The NHL is back! Rejoice, hockey fans!
We are entering one of the best times of the year for sports. The NFL is well underway, the NHL regular season started today, the NBA season is on the horizon, and the MLB playoffs round it out to bring us awesome sports every night. Although I love the NFL (and it might be my favorite to watch), hockey is my favorite sport overall, and I am so happy it’s back.
My Bruins did not play tonight, as they’ll open up their season at home tomorrow against the Blackhawks, but there were three games tonight, and they have not disappointed. I figured that I’d give my main impression for each of those games to kick off the season.
Nashville Predators at Tampa Bay Lightning (Lightning win 5-3)
My takeaway: The Lightning powerplay looks elite.
Now, the powerplay is something that is pretty hard to judge off of one game, but the puck movement was excellent. Kucherov, Stamkos, and Hedman seemed to get good looks at the net with ease, Point and Paul were stationed in front to threaten from in tight, and Nashville’s penalty kill kept collapsing inwards with the movement, allowing Tampa to set up great chances. The result was a 2-for-5 night with Paul cleaning up the garbage into a gaping net twice. Tonight was a good sign for the Lightning as they look to maintain their status as an Atlantic Division power.
Chicago Blackhawks at Pittsburgh Penguins (Blackhawks win 4-2)
My Takeaway: Connor Bedard is already a star.
Of course I’m gonna talk about Bedard. How could I not? The kid came out for his rookie warm up lap with no helmet (not allowed, which he knew for sure and didn’t adhere because he knew he looked cool) and fit right in immediately. Yes, there were moments of rookie-ness, including him catching an edge and falling and him getting dumped by the benches, but he largely looked like he was in control. He was seeing a huge amount of ice time, and he was trusted to carry the puck and facilitate, even on the powerplay. It’s very rare to see a rookie “quarterbacking” the offense in the NHL, especially in his first game, but that seems to be the case for Bedard. What popped the most to me, though, was his shot. I knew it coming in, though; his shot/release was the most heralded part of his impressive game coming into the league. Although he wasn’t able to put one in, he had some shots that put Jarry on his heels in net. His shot is a bullet and it comes out so quick that he can be a threat from anywhere in the offensive zone. Although he didn’t score, he didn’t leave empty handed, as he picked up his first NHL point with an assist on a Ryan Donato goal. The kid is good,
Seattle Kraken at Vegas Golden Knights (Golden Knights win 4-1)
My Takeaway: No (immediate) Stanley Cup hangover in Vegas.
The Vegas Golden Knights have picked up right where they left off when they won the Cup in five games. They have controlled the pace and look very sharp right off the bat this season. As I write this, they’ve just wrapped up an impressive win in a game that never seemed in doubt. Their core from last year looked as strong as ever, with Eichel and Marchessault both tallying goals (along with Stephenson and Barbashev), and Stone grabbing two assists. Adin Hill looked very solid between the pipes as well. The team doesn’t have any glaring weaknesses. They look like they’re going to be a force to be reckoned with again in the West.
Ahhhhhh. It’s good to be back.