NHL Season Kicks Off

Fall is our Spring. NHL fans, that is.

Many have written that Spring, a time of renewal, synergizes so poetically with baseball. As flowers and grass begin to sprout, so, too, do the pennant hopes of every Major League Baseball team.

If you're a NHL fan, you know this is a case of, "different but same." The leaves on the trees may be dying, but your hope springs eternal - this IS the year.

This morning, I sat in the NHL's daily editorial meeting, held each morning so that our staff may be in lock-step about what is important to our fans. At the meeting's conclusion, our venerable PR guy Gary Meagher - sorry, Gary, you are venerable in this context - asked each of us at the table which team we predict will be Stanley Cup Champion. Of 10 respondents there were 10 different answers.

Hope truly springs eternal, across the League.

If you're in Pittsburgh, you believe that a young Stanley Cup champion team will be even better with one more year - and a championship - under its belt. Detroiters, you know that your team has enough for at least one more kick at the can. Washington, you have the game's most electric performer and you were within a whisker of advancing last season. Boston and Chicago, you are rejuvinated and on the upswing. St. Louis and LA, expectations have risen. Toronto, you have the Burkie Factor. Columbus, you now know what it takes. Calgary and San Jose, there are no more excuses.

Just throw a dart at a NHL map and you'll hit a city that has big aspirations for its NHL team, whether its a Stanley Cup or simply a playoff berth.

On Thursday night, the curtain lifted on the NHL's 92nd season and underscored why, if you're a hockey fan, you have good reason to Live Every Shift.

Boston, an Eastern Conference favorite, opened at home against Washington. Despite the Bruins' Norris Trophy defenseman Zdeno Chara and Vezina-winning goaltender Tim Thomas, Capitals' All-Planet forward Alex Ovechkin stole the show with a pair of goals in a 4-1 win.

Montreal and Toronto, whose rivalry pre-dates even poutine (according to Wikipedia, anyway), needed extra time before the Canadiens wrested a 4-3 decision from the Leafs in OT.

With two of the best goaltenders on the planet minding shop for Vancouver and host Calgary, the Canucks and Flames combined for eight goals against Messrs. Luongo and Kiprusoff in Calgary's 5-3 win.

And Colorado, considered a team in transition, took inspiration from former Captain Joe Sakic last night in overwhelming Western Conference super-heavyweight San Jose 5-2.

Eight more teams are in action on Friday night, before all 30 take to the ice today in a fitting ceremonial kickoff to the season. Frank Sinatra once sang that the Autumn of the years was like, "vintage wine, from fine old kegs." Clearly, Ol' Blue Eyes was a hockey guy.

And so are we.