Praise be. The NHL regular season has returned.
I literally stopped everything and canceled all plans just so I could plant myself on the couch and watch four real, these-count-for-points hockey games last night and it was absolutely amazing. If you get me started about the Indians and how they make the summer seem a little shorter (especially when they’re the best team in baseball, which they are) you’ll have me talking forever.
I love the Tribe, but damn, the NHL is part of my soul.
But with all due respect to the NHL, my eyes will be glued to Game 1 of the ALDS tonight. I want to be the first person to yell at Terry Francona for not starting Corey Kluber in the first game of a best-of-five series, but truth be told, Tito will turn out to be correct (per usual) and I will happily celebrate the start of the Indians’ postseason run.
So, let’s talk about some of those games.
Steve Mason looked horrific and I feel for him. It seemed like a poor choice on his part to choose the Winnipeg Jets in free agency, and equally questionable on their part to invest in Mason to be their No. 1 goalie. The Jets need capable and stable goaltending in the worst way and they chose a player whose play has been as stable as a three-legged chair. Winnipeg’s deep and talented group of forwards should be enough to get them back in the playoffs but man, I hope they don’t look back in April and goaltending gets in their way.
The Toronto Maple Leafs embarrassed the Jets on opening night and, at times, it didn’t look all that difficult.
I watched most of St. Louis-Pittsburgh and it was a hell of a game. Fast, risky, plenty of scoring chances and some not-good goaltending tends to make for fun hockey. Matt Murray and Jake Allen weren’t at their best, but the entertainment value was through the roof. The Blues were on the ropes after blowing a 4-2 lead late in the third period but needed only one chance in overtime to get the extra point.
No, I did not watch Flyers-Sharks.
AGELESS WONDER
It is beyond comprehension that Jaromir Jagr has just signed another NHL deal.
I’m going to make an extra effort this season to watch Calgary Flames games, merely to appreciate the living legend status of Jagr, who is amazingly still playing in the world’s best league at the age of 45.
Forty-five god damn years old. Unreal.
I hope I can make a full backswing at age 45.
The Flames look like they’re contenders in the Pacific Division. They’ll have to go through the Edmonton Oilers and probably the Anaheim Ducks, which is insane because the Ducks could dress Jared Boll and four other players and somehow be in the mix for the division crown. They’re in it every year. Adding Jagr is a nice little boost for Calgary, who wanted to add some depth up front, and one of the game’s greatest players of all-time isn’t your everyday addition.
SKILL AND THRILL
A friend and I engaged in a debate recently: is Artemi Panarin the most skilled player in Blue Jackets history?
He’s yet to play a regular season game for his new club, but the more I think about the question, the more I lean toward “yes.” It’s part due to Panarin just being gifted as hell and blessed with an ability to score goals and make plays where neither seem possible, and also because I’m not sure who I would place ahead of him.
In terms of raw skill, maybe Nikolay Zherdev? Sorry for the flashbacks.
This dude Panarin is going to enjoy logging a ton of minutes on the Blue Jackets’ power play. One thing I hope they figure out quickly is how to get Panarin the puck in a shooting position with more regularity; in the few preseason viewings I had, Panarin seemed to be floating and roaming to find open space and be ready for a one-timer but it never really materialized. If he can find shooting space and unleash his one-timer, it’s just another weapon for the Blue Jackets, who had a darn good power play for much of last season.
FIRE THE CANON
Today’s Star Wars anecdote is less of my own speculation and more so a recommendation.
I’ve read a ton of Star Wars books, both in the old canon (RIP, Expanded Universe) and the new canon. Some of the new canon stuff is kind of bland and is hard to keep up with, but I warmed up to the “Aftermath” trilogy in books two and three. “Bloodline” by Claudia Gray is probably the best Star Wars book I’ve ever read and it would be No. 1 on my list. It’s now out in paperback, by the way.
Next up for me is “Phasma” by Delilah S. Dawson and so far, so good. No spoilers here. I promise.
One of the most intriguing plot lines in the new trilogy is where the First Order comes from. We know they’re privately funded and assembled from the remnants of the Empire way out in the Unknown Regions…but whose money is this? Does Supreme Leader Snoke just show up and start being a supreme leader?
You Should Be Reading:
- Jeff Svoboda using haiku to preview each NHL team's season.
- A numerical/statistical look at Josh Anderson's impact.
- A detailed breakdown of the Blue Jackets' opening night roster.
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