The 5 games we can’t wait to watch from 2020-21 NHL season openers
We have got some mouthwatering 2020-21 NHL season openers to look forward to.
Christmas came a couple of days early on Wednesday after the NHL released the full schedule for the 2020-21 season, and the first two nights are incredible to say the least.
While we will delve into certain teams’ schedules over the coming days, we want to focus today on the games that will be taking place on the opening two nights of the 2020-21 season.
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We wrote here how important it was for the NHL to put on a mouthwatering feast of compelling games on Opening Night, and they have duly delivered.
Five games will headline Opening Night on Jan. 13, 2021, with the reigning Stanley Cup Champions the Tampa Bay Lightning raising their second championship banner against the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Pittsburgh Penguins will then take on rivals the Philadelphia Flyers in the first of eight Battles of Pennsylvania, the Toronto Maple Leafs take on the Montreal Canadiens in the North Division, the Vancouver Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers do battle and then, finally, two heavyweights in the St. Louis Blues and the Colorado Avalanche meet in the West Division.
If that doesn’t whet the appetite and, I mean how can it not, then try on the slate of games on Jan. 14, 2021 for size.
A grand total of 11 games will take place on the second night of the season, featuring some mouthwatering matchups including New York Rangers against the New York Islanders, a Jack Eichel and Taylor Hall-led Buffalo Sabres team hosts the Washington Capitals and the Boston Bruins head to New Jersey to take on the Devils.
It is going to be a blistering start to the 2020-21 NHL season with unmissable action across the board, and we are going to run through the five games we can’t wait to watch from the Season Openers….
5. Anaheim Ducks @ Vegas Golden Knights, Jan. 14, 2021
Now, on paper, this doesn’t sound a particularly exciting game, especially for a season opener between these two teams.
However, while the Anaheim Ducks are still in rebuild mode, the Vegas Golden Knights are an absolute juggernaut and they are built to win right now.
That was perfectly illustrated during the offseason when they made another blockbuster move in Free Agency, signing elite defenseman Alex Pietrangelo to a seven-year, $61,600,000 contract and giving the Golden Knights a lethal one-two punch on the backend with Shea Theodore a fringe Norris Trophy caliber player.
Therefore, this game will be the first time we get to see Pietrangelo in a Golden Knights jersey and, for that reason alone, I can’t wait to tune into this one and see if Vegas looks the real deal now they have another legit star on an already talent-laden roster.