By Rockin’ Reese
The NHL preseason is done. The regular season begins on Tuesday, which means we have some weeknight sports options to get you through those long, cold fall & winter nights.
This opening week has some major NHL TV highlights
Opening night only has 3 games on the schedule, all of which will be on ESPN & ESPN+. First, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Nashville Predators. Despite changes on both teams, they still have core players. The Lightning will have (captain) Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, (assistant captain) Victor Hedman, & (goalie) Andrei Vasilevskiy.
The Predators will have (captain) Roman Josi, (assistant captain) Filip Forsberg, Colton Sissons, & (goalie) Juuse Saros. Then, the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Chicago Blackhawks. America will see the NHL debut of (2023 #1 pick) Connor Bedard & see what impact he will have on the first day of the new NHL season. On the other side of the ice is a man who has been there & done that…Sidney Crosby (who was the #1 pick in 2005 & has been captain of the Penguins, since May 2007).
Finally, in a battle of the NHL’s last 2 expansion teams, the (defending Stanley Cup Champion) Vegas Golden Knights host the Seattle Kraken. As they begin their 7th NHL season, the Golden Knights will go from hunters to hunted. Though they still have (captain) Mark Stone, (assistant captain) Alex Pietrangelo, & (Conn Smythe Trophy winner) Jonathan Marchessault, (goalie) Robin Lehner is injured, so Logan Thompson or Adin Hill will have to pick up the slack in goal.
Meanwhile, the Kraken proved they weren’t going to be vicitm of a sophomore slump. In their playoff debut, they ended the Colorado Avalanche’s reign as Stanley Cup Champion, by winning 3 games in Denver. Could they defeat another Stanley Cup Champion on the road to start this season?
On Wednesday, TNT will partner with Max to begin their double-header coverage. First, the Boston Bruins will host the Blackhawks. It will be interesting to see the emotion of the Bruins. Last season, they set the record for most wins & points earned by a regular-season team, only to be eliminated in the first round by the (eventual Eastern Conference Champion) Florida Panthers.
Not to mention, this will be the first time in nearly 20 years that Patrice Bergeron (who had been the captain since January 2021) will not be in the lineup, as he announced his retirement in July. Then, the Los Angeles Kings will host the Colorado Avalanche. With (captain) Gabriel Landeskog missing his 2nd full season, after arthroscopic knee surgery, it will once again be up to (assistant captains) Nathan MacKinnon & Mikko Rantanen carry the load for the former Stanley Cup Champions.
Meanwhile, the Kings have a fairly young team, with only 8 players who are 30 years of age or older. They have made it to the playoffs for the past 2 seasons. They’ll be hoping to extend that streak, this season. A good way to start that streak would be to defeat the Avalanche.
On Thursday, ESPN+ & Hulu begin their portion of the season, as the New Jersey Devils host the Detroit Red Wings. The Devils were one of the surprises of last season, as they made the playoffs for only the 2nd time, since losing to the Kings in the 2012 Stanley Cup Final. With acquisitions like Timo Meier & Tomáš Nosek on offense, as well as Cal Foote & Colin Miller on defense, the Devils might be looking at a return to the playoffs.
As for the Red Wings, this is a team who has not gone to the playoffs in the last 7 seasons, after being in them for the previous 25 seasons. The last time they won a playoff series was in 2012-13 (their final season in the western conference), against the Anaheim Ducks. The last time they won a playoff series as an eastern conference team was in 1977-78 (when it was the Prince of Wales conference), defeating the Atlanta (now Calgary) Flames. Needless to say, these are 2 teams that need to regain their former glory.
Then, they will continue on Friday, as the Washington Capitals host the Penguins. Whenever it’s Capitals vs. Penguins, it’s bound to be an electric game, especially when Alexander Ovechkin & Crosby are on the ice together. The Capitals are at a crossroads. Since winning their Stanley Cup in 2017-18, they have not won a playoff series and they missed last season’s playoffs for the first time, since the 2013-14 season.
Ovechkin just turned 38 and is 72 goals away from tying Wayne Gretzky for the most career NHL goals. The Capitals are among the older teams in the league with 11 players woh are 30 or older (with Charlie Lindgren & Tom Wilson turning 30, during the season). Their window may be closing.
Saturday, the NHL Network sees its first regular season game of the season, as the Montréal Canadiens host the Blackhawks. The Canadiens have a very young roster, with only 6 players who are 30 or over (assistant captain Mike Matheson will turn 30, this year). With long-time goalie Carey Price injured, they will have to rely on Jake Allen to lock it down in goal. Thankfully, they have some good talent on their team, specifically (captain & 2-time all-star) Nick Suzuki on offense and David Savard to be the veteran to a fairly young defense.
Then, they will have another game on Sunday, as the Ottawa Senators host the Lightning. The Senators are another young team, with only 4 players who are 30 or over. They’re hoping this team will remain healthy and develop enough chemistry & maturity to end a 6-season playoff drought. Brady Tkachuk is their captain & a 3-time all-star. He is coming off of his best season, as he prepares to enter his 6th season.
Thomas Chabot is an assistant captain & the leader of the defense for the Senators. If he and veterans Travis Hamonic & Artyom Zub can get their young defense to play like Warriors, lucky #7 could be the season to see Ottawa return to the playoffs.
The zambonis are revving up. The ice is ready to get smoothed out. The skates are being sharpened. The medics are ready to be on speed dial. The penalty boxes are being built. The hats are ready to be thrown. Yep, it’s hockey time.
