It’s the best day of the entire year; a day where hope springs eternal for, almost, every fan (poor Sens fans). A day where little boys and girls gather ‘round the TV in hopes that dangles, snipes and cellys will abound and their goalie will come up with the highlight, game-winning save.
I am, of course, referring to the start of the NHL season.
With one of the most interesting and tumultuous offseasons in recent years coming to a close, every fan can now push all the background chatter to the side and fixate on the game which brings us all so much joy. Though, some franchises (Detroit, Ottawa, etc.) don’t have dreams of playoff berths, every fan is waiting with bated breath and anticipation to see what this past summers transactions have brought.
With four games slated for tonight (Montreal-Toronto, Boston-Washington, Calgary-Vancouver, Anaheim-San Jose), we’ll get our first glimpse at some of the biggest story lines from the past couple months. How will John Tavares fit with his new Maple Leafs teammates and how long will it take to mesh? I’m going with a multi-point performance in his debut.
How hungover are the Capitals and can they repeat? Beer is mostly water so it’s gotta be a post-workout supplement.
Is Bill Peters a real NHL coach? So long as shots count as fractional points.
How good will Erik Karlsson be when he doesn’t have to carry the entire team? Norris anyone…?
All these questions, and so many more, will be put to bed during the 2018-2019 NHL season.
LET’S GO!!!