The 5 games we can’t wait to watch from 2020-21 NHL season openers

4. Chicago Blackhawks @ Tampa Bay Lightning, Jan. 13, 2021

Again, I’m more interested in this game for reasons more to do with the storylines surrounding it rather than the actual matchup itself.

I mean, the Tampa Bay Lightning will be raising their 2019-20 Stanley Cup banner for starters, and there will be fans in attendance with Amalie Arena allowing up to 23 percent capacity.

That is worth checking in on alone and the Lightning will also be keen to prove that they aren’t suffering from a championship hangover, although they will have to conduct their business without superstar winger Nikita Kucherov who will miss the entire 2020-21 regular season with a hip injury.

On the other hand, the Chicago Blackhawks are entering what appears to be a rebuild and they will start the new season without Corey Crawford in net, while they also traded forward Brandon Saad during the offseason.

However, Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are still vital members of this franchise, and the core four will no doubt do whatever they can to ensure that this isn’t a miserable year for Hawks fans, starting on Opening Night by beating the reigning Stanley Cup Champions.

3. Pittsburgh Penguins @ Philadelphia Flyers, Jan. 13, 2021

In what will be the first of eight Battle of Pennsylvania in a stacked East Division during the 2020-21 regular season, the first chapter in what will be a riveting series should be a mouthwatering one.

After all, it is Opening Night and what better way to pull the curtain back on a new season than by pitting together two arch rivals?!

Plus, this could be a meeting of a fading force against a rising power with the Pittsburgh Penguins perhaps seeing their win-now window close, while the Philadelphia Flyers may well just be entering theirs.

Having finally found their franchise netminder in Carter Hart and mixing youth and skill with experience perfectly, the Flyers are a team to watch and they could be on the cusp of something special.

Therefore, new spice will be injected into this rivalry and it all starts on Opening Night in what could be the most entertaining of the five matchups on the state.

Also, he may have his detractors but I’m a huge Sidney Crosby fan and the Pittsburgh Penguins Captain is always must-watch viewing.

2. Montreal Canadiens @ Toronto Maple Leafs, Jan. 13, 2021

You have to applaud the NHL when it comes to their Opening Night schedule because, quite frankly, they have hit it out of the park.

All five games will be worth watching and all boast various storylines, but it is the showdown between the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs that I’m really looking forward to.

With both teams in the all-Canadian Division, or the North Division as it is officially known, the Leafs and the Canadiens will lock horns on no less then 10 occasions during the 2020-21 regular season and each meeting could be crucial in the Playoff race.

And the season opener between these two Original Six franchises and Canadian powerhouses is captivating for a number of reasons.

Firstly, the Toronto Maple Leafs again enter a season with a boatload of pressure on their talent-laden offense to fire them to postseason glory, while the front office went out and added the likes of Wayne Simmonds, T.J. Brodie and Zach Bogosian during the offseason in order to make this team tougher to play against.

As did the Montreal Canadiens who now resemble a big bad bully in that they boast size and power all over the ice, and offseason addition Josh Anderson is perfectly suited for this team given how he plays the game.

Tyler Toffoli should add an extra scoring punch for the Canadiens and, with their young crop of prospects headlined by Nick Suzuki, this could be the year that Montreal makes some serious noise and becomes a legit powerhouse again.

So, it goes without saying that the first of 10 meetings between two of the most renowned sports brands out there will be one of the games we are most excited about on Opening Night.

However, it doesn’t quite match our excitement levels for this one…

1. New York Islanders @ New York Rangers, Jan. 14, 2021

Okay, so maybe I am biased because I am a New York Rangers fan, but give me a minute to explain my reasoning for having this Season Opener top of my list.

Firstly, the New York Islanders are a legit contender in the NHL and they are maybe a piece or two away from being an elite team that can consistently compete for championships.

They still need to re-sign RFA forward Mathew Barzal but that should be done by Training Camp, while teams just struggle to break down the stingy system put in place by Head Coach Barry Trotz.

Then you have the Ilya Sorokin factor with the goaltender finally set to be unleashed on the NHL and, if he has a strong Training Camp, then he could well be the starter come the Islanders’ Season Opener against the Rangers.

Speaking of the Blueshirts, it appears as though the New York Rangers are finally on their way back to being a powerhouse again after executing one of the best and quickest rebuilds in recent years.

While they still maybe have another development year or two to go, they are flush with talent particularly in the offensive zone and they will be led in 2020-21 by Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider and Kaapo Kakko.

And we haven’t even mentioned Alexis Lafreniere yet, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and the generational talent seems destined to take the NHL by storm from day one.

Plus, with a full year of phenom goalie Igor Shesterkin between the pipes, this could be an important year for the Rangers in their overall maturation process and they will hope to show that they aren’t too far behind their rivals.

These two teams will meet a lot during the regular season and this first meeting has the potential to be one of the most exciting games across the first two days of the 2020-21 NHL regular season.

What a way to start things.

What games are you most excited about on the opening two nights of the new season? Let us know in the comments below!