Storylines are abundant as league’s 101st season begins
St. Louis downs Pittsburgh in OT
The 101st NHL season opened Wednesday night and there are endless storylines to follow. The Associated Press asked a handful of its writers to suggest some of the top things to watch as play gets underway:
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS.
Adding Patrick Marleau gives a much-needed veteran presence to a youth-laden team that has designs on not simply making the playoffs, but winning several rounds.
JACK EICHEL. Having put contract talks behind him after agreeing to an eight-year, $80 million contract extension Tuesday, it’s now on the Buffalo Sabres’ franchise player to begin performing to expectations — the team’s and his own. Eichel acknowledged his first two NHL seasons were “mediocre.” — John Wawrow in Buffalo, N.Y.
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS. After hoisting the Stanley Cup in 2015 for the third time in a six-year stretch of success, was last year’s first-round exit an aberration? How will Jonathan Toews respond after an off year?
CONNOR McDAVID. Will the 20-year-old reigning MVP put together a second straight 100-point season and help the Edmonton Oilers qualify for the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time since 1997-2001? Or will he cool off? — Larry Lage in Detroit WASHINGTON CAPITALS. Will Alex Ovechkin and the big guns score enough and Braden Holtby stop enough to keep them a solid playoff team and a Stanley Cup contender?
STEVEN STAMKOS. The Tampa Bay Lightning captain was a point-a-game player before his horrific knee injury last season. If he returns to form they’ll be scary. — Stephen Whyno in Washington
GOLDEN ERA. The expansion Vegas Golden Knights open their inaugural season and it will be interesting to see how Las Vegas embraces its first major professional sports franchise.
BY THE BOOK. No timeouts after icing and no line changes for teams that commit the infraction. Closer attention from the officials on slashing. But the biggest rule change might be the crackdown on face-off violations, which has already led to some preseason grumbling.
MIGHTY PENGUINS. The elephant in the room, of course: Can Pittsburgh become the first team to win three championships in a row since the Islanders dynasty of the early 1980s? Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang are back for a try.
Notes
CAPITALS: With what he called a chip on his shoulder, Alex Chiasson showed Washington more than enough in training camp and the preseason to earn a contract. Chiasson got one Wednesday, a $660,000, one-year deal after making the team on a professional tryout agreement. The 27-year-old winger who was not tendered a contract offer as a restricted free agent after last season by the Calgary Flames is sticking in the NHL with his fourth team.
SABRES: Jack Eichel says he has a lot to offer and even more to prove after the Buffalo Sabres center agreed to the richest contract in franchise history. Eichel says he’s humbled after agreeing to an eight-year, $80 million contract extension and is looking forward to spending the next nine seasons in Buffalo. The 20-year-old says he owes it the city, the team’s fans and his teammates to help deliver a winner. PREDATORS: Nashville signed Harry Zolnierczyk to a one-year, two-way contract keeping the 30-year-old forward with the franchise.
The Predators announced the deal Wednesday. Zolnierczyk will be paid based on a $650,000 contract when on the Predators’ roster and $150,000 when assigned to Milwaukee in the AHL.
Wednesday night
BLUES 5, PENGUINS 4 (OT): In Pittsburgh, Alex Pietrangelo beat Matt Murray 1:15 into overtime to give St. Louis a victory over Pittsburgh.
The Blues recovered after letting a two-goal, third-period lead slip away when Pietrangelo’s shot from the slot hit Murray and slipped under the crossbar for his second goal of the game.
Sidney Crosby and Conor Sheary scored 54 seconds apart in the third to tie it, but the Penguins couldn’t complete the comeback on a night the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions raised the franchise’s fifth Cup banner to the rafters at PPG Paints Arena.
MAPLE LEAFS 7, JETS 2: In Winnipeg, Manitoba, Patrick Marleau scored twice in his Maple Leafs debut as Toronto beat Winnipeg.
New Jets goalie Steve Mason, formerly of Philadelphia, was pulled after Marleau’s second goal 36 seconds into the third period, having allowed five goals on 20 shots. Connor Hellebuyck stopped nine of 11 shots in relief.