The 2020-21 NHL season kicks off on Wednesday with five games scheduled, including defending Stanley Cup champions Tampa Bay Lightning hosting the Chicago Blackhawks.
[PROJECTED LINEUPS FOR TODAY’S GAMES]
PENGUINS (0-0-0) at FLYERS (0-0-0)
5:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN1
The regular season kicks off with the first of eight Battle of Pennsylvania games scheduled in the MassMutual East Division. The Philadelphia Flyers have won their past four season openers since 2016-17, including a 4-3 win against the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2019 NHL Global Series at the O2 Arena in Prague, Czech Republic on October 4, 2019. Carter Hart, The 22-year-old goalkeeper from Philadelphia, and Tristan Jarry, a 25-year-old who is the new No. 1 goalkeeper for the Pittsburgh Penguins, could be faces in this rivalry for a long time. Centers Evgeni Malkin (15 points; five goals, 10 assists) and Sidney Crosby (14 points; six goals, eight assists) are third and fourth respectively in Penguins’ history for points in season opening games behind Mario Lemieux (20 points; six goals, 14 assists) and Jaromir Jagr (16 points; three goals, 13 assists) ).
Status Report
Penguins to the front Kasperi Kapanen and Flyers defender Shayne Gostisbehere are not available due to the COVID-19 protocol.
CANADIENS (0-0-0) at MAPLE LEAFS (0-0-0)
7 p.m. ET; SN, TVAS, SN, NHL.TV
Joe Thornton begins his 23rd NHL season and first for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the 41-year-old could make his left-wing debut on par with Auston Matthews and Mitchell Marner. Matthews has scored 11 points (nine goals, two assists) in four season openers and is one of four players to start his NHL career by scoring a goal in his team’s openers in four consecutive seasons (Dit Clapper, Dave Andreychuk and Sergei Fedorov). The Montreal Canadiens reveal a revamped roster with the additions of attackers Tyler Toffoli and Josh Anderson, defender Joel Edmundson and goalkeeper Jake Allen, which Carey Price will support.
Status Report
The Maple Leafs had an optional morning skate … The Canadiens had a full morning skate.
BLACKHAWKS (0-0-0) at LIGHTNING (0-0-0)
8 p.m. ET; NBCSN
The defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning comes without an attacker Nikita Kucherov for the season due to hip surgery. Come on Steven Stamkos will be in the lineup after recovering from a core muscle injury that kept him out of all but one Stanley Cup final matches. The Blackhawks start the season without a captain Jonathan Toews (medical issue), who is absent indefinitely, and center Kirby Dach (right wrist surgery), which is off for 4-5 months. Come on Patrick Kane has scored 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) in 13 NHL season openers, tied with Washington Capitals ahead Alex Ovechkin (18 points; 11 goals, seven assists) for most active NHL players.
Status Report
Blackhawks center Carl Soderberg had his visa issues approved and is going through a mandatory seven-day quarantine in Chicago. … Lightning ahead Tyler Johnson and defender Luke Schenn are expected to return to the lineup on Friday after waivers were cleared.
CANUCKS (0-0-0) at OILERS (0-0-0)
10 p.m. ET; SN, SN1, TVAS2, NHL.TV
The Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers open against each other for the second consecutive season after the Oilers defeated the Canucks 3-2 on October 2, 2019. Vancouver is led by the 22-year-old center. Elias Pettersson and 21-year-old defender Quinn Hughes. They also have Thatcher Demko, a 25-year-old goalkeeper who is expected to start the season in a timeshare Braden Holtby. Leon Draisaitl, last season voted the winner of the Hart Trophy as the NHL MVP, and Connor McDavid lead the Oilers after the centers finished first and second in the NHL in last season’s scoring (Draisaitl, 110 points; McDavid, 97 points).
Status Report
Goalkeeper Mikko Koskinen starting for the Oilers… Coach Travis Green did not announce whether Holtby or Demko will start for the Canucks. … Edmonton signed a one-year, $ 700,000 contract with Devon Shore, placing him on waivers.
BLUES (0-0-0) at AVALANCHE (0-0-0)
10:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN
Two of the best teams in the Western Conference last season faced each other in their first of eight scheduled games in the Honda West Division, starting with the opener at Ball Arena. Torey Krug will make his debut for the St. Louis Blues after the defender played seven full seasons for the Boston Bruins. The Blues also added forward Mike Hoffman, who has scored at least 20 goals in six consecutive seasons and named center captain Ryan O’Reilly after defender Alex Pietrangelo who signed with the Vegas Golden Knights. The Colorado Avalanche is considered one of the top contenders for the Stanley Cup, and center Nathan MacKinnon, a Hart Trophy finalist last season, said he believes they are more than capable of winning it.
Status Report
The Blues emerged Vladimir Tarasenko on LTIR and promoted Jordan Kyrou and Mackenzie MacEachern from the taxi team to the active schedule. … Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said Erik Johnson did not participate in the camp because the defender tested positive for COVID-19. He will return on Saturday if all goes well.