The National Hockey League will open its regular season on Oct. 2, as multiple teams will be competing during the first week of play.
The Eastern Conference will open with the Detroit Red Wings facing off against the Buffalo Sabres. While the game seems evenly matched, the lack of defense for the Red Wings might prove challenging. How Detroit will play in this opening game brings a few questions to mind, specifically how they will adjust to their size disadvantages, namely against Buffalo, Boston and Toronto. Furthermore, what will the offseason additions Daniel Alfredsson and Stephen Weiss bring to the team?
Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Lightning haven’t seen the Eastern Conference Finals in two years, finishing the 2013 season with just 40 points. The Colorado Avalanche and the Florida Panthers were the only other teams to finish with fewer points. With their offense averaging at 3.06 goals a game, they also allowed 3.06 goals a game. While only the Blackhawks and the Penguins scored more than Tampa’s 147 goals for the season, they were ranked 26th in goals against. But the Lightning plans to turn that around this season as it spent most of its summer buying out the contract of star captain, Vincent Lecavalier. They also signed Valtteri Filppula, pulling him away from their new division rivals in Detroit.
One of the bigger questions this season will be whether or not the Bruins can make a return trip back to the Stanley Cup Final. While they traded away their former second-overall pick Tyler Seguin to Dallas, they brought back Loui Eriksson. While Seguin may be good, Eriksson is better for the Bruins in both the present and the long run for now. Even though the season has just started, preseason odds have the Bruins calculated to win the Stanley Cup at an odd of 9-1. Just ahead are the Blackhawks with 7-1 and the Pittsburgh Penguins with 6-1 odds.
Despite being called the weaker of the two conferences, the Eastern Conference is sure to be an interesting group of teams to watch. With explosive teams like the Bruins and Penguins trying to return to the final, as well as the Lightning looking to find its groove and return to the postseason for the first time in three years, this season will definitely be an intense one that hockey fans love.
Grant Pawlak can be reached at grant.pawlak@spartans.ut.edu.