in the league or close to it.
So their choices are pay Igor, and jettison some contracts like Trouba and Panarin (or Mika but I doubt they can) and then get younger while staying competitive enough to let Igor win games for them or let Igor walk and remake their team.
Hard to win this way, but wouldn't be the first time, the Roy Canadiens did this, some of the Brodeur Devils did too, so it's not unique, you just need to be honest with how you assess your team - and to be clear the Rangers had more offensive talent IMO than those Canadiens or Devils teams.
I put $9 on them lol
I put $9 on them lol
They can easily come out of the West. But once again, IMO will depend on Thatcher Demkos health. I don't think Silovs lost the series for them last year, but Demko could have won it.
Mika's playoff run last year started off great against a crappy team in Washington, and he had a great start to the Carolina series, before fizzling out. I am really hopeful for a big time Mika rebound this year, and could see him getting back to being an 80+ point player. I don't think he just fell off a cliff last year at 31. Hopefully having Reilly Smith on his RW, who is by far the best RW he's had on his line since Buchnevich, will help.
My pessimism is kicking in with a number of worries.
1. Did Panarin have a career year and is ready for a drop off?
2. Will Smith just be Wheeler 2.0 and the first line RW is a big problem again?
3. Can Chytl last a full season and be effective?
4. Will Kakko ever come close to being an effective player?
5. Trouba. That's all I need to say about a 3rd pair d-man getting paid $8 million.
I don't mean to indicate the Rangers don't have talent, they obviously do, but last year NYR 5v5 goal differential was 1. All situations goal differential was 52.
I believe that was the largest discrepancy for a positive team in the league or close to it.
So their choices are pay Igor, and jettison some contracts like Trouba and Panarin (or Mika but I doubt they can) and then get younger while staying competitive enough to let Igor win games for them or let Igor walk and remake their team.
Hard to win this way, but wouldn't be the first time, the Roy Canadiens did this, some of the Brodeur Devils did too, so it's not unique, you just need to be honest with how you assess your team - and to be clear the Rangers had more offensive talent IMO than those Canadiens or Devils teams.
Those Devils players had some guys come through at the right time, no? I think it was Elias who scored that clutch goal in 2000 vs the Flyers in the "Stevens hit Lindros" game.
I went to a few Devil games in 2003 and Jamie Langenbrunner stepped up and became a "dog" in the playoffs. Lol. Looked like a totally different player. Jason Arnott?? Elias with the pass on that too I think.
Again, some here and there from Panarin and Kredier but eh. Same old Rangers, getting shut down like the same old Rangers. Meh.
Vancouver are my boys this year.
He was pelted so not all on him, but if nothing else makes Swayman look better.
And Dylan Guenther appears poised for a breakout. UTA (sounds weird to say) has a lot of young talent.
5 games today including:
MTL vs TOR
PIT vs NYR
EDM vs WIN
VAN vs CAL
LVG vs COL
NYR game and COL game are on TNT
It seems that so few players hit FA anymore. I like that, but in some ways I also don't.
Peter Baugh
@Peter_Baugh
NHL players by nationality, per the league:
🇨🇦: 297
🇺🇸: 200
🇸🇪: 66
🇷🇺: 47
🇫🇮: 38
🇨🇿: 22
🇨🇭: 9
🇸🇰: 8
🇩🇪: 7
🇱🇻: 5
🇩🇰: 4
🇧🇾: 2
🇳🇴: 2
🇦🇺: 1
🇦🇹: 1
🇫🇷: 1
🇳🇱: 1
🇸🇮: 1
@Sportsnet
Joseph Woll will miss the Leafs' season opener against the Canadiens due to lower-body tightness, with the team keeping him out for precautionary measures.
Anthony Stolarz will get the start in net.
Hope to see a lot of that this year.
48 save shutout.
TOR was all over MTL all game, hitting crossbars, posts, and the big goalie.
NHL record for most saves in a season opening shutout (ok obscure, but still a record).
1st time TOR was shutout in like 3+ years, I believe ending the longest streak in the league.
Caufield with the only goal in the game (mentioned above) while sporting the #13 jersey in honor of his hero Johnny Hockey.
Absolutely. MTL and Vegas the best pre-games. Vegas knows how to entertain, MTL knows how to do hockey. I'd pay admission just to see the openings.
Key games include:
BOS vs MTL (I am going to BOS vs MTL on 12/1 when the B's celebrate their centennial).
NJD vs TOR
NYI vs UTA
OTT vs FLA
SJS vs STL - Macklin Celebrini first game.
And there are 5 starting goalies with a worse save percentage.
Boone Jenner could be out for the year.
His pucks skills IMO are as good as Quinn Hughes, maybe better.
MTL still has structural problems in the D-zone. They sustain long, really long, periods of being hemmed in their zone and their breakout doesn't take advantage of their personnel IMO.
Also Cole Caufield has 4 goals in 3 games to start the year.
Connor Bedard won the battle of the Connor's.
4 games today, no one's teams on here AFAIK
Really touching and emotional tribute to Johnny Hockey in Calgary last night before the home opener.
StatsCentre
@StatsCentre
Worst goal differential recorded by a team through their first 3 home games played in a season - NHL history:
-12 by the 2024-25 #Oilers (Thanks to their 4-1 defeat to the visiting Flames tonight)
-12 by the 1961-62 Bruins
-12 by the 2000-01 Blue Jackets
-11 by seven other teams
Kicking off with a matinee at the Garden (the Boston one) with a rematch of opening week BOS vs FLA - now no Barkov.
NJD hosts the Utes, also in a matinee.
an original 6 matchup at the "other" garden NYR vs DET
LAK visit OTT (also a matinee)
Habs host Crosby and the Pens
NYI travel to the winless Avs
that's awesome, they should do more of these. like all games during Christmas break should be matinees and focus on kids. There are always a lot of kids at games in Boston at matinees - probably like that everywhere.
Those two teams hate each other. It was obvious from puck drop.
Fun rivalry in an era without too many.
6 different goal scorers for OTT, 5 for LAK.
still 5+ left.
Devils hand the Utes their 1st loss as the Devils move to 4-1 on the young season.
perfect role for Allen. If he's not your #1 like he was forced to be for a couple years in MTL he is a great backup. Just hope you don't need him for long stretches and he will be a great complement to Markstrom.
Lost to the pens 6-3 (ENG) it was close than the score.
NYI rolling, Avs reeling, Isles leave Denver with a convincing 6-2 win to get even on the season while Avs remain winless with a minus 10 goal differential. I caught some of this game, Avs are all out of sorts. Sorokin played well after giving up a goal 1 min in that he had absolutely not shot at - Av's rookie got behind the D takes a cross ice feed to an open net. Tsyplakov is a steal. Very noticeable.
9 games today including:
CAR vs NJD (Devils 6th game, Hurricanes 2nd)
the other 8 are mostly not teams with fans on here. Maybe WAS vs LVG - isn't Tony a fan of WAS and he checks in the hockey threads every now and then.