NFT: NHL Opening Day (North America One at Least)

the Panthers won't be doing any celebrations tonight due to the hurricane.

In comment 16640378 LawrenceTaylor56 said:

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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"

In comment 16640384 pjcas18 said:

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In comment 16640378 LawrenceTaylor56 said: 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.

just agreeing with you.

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.

For yesterday not the usual pre-game I opening night thing. They had invited the public and that's what they cancelled. I guess right now the game is on but I don't see them playing.

Colorado. The East is definitely way more balanced. I don't see a clear cut favorite. The Rangers are tough, it will be interesting to see if Berube takes the Leafs to the next level. I see The Rangers, Toronto, Boston and Carolina and probably the Devils as the 5 legit playoff teams with maybe TB as the 6th Then I see a real horse race between like the Islanders, Flyers, Caps, Detroit, maybe Ottawa and others for those last 2 spots. If the Rangers are true contenders I see them making the real go for it move at the deadline as PJ has well documented their cap issues next summer.

Yeah it will be a dog fight for those last few spots.

But my head is saying they come up short, as usual.

Weekes reporting that Igor turned down the biggest contract offer ever for a goalie.

apparently he wants $12 million per…

.

for wanting as much as he can get, but at the same time the Rangers team strategy right now is win the special teams battle and pray Igor is on his game.

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 picked Vancouver for my SC champions

I put $9 on them lol

In comment 16640579 Route 9 said:

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I picked Vancouver for my SC champions 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.

was useless in the playoffs. He's a joke.

In comment 16640586 Route 9 said:

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was useless in the playoffs. He's a joke.

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.

the NHL Gen-Z commercial is funny as hell.

reminds me of the Emile Francis era teams that were very good, but could not win a championship.

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.

In comment 16640574 pjcas18 said:

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for wanting as much as he can get, but at the same time the Rangers team strategy right now is win the special teams battle and pray Igor is on his game. 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.

Utah scored right away, within the first five minutes

lol, Korpisalo lets in 4 1st period goals.

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

re-ups in FLA for 8 years.

It seems that so few players hit FA anymore. I like that, but in some ways I also don't.

extends Ullmark 4 years. 4 years 8.25M AAV.

But to me goalies are like relief pitchers. Not crazy about giving them long term deals because they are so inconsistent year to year. That's a lot of $ to budget to Ullmark. Then again sometimes like QB hell in football, teams find themselves in goalie hell like the Leafs have in the past although they're hoping Woll is the long term answer.

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

particularly in the US.

Sportsnet
@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.

on the PP, Dach to Slavkofsky to Caufield. MTL up 1-0

Hope to see a lot of that this year.

what a performance.

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.

cool ceremonies. Still nothing in hockey like opening night in Montreal. Devs with their North American opener vs Toronto. That's a tough spot for the Leafs- back to back road games to start the season especially with Woll out.

In comment 16642385 Stu11 said:

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cool ceremonies. Still nothing in hockey like opening night in Montreal. Devs with their North American opener vs Toronto. That's a tough spot for the Leafs- back to back road games to start the season especially with Woll out.

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.

18 teams in action (obviously, lol).

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.

Tristan Jarry allowed 6 goals to the Rangers. 6.

And there are 5 starting goalies with a worse save percentage.

1 game, 2 pts, trip to the IR.

week to week. No Tkachuk tonight for FLA either. Maybe take the money line on BUF to get their 1st win.

Boone Jenner could be out for the year.

is going to be good, really good, if he can avoid heavy contact.

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

Colorado has given up 14 goals in 2 games, Edmonton has been out scored 11-2 to start the season at home.
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

6 games.

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

And turned it into a bunch of early season matinees over the past decade or so. I remember I took my daughter to one in like 2010 when she was like 6 it was the first game she ever went to. The called it kids opening day or something like that.

In comment 16646548 Stu11 said:

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And turned it into a bunch of early season matinees over the past decade or so. I remember I took my daughter to one in like 2010 when she was like 6 it was the first game she ever went to. The called it kids opening day or something like that.

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.

game in BOS. One I thought BOS would win with no Barkov or Tkachuk, but they came up short.

Those two teams hate each other. It was obvious from puck drop.

Fun rivalry in an era without too many.

and OTT each with a TD and XP, tied up at 7 in a real old fashioned goaltenders duel.

6 different goal scorers for OTT, 5 for LAK.

still 5+ left.

Seamus Casey stealing Dougie Hamilton or Luke Hughes job as PP1 QB.

Devils hand the Utes their 1st loss as the Devils move to 4-1 on the young season.

get the extra point with the 2-point conversion and win 8-7 in OT.

Totally shut down the hot Utah team 3-0. Can't see Casey going down any time soon. Got his 3rd today yet another snipe. Nice start to the season.

But getting Allen at the deadline to set year is huge too. Gives them a real steady dependable vet 2nd goalie.

In comment 16647369 Stu11 said:

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But getting Allen at the deadline to set year is huge too. Gives them a real steady dependable vet 2nd goalie.

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.

on full display vs PIT. Stuck in their zone all night.

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.

I don't know how many teams have scored 6+ goals in games thus far but it's more than a few.