After a long wait, last night the puck finally dropped to start the abbreviated 2013/14 NHL season..and what a start!
With some great rivalries on the schedule for night one, it was enough to make true hockey fans salivate when looking at the match ups. With a rematch of one of last seasons great pairings, Pittsburgh started the season on the road, heading to Philly seeking payback for the early playoff exit they handed them in the Eastern Conference quarter finals..and they delivered with an impressive 3-1 victory. Boston Bruins and New York Rangers faced off in the American original 6 match up, in a hard fought battle in which the Bruins edged New York 3-1..interesting to note that Rask got the start for Boston on that one. Meanwhile the 2 Canadian original six teams also squared off in Montreal, where my beloved Maple Leafs played an impressively sound defensive game to edge out the Habs by a 2-1 margin.
And not only did the night feature some great team matchups, but some interesting individual storylines got a little more interesting when you look at what happened in Vancouver where goaltending heir apparent Cory Schnieder got shell shocked giving up 5 goals in just 14 shots before finally getting the yank to get replaced by Roberto Luongo..can you say goaltending controversy? And it was a big night for a couple of the old boys as well..how about the old man in Aneheim, Teemu Selanne notching 2 goals and 2 assists in his season opener, and then the ever prolific Jaromir Jagr accomplishing the same in his Dallas Star debut, helping lead his squad to a 4-3 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes.
Although there were definitely signs of rustiness throughout the league in last nights seasons openers, there were also some moments of brilliance as well..and now that we got our whistle wet, I cant wait to tune in and see what other excitement this season has to offer!