The NHL season for 2013-14 is ready to kick off on Tuesday with a number of exciting games, including the Stanley Cup champions Chicago Blackhawks in action against the Washington Capitals and the team will raise its championship banner before the game.
The NHL has three games going on for opening night, including the Molson Canadian NHL Face-Off between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens and the league will also have the Winnipeg Jets and the Edmonton Oilers playing in an all-Canada matchup to start things off. The majority of teams playing made the postseason last season and the Blackhawks will be trying to match the record start they had last season.
The Maple Leafs and Canadiens game will be broadcast on CBC at 7:00 PM and then will be followed by the Jets and Oilers later at 10 pm, while the Blackhawks and Capitals game will be at 8 pm on the NBC Sports Network. The Hawks were picked by Sports Illustrated as the Stanley Cup champs again and made their cover, something many have said is a jinx and now they will get to start the season up against Alex Ovechkin and company.
Last season the Blackhawks went 36-7-5 and earned 77 points as the top seed in the west and the team went on to win the Cup in dramatic fashion after making a comeback against the Detroit Red Wings and now they will try to make it three Cups in a short period of time after winning their second last season. The opening game will be at the United Center and comes after the team played the Caps in the preseason
Last season the team was ranked second in goals per game and first in goals against and third in penalty kill percentage and the only one of the main four where they weren't in the top five was power play percentage, where they ranked 19th. The team should improve in that area and they hope to have Marian Hossa for the first game, as he could be out with an injury. According to ESPN.com, Hossa said that he will be trying to play in the game and that he wants to be 100 percent for the team when the season begins. Hossa was thought to need surgery after the playoffs with a back issue, but he says that the two are unrelated.
From ESPN:
"I believe so, yeah," Hossa said of playing in the season opener on Tuesday against the Washington Capitals. "We'll see how it goes. I try to go day by day. It's been a long year for me, lots of hockey games. The last few years were so many hockey games for me. I want to make sure I take care of my body the right way. If I have to miss a couple [of games], I'll do that. But if I can play, I feel 100 percent, I'll play."