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The quest for the Stanley Cup begins again as the NHL’s 99th season will get underway tonight.
The first match up of the season will take place in Toronto as the Maple Leafs welcome the Montreal Canadiens.
The Maple Leafs were swept by Montreal last season, losing all four games between the two. One of those losses ended with a shootout in the final game of the regular season.
But it’s a new season, and consistent shootouts are a thing of the past. Now the NHL has adopted its rules to accommodate more scoring in the regular season, as teams will play an additional five minute period of 3-on-3 in the event of a tie at the end of regulation. If no one scores, a shootout takes place. However, the rule change had a noticeable effect on the preseason; 42 goals were scored on 59 total 3-on-3 opportunities.
Tonight, the Canadiens will look to build on last year after finishing first in the NHL’s Atlantic Division. Last postseason, the Canadiens earned an early ticket home when they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games of the Eastern Quarterfinals.
Many experts pick Tampa Bay as the team to beat in the NHL East, a reasonable expectation for the runners-up in last season’s Stanley Cup Finals.
“I think that Tampa Bay is the best team in the East,” ESPN NHL analyst Barry Melrose says. “I think they basically stood pat. They’re as good now as they were last year.”
In the East, Melrose expects the Rangers to challenge the Lightning.
“They’re gonna be a playoff team, if Lundqvist plays well they can beat anybody.” Melrose said of New York’s goaltender. “Arguably, I think their defense is the best six-man unit in the NHL.”
New York will be tested early on tonight when they host the Blackhawks, the defending Stanley Cup champions.
In the West, Chicago will look to repeat this year after winning three of the past six Stanley Cups. (2010, 2013, 2015)
The Los Angeles Kings missed out on the playoffs last year after winning the Stanley Cup in 2014, an example of how competitive the NHL West is but according to Melrose, Kings’ fans shouldn’t be worried.
“A lot of times, if you just change your team a little bit, like the LA Kings..they could be right back in the Finals this year because of that lineup they have.”
The addition of veteran power forward Milan Lucic will certainly help the Kings put points on the board. LA starts their season tonight in a late game against San Jose when the Sharks visit Staples Center.
The NHL’s opening night will also feature a match up between two contenders in the West, when the Vancouver Canucks visit the Calgary Flames. Last postseason, the Canucks’ were eliminated by the Flames in the first round.
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