2013: The NHL season that almost wasn't

Why in the hell do we get Ducks and Canucks on Saturday night to open the season? Welcome back! Here's a game only people in Vancouver may care about! First two games look great, but it's like they ran out of ideas for the late game. Not objecting to the Canucks, but why the Ducks?

 

Should have been Oilers and Flames. Fuck the Canucks

 

I was trying to avoid outright homerism, but Even Canucks and Flames woud have been better. Go three-for-three on the all-Canadian matchups out of the gate on national TV in Canada. Flames and Oilers would have made me a very happy man.

 

The only think I can think of is must be a bitch to get this shortened schedule in but you're right, it doesn't make a lot of sense.

 

I figure it is a scheduling challenge, but it doesn't seem like it would be too difficut to swap out the one game. IMO. But I suppose we shouldn't expect much from the NHL at this point.

 

Weird.

Edmonton plays in Vancouver and Sharks are in Calgary on Sunday.

Oilers and Flames play next Saturday night

 

That adds to the confusion for me. Edmonton and Anaheim couldn't be swaped out in Vancouver on Saturday and Sunday

 

It wouldn't seem it should be that difficult to switch those weekend dates.

 

There are a lot of quirks in the schedule. I noticed one team I follow is playing not far from here twice... in THE SAME WEEK!!!

I know a lot of multi-purpose arenas have dates set well in advance, so what I strongly suspect happened was one of those dates was originally a non-conference game that was substituted. I suspect that as recently as two weeks ago, lots of arena managers were figuring there wouldn't be a season at all.

 

For the record, season's first goal of the season is scored by Patrick Kane of Chicago on a 5-on-3 powerplay.

 

Figures that the season after the Kings win their first Stanley Cup they get only 48 games to skate around North America as champions.

 

You know, at first I was ticked about the schedule. But the more closely I look, I don't mind that much. 48 games is ample sample size that the good teams are still going to get to the playoffs and then it's game on. I suppose a major injury could alter the look of a team's season more than normal.

The major drawback to the schedule is we won't have a single game between Eastern and Western Conference teams until the Final. Would have preferred only two games against other divisions in your conference and a few non-conference games. But, hey, given the alternative, I'll take this.