NHL Season Cliffs Notes
By Josh Provost
Love of Sports Correspondent
As you wake up this Thursday and go through your morning rituals, you may feel you’re forgetting something.
“Did I brush my teeth?” You check your breath. Minty fresh.
“Did I pack my lunch?” Turkey and cheese on wheat.
And then, just like that time you forgot you were supposed to read 1984 in ninth grade when you were playing video games the past three months, it hits you.
Hockey starts!!
Of course, it doesn’t garner as much analysis or fantasy knowledge as football or baseball, but if you want to be able to make your way though a conversation with that girl you met from Montreal, or your office puck head, read up on this cliffs notes version of some of the best reasons you should be following the greatest sport in the world.
Hockey Cliffs Notes
Original Six Teams
For the first time in a long time, all the original six teams are poised to have interesting seasons. In a league of expansion into unconventional hockey markets, it’s nice to see fans from traditional hockey towns having something to look forward to.
The Champion Red Wings
Detroit’s certainly always a contender and will look to defend their Stanley Cup bragging rights from a slew of hungry contenders. With a large core of veterans as well as some key offseason acquisitions, including Marion Hossa, the Wings are almost a surefire bet to make it deep in the playoffs yet again. Chris Osgood was a backup all last year until Dominik Hasek ran into trouble in the first round of the playoffs. From there, he helped Detroit win the Cup and secure his spot as the starting goalie this season.
Canadiens Look For #25
Montreal’s about as hockey as you can get. For the Canadians, it’s the drive for No. 25, as they look for their 25th Stanley Cup in the club’s 100th season in the league. Tough guy Georges Laraque adds muscle while Carey Price only gets better in the net. A slew of forwards, including Alex Kovalev, Alex Tanguay and Saku Koivu are sure to provide ample scoring.
The Bruins Are Contenders Again
Boston’s been a deprived hockey town for a long time, taking the back seat to the three other super teams in the so-called Hub of Hockey. It finally looks like the Bruins have the base of their team built. While making the playoffs and taking Montreal to seven games was a big step last year, look for them to take it up a notch yet again. Patrice Bergeron and Manny Fernandez are back from injuries and should help out a ton. Impact rookies like Milan Lucic are a year older and wiser. Chara and emerging rearguard Dennis Wideman will anchor the blue line.
The Rangers Rebuild
New York took some hard losses, seeing Jaromir Jagr and Sean Avery move on, but the Rangers now look towards Scott Gomez and Chris Drury for their offensive production. Henrik Lundqvist’s been nominated for the Vezina Trophy the past three seasons, and this year hopes to see him make his case again with one of the most solid blue line units in the league in front of him.
Sorry, Maple Leaf Fans
Toronto’s given its fan base a decent amount of headaches over the past few seasons. This year, the Maple Leaf followers aren’t getting too excited, either, but they’re starting to re-build from the ground up. Mats Sundin isn’t a player they can replace, but forwards Nik Antropov and Alexi Ponikarovsky will certainly try to shoulder the scoring load. Tomas Kaberle and Pavel Kubina will provide scoring opportunites from the blue line, and Vesa Toskala is more than capable of keeping the Leafs in every game they play.
Youngsters Make Hawks Exciting
Chicago now has its eyes on the Blackhawks again, as youngsters Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews make hockey worth watching in the Windy City once more. Signing defenseman Brian Campbell and goalie Christobal Huet will certainly help stabilize the Hawks’ end. The Winter Classic also takes place in Chicago this season, as the Blackhawks show off their new favorite team on beloved Wrigley Field against their fellow original sixer, Detroit.
Barry Is Back
Mullet extraordinaire Barry Melrose has given up his job as a desk jockey at ESPN to go back to coaching for the Tampa Bay Lightning. After two games in Europe, he’s already singling out his star players and causing the pot to boil with regulars like Vinny Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis. “Jamie Heward, the first cut in camp. We bring him back and he’s playing 20 minutes and he’s better than some guys who are making millions of dollars, because he competes and he keeps it simple. We just have to get our great players playing as hard as our lesser players and we’ll be fine.” Said Melrose of his new club.
Penguins Hangover
You might expect the young Pittsburgh Penguins to start the season reeling from a hard loss in the Stanley Cup Finals, but the Pens should have no problem in bouncing back to make another Run. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will dominate the offensive ranks while experienced defensemen will keep guard on the blue line. Look for Marc Andre-Fleury to make this year his breakout performance in becoming a premier goaltender in the league.
That should be enough to get your started. If you get yourself into any sticky situations just smile politely and agree with the person you’re talking to. Unless they claim Melrose knows how to dress, that is.
OTHER TOP STORIES
--Why We Love Carrie Milbank, Sports Hottest Host
--MLB’s Potential Hall of Fame Class of 2014
--NCAA’s Top 15 Underclassmen QBs
--Why We Love The Black Shirts of Nebraska
--Upon Further Review - Panthers Defense #1
--NHL Pacific Division Preview
--A Football Autumn in Buffalo
Comments
Post a Comment