There are four big games tonight as the 2007-08 season gets under way in earnest. Hockey fans across the country I am sure enjoyed the weekend in London games but with a couple prime matchups in particular tonight…I think the fans are more than pumped for this.
Captain Pronger leads the Ducks into Detroit tonight.
There was no doubt last season who the Ducks leader was. Yes, Scott Niedermayer was the captain but Chris Pronger was the one who kept everyone going in the right direction. His physical play and lethal shot have made him one of the best 2 way players in the game. Some will question the hits he has made but his impact on the Ducks is undeniable. The Ducks split two games in London but honestly looked tired for Game 1. When Pronger leveled a hard body check on Scott Thornton early in the first period of Game 2…it sent a tone that led to the Ducks 4-1 victory. Anaheim looked more like the team it was last year…forechecking, physical play, timely finishing of scoring chances, and a solid power play. Tonight is no doubt a bigger test against Detroit and Dominik Hasek (the same team they eliminated in 6 tough games last year). Detroit clearly won’t be a pushover but neither will Anaheim.
Captain Sundin on a mission tonight.
Next up is the Battle of Ontario. Granted it is the first game of the season between these two teams but the blood always flows red in this rivalry. The Maple Leafs signed Sundin again for another tour of duty with the team which actually caused some question marks in the Toronto media. The fans up there are restless…it has been 40 years without a cup after all. They also know the stigma of having a European captain…which to me means nothing…but the media seems to always make a much bigger deal out of it than it really is. It is what makes Toronto entertaining…and as a fan of hockey you either love them or hate them…there really is no middle ground. As always, Sundin has a tall road ahead of him but with new goalie Vesa Toskala….there is hope that the Leafs’ fortunes can turn around this season and that they will at least make the playoffs. After that, all bets are likely off.
As for the Sens…don’t forget them. Captain Daniel Alfredsson is trying to recover from a nightmarish Stanley Cup Finals where his team just came up flat and with no answer to the Ducks onslaught. Scoring was okay but that entire team lost their head in that series which was what they were doing to playoff opponents up to that point. This may be a make or break year for the Sens with so many key UFA’s (Redden, Heatley, etc.) Who will eventually be the #1 in Ottawa may be a more looming question? Martin Gerber played unbelievable in the preseason and Ray Emery was uneven to say the least. Emery clearly is the starter but if he gets out of the gates real slow…does Ottawa pull the switch-a-roo?
Can Cam Ward get his groove back?
Yet another burning question in a myriad full of them is can a lighter Cam Ward be the answer to last year’s malaise in Carolina? After becoming only the second team in the modern era to miss the playoffs after winning the cup the year before…the Canes try to recover with basically the same team from the 06 run….even Matt Cullen is back. Will that mean success this season? In the wide open Southeast, anything is possible. Ward has dropped 20 pounds….Eric Staal has gone thru an extensive off season conditioning program and the team looks like it has much better chemistry and a hunger that seemed missing last year. However, the team they are playing tonight is Montreal and they are no pushover. Injuries destroyed their season last year but with Huet and Price in net….this team will be dangerous. With Saku Koivu leading them, Montreal, when healthy, is one of the better teams in the East so look out Carolina…tonight will be no easy task.
Sakic and the Avs have great expectations.
Joe Sakic takes his Avs into Dallas tonight to face Mike Modano and the Stars. The Avalanche nearly pulled off the impossible last year…going 15-2-2 down the stretch just barely missing out on the 8 seed to Calgary. Who knows what they might have done in the playoffs but hey that was last year. Peter Budaj clearly established himself as the #1 but now Jose Theodore is trying to get his mojo working or something…anything to save his career. Will it be a distraction? Probably not. The Avs are a pretty deep offensive team with the signing of Ryan Smyth and with the emergence of Paul Stastny last year….they are going to be a force to be reckoned with. A few hockey pundits and even me picked the Avalanche to outlast the Canucks and Wild and take the Northwest Division.
As for Dallas….the Stars had 107 points last season but 11 of those came via the shootout. For a team ranked 21st in scoring…not signing a premier offensive sniper has to hurt them worse especially with Mike Modano’s age (37) becoming an issue). How many nights can you expect Marty Turco to steal a game for you? That wears a goalie down come playoff time….and that goes for any goalie. Dallas will have to get the scoring somewhere and they, like Vancouver, may take a step backwards this season because of it.
As for me….yes I have to work tonight…but the tivo and DVR will be working overtime. Because alas there are multiple games on…and well hockey is life here even in Yucca Valley, California…at least for moi.
