The 2020-21 NHL season begins Wednesday with five games on the program, including defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning hosting the Chicago Blackhawks.
[PROJECTED LINEUPS FOR TODAY’S GAMES]
PENGUINS (0-0-0) by FLYERS (0-0-0)
17:30 ET; NBCSN, SN1
The regular season begins with the first of eight Battle of Pennsylvania games hosted in the MassMutual East Division. The Philadelphia Flyers have won their last four season starts since 2016-17, including a 4-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2019 NHL Global Series at the O2 Arena in Prague, Czech Republic on October 4, 2019. Carter Hart, The 22-year-old Philadelphia goalkeeper, and Tristan Jarry, a 25-year-old who introduced the new no. 1 goalkeeper for the Pittsburgh Penguins can be long faces in this rivalry. Center Evgeni Malkin (15 points; five goals, 10 shots) and Sidney Crosby (14 points; six goals, eight assists) are third and fourth in the Penguins’ history for points in the season-opening games behind Mario Lemieux (20 points; six goals, 14 assists) and Jaromir Jagr (16 points; three goals, 13 respectively) assistant).
Status report
Penguins forward Kasperi Kapanen and Flyers defender Shayne Gostisbehere is not available due to COVID-19 protocol.
CANADIENS (0-0-0) by MAPLE LEAFS (0-0-0)
19:00 ET; SN, TVAS, SN, NHL.TV
Joe Thornton begins his 23rd NHL season and first for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the 41-year-old can line up on his left wing with Auston Matthews and Mitchell Marner. Matthews has scored 11 points (nine goals, two assists) in four seasons and is one of four players to start his NHL career by scoring a goal in his team’s openings in four consecutive seasons (Dit Clapper, Dave Andreychuk and Sergei Fedorov). The Montreal Canadiens unveils a revamped list with the addition of forwards Tyler Toffoli and Josh Anderson, defender Joel Edmundson and goalkeeper Jake Allen, which will back Carey Price.
Status report
The Maple Leafs held an optional morning skate … The Canadiens had a full morning skate.
BLACKHAWKS (0-0-0) by LIGHTNING (0-0-0)
20:00 ET; NBCSN
Defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning will be without a forward Nikita Kucherov for the season due to hip surgeries. Forward Steven Stamkos will be in the series after recovering from a core muscle injury that kept him out of the Stanley Cup 2020 game except for one game. The Blackhawks start the season without a captain Jonathan Toews (medical problem), which is indefinite, and central Kirby Dach (surgery on the right wrist), which is 4-5 months out. Forward Patrick Kane scored 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) in 13 NHL season starters, tied with Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin (18 points; 11 goals, seven assists) for most among active NHL players.
Status report
Blackhawks Center Carl Soderberg abandons his visa issues and goes through a mandatory seven-day quarantine in Chicago. … Lightning forward Tyler Johnson a defender Luke Schenn will return to the series on Friday after removing the pardon.
CANUCKS (0-0-0) by OILERS (0-0-0)
22:00 ET; SN, SN1, TVAS2, NHL.TV
Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers open for the second consecutive season after the Oilers defeated the Canucks 3-2 on October 2, 2019. Vancouver is led by the 22-year-old center Elias Pettersson and 21-year-old defender Quinn Hughes. They also have Thatcher Demko, a 25-year-old goalkeeper who is expected to start the season in a time trial Braden Holtby. Leon Draisaitl, last season selected as the winner of the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP, and Connor McDavid leads the Oilers after the centers finished first and second in the NHL when they scored last season (Draisaitl, 110 points; McDavid, 97 points).
Status report
Goalkeeper Mikko Koskinen with the start for the Oilers … Coach Travis Green has not announced whether Holtby or Demko will start for the Canucks. … Edmonton entered into Devon Shore for a $ 700,000 one-year contract and placed him on waivers.
BLUES (0-0-0) by AVALANCHE (0-0-0)
22:30 ET; NBCSN
Two of the top teams in the Western Conference last season go head to head in their first of eight games in the Honda West division starting at Ball Arena. Torey Krug will for the St. The Louis Blues make their debut after the defender played seven full seasons for the Boston Bruins. The Blues also added Mike Hoffman, who has scored at least 20 goals in six consecutive seasons and center Ryan O’Reilly has been named captain after defender Alex Pietrangelo signed with the Vegas Golden Knights. The Colorado Avalanche is considered a leading candidate for the Stanley Cup, and center Nathan MacKinnon, a finalist of the Hart Trophy last season, said he believes they are more than capable of winning it.
Status report
The Blues Happened Vladimir Tarasenko on LTIR and forwards promoters Jordan Kyrou and Mackenzie MacEachern from the taxi team to the active roster. … Jared Bednar, coach of the avalanche, said Erik Johnson did not participate in the camp because the defender tested positive for COVID-19. He will return on Saturday if all goes well.