Ryan said it was four long months and now it is back…..enjoy ladies and gentlemen and thank the man!
Happy hockey season, hockey fans! Today is the DAY!! The Morning Skate has returned, and it’s better than ever this season. Look for new features and more coverage on this daily blog all year long!
Today’s Slate:
Hurricanes vs. Wild, 12:00 ET (Helsinki)
Canadiens @ Maple Leafs, 7:00
Flyers @ Penguins, 7:00
Blackhawks @ Avalanche, 10:00
Flames @ Oilers, 10:00
Games of the Night:
Philadelphia Flyers @ Pittsburgh Penguins
7:00 ET… TV: Versus, Local Networks
2009/10 Season Series: 5-1 Penguins
Players to watch:
PHI- Nikolay Zherdev
How will Zherdev fare in his first game in a Flyers sweater?
PIT- Sidney Crosby
Sid has 56 points in 32 career games against Philadelphia.
Projected Goaltenders:
PHI- Sergei Bobrovsky (First NHL start)
PIT- Marc-Andre Fleury (09/10 stats: 37-21-6, 2.65 GAA)
Injury Report:
PHI- Chris Pronger (knee, doubtful), Michael Leighton (back, out), Ian Laperriere (head, out), Blair Betts (knee, probable)
PIT- Kris Letang (illness, questionable), Jordan Staal (foot, out), Arron Asham (shoulder, out)
Game Thoughts:
You know the Steel City will be jacked up tonight as they open up the new digs… a.k.a. ‘The House That Crosby Built’. I can definitely see Sid having a big game as they welcome hated rival Philadelphia to town. If you date back to the 2007/08 regular season, the Pens have won 20 of their last 27 against the Flyers (including playoffs). Pittsburgh starts with a bang tonight…
Prediction: Penguins 4, Flyers 2
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Chicago Blackhawks @ Colorado Avalanche
10:00 ET… TV: Versus, Local Networks
2009/10 Season Series: 3-1 Blackhawks
Players to watch:
CHI- Marian Hossa
Hossa has had Colorado’s number in his career.
COL- Chris Stewart
The Avs’ power forward broke out last year; can he repeat that success?
Projected Goaltenders:
CHI- Marty Turco (09/10 stats: 22-20-11, 2.72 GAA)
COL- Craig Anderson (09/10 stats: 38-25-7, 2.63 GAA)
Injury Report:
CHI- Brian Campbell (knee, out), Jack Skille (arm, questionable),
COL- Peter Mueller (concussion, out), David Koci (jaw, out)
Game Thoughts:
Chicago and Colorado played a lot of close games last year, and I expect to be the case again tonight. The Avalanche are celebrating the 1996 Cup team, so there will be a buzz in the air. I’m not expecting a fast start from the defending champs as they have a lot of new faces to create chemistry with. I’ll take the Avs in a shootout in their home opener.
Prediction: Avalanche 3, Blackhawks 2 (SO)
Lock of the Night:
Oilers over Flames… Going out on a bit of a limb and saying the Oilers are going to get a win over Calgary. Jarome Iginla and company swept the season series last year, but you know that will inspire the Oilers even more to come out flying tonight. They have had this game circled all summer. If you factor in that the Flames are banged up already, I think Tom Renney gets off on the right foot behind Edmonton’s bench.
The rest of today’s predictions:
Hurricanes over Wild
Maple Leafs over Canadiens
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Sausage Morning Links:
– ESPN… Pierre LeBrun has a great piece on Kris Versteeg adjusting to life in Toronto.
– USA Today… Kevin Allen shares some of his thoughts before the season starts.
– Puck the Media… Steve has an interesting take on how the East will shake out.
– Preds On The Glass… Buddy and Jackson make their Western Conference predictions for the year!
– Copper and Blue… Scott has the story of the Oilers turning to Shawn Horcoff as their next captain.
*You can follow us on Twitter @RLDhockey!
*Did you miss our radio show from Tuesday? No worries… you can always catch up on the archive!
