The 2021 NHL Season got underway and buddy is it great to have it back. Five opening night games including a three in a row on national TV from 5:30pm on. Early weekday hockey during the bubble was marvelous so its nice the NHL is going to have a little more of it this season than in seasons past. The more NBCSports triple headers the better.
FLYERS 6–3 Penguins
The first puck drop of the season. Awesome rivalry to start thins off. Flyers could very much win the whole damn thing this season and they start the year off with a shit kicking of my Pens. The game was actually much better than the score indicates. Brandon Tanev tied the game at 3 early in the third period but the Flyers ended the game with 3 unanswered including two that came within 20 seconds of each other by Travis Konecny and Kevin Hayes. When ‘The Best One’ is doing things like this on the ice I’m not sure what other teams can do to stop the Flyers.
MAPLE LEAFS 5–4 Canadiens
Game of the night. Maple Leafs fell down 3–1 midway in the second period after a Tomas Tatar power play goal. About 3 minutes later Wayne Simmonds drop the gloves in his debut and gave Ben Chiarot the buisness. The Leafs went on the close the period with 2 goals and tie up the game. William Nylander may have been player of the game with 2 tucks and an assist but that Simmonds scrap absolutely fired up the boys and was the turning point in this game for Toronto. Morgan Riley ended things in OT and Toronto an opening night win.
LIGHTNING 5–1 Blackhawks
Not a bad way to start off the cup defense. It SUCKED for the Lightening players to have a cup ceremony and raise the banner without the fans in the building. It was one thing to go through the playoffs without them but the cup was the end game and thats what they were playing for, fans in the stands or not. Tonight, those guys deserved a true celebration with their fans, and their fans deserved to be there going bananas for the Bolts. Those players missed unfortunately missed out on another special moment in their careers missing that one extra touch. They didnt seem too bothered however as the pumped three 1st period goals by the Blackhawks and didn’t look back after that.
CANUCKS 5–3 Oilers
Nils Hoglander, who impressed in camp, scored in his NHL debut and Adam Guadette and Boeser added back to back third period goals enroute to beating Edmonton. The Oilers cut the lead to 4–3 halfway through the final period but Brock Boeser netted his second of the period to give Vancouver another 2 goal cushion. These two teams are back at it tomorrow.
BLUES 4–1 Avalanche
The Avs got thing going with an early PP goal but it was all St. Louis after that. 4 unanswered, started by Oskar Sundqvist and finished by Oskar Sundqvist. Jordan Bennington didn’t let anything by him after the 1st period goal. Nice win from the Blues in a matchup of two teams who expect to be at the top of the West.
