It’s been a while since the Colorado Avalanche hoisted the Stanley Cup above their head. It’s time to get going, and the 2022-23 National Hockey League regular season indeed gets going this afternoon…at the O2 Arena in Prague. It’s the 2022 NHL Global Series, and the Sharks and Predators will take turns being the home team. San Jose missed the playoff cut by a wide margin last season, while Nashville were swept in the first round by the Avalanche.
Game 2 of the NHL season is set to go at the O2 Arena in Prague as part of the 2022 NHL Global Series. This time around, the San Jose Sharks are the home team, facing the Nashville Predators. The rest of the NHL teams open up their respective campaigns later this week.
It’s been a busy and highly successful two and a half years for the Tampa Bay Lightning. They won the Stanley Cup during the Bubble Season of 2020 and then repeated as champs in 2021. This past spring, the Bolts came up just short against the Colorado Avalanche, who won the high-skill Stanley Cup Final showdown in 6 games. Tonight, the Lightning find themselves in Manhattan to tangle with the New York Rangers. It’s going to be tough to get back to the Cup Final in the contentious Eastern Conference, and right out of the gate, the exciting young Rangers face off against one of their Eastern foes. It’s an early test for a Rangers’ team that has designs on going deep in the playoffs this spring.
It’s all about the playoffs for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but they have to get there first. Nobody expects the Leafs to miss the post-season; they are expected to finish anywhere from first to third in the Atlantic Division. Reams of articles have been written about their inability to escape the first round. Suffice to say they’re well aware of it, and tonight in Montreal, they begin their long march towards April, facing an ancient foe who will probably be in or near the basement again this season. Les Canadiens are building for the future.
The new-look Calgary Flames open up at home against the Avalanche, who played their home opener the night before against Chicago. Colorado swapped out their goaltenders; Calgary swapped out their superstars. Expectations are heavy for both squads. Can Calgary take top spot in the Pacific Division again (and go further in the playoff this time around), and can Colorado repeat as Stanley Cup Champions?
While Tampa are still a strong contender to win the Stanley Cup this spring, what to make of the Columbus Blue Jackets? 115-point free agent forward Johnny Gaudreau penned a big deal with the Jackets, and the team also got sniper Patrick Laine to sign on the dotted line for the next four seasons. That alone should boost the Jack Attack, which was 14th in the NHL last season. It’s the D the team needs to work on; 28th overall in 2021-22. Does Columbus make the playoffs? A good start is paramount.
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