The Divisions have changed this year, so all the Canadian teams are in the North Division.

Last night watched the Ottawa Sens take on the Toronto Maple Leafs. To early to tell but it looks like their trades and draft picks are good for the Sens. Oh yay, they beat the Leafs 5-3.

Good start for the Flyers, taking two from the Pens. Outscored them 11-5. If they can replicate their form from the second half of last season I like their chances this year.

This is the first season I can recall in my lifetime where the Leafs are probably the most popular pick for the Cup. Can they handle the expectations? The realignment works in their favor and I like the squad they've put together, so it will be interesting to see how they handle it and their chances will pivot around their mentality.

The Leafs sure didn't have their act together last night. This is a major rivalry.

Yeah, good win for the Sens. I see Coburn is playing for you guys. Played for Philly for a long time.

The Leafs are interesting. We talk about them a lot here anyway!

I'm no fan, but looking at their team objectively it's intriguing. The Thorton signing is one that can go wildly either way. He has a fantastic pedigree, but father time always catches up eventually. I didn't see the game last night, but saw he was a minus 3. Add his 41 years to Spezza's 37 and that's a lot of mileage. Fewer games this season, but a higher pace I think, games coming faster? The Leafs have a lot riding on those two having solid seasons. I see Wayne Simmonds is a Leaf now. He's been bouncing around since he left Philly, fourth team in four years. Andersen has been a sieve in the early going and they'll need him to get right quick.

Not sure I'm buying the Leaf's Cup talk. This year will probably produce a surprise, it just feels inevitable. I like the Lightning still, even without Kucherov. That's a huge blow though and it's hard to repeat. With injuries and Covid protocol stuff through the season I wonder if Tampa can last. Like a long time out for Stamkos would really derail them with Kucherov also out. If Point continues his playoff form then maybe they won't miss a beat. I like the Avalanche too. Realignment favors them too I think and they have a great chance to come out as top seed. Sakic has the midas touch it seems. He has made some great roster moves over the past couple of seasons. Vegas, the Blues, Caps, Bruins and maybe a few more too all have a shot this year I think.

The Flyers are a darkhorse. I look at the roster and I don't think Cup winner. But Vigneault has done a fantastic job since he arrived. They were the best team in hockey in the second half of last season, and they're off to a great start this year. They've gotten back a couple players that missed all of last year in Nolan Patrick and Oskar Lindblom. Konecny is looking to be a better player than I predicted, hat trick last night. Both Giroux and Voracek look energized and Couturier is coming off a Selke. Provorov is going to be a star and Carter Hart is still only 22 and many have him favorite for the Vezina this year. And if not, you have to reckon on him taking several in the future, barring Flyer's voodoo derailing it all. The sum seems greater than the parts at this point, which is down to system, determination and effort I think, and it's great to see after so many years treading water (last Cup appearance 2010, lost to Blackhawks in six)

I bought NHL Center Ice, all I have done the last few days is watch hockey. I love it.
This will help get me through the lockdown.

The Leafs are not doing anything with an AHL level coach. They look lost in their own end.
Mind you they played well tonight. But the first 2 games were sh*t shows.

Colorado look like the favorite to win it all.
The Devils surprised me against the Bruins, twice. Blackwood looks like the real deal in net.

Montreal looks really good to. The Canadian division is going to be a blast to watch.

The best thing so far is during a post game interivew, Vorachek just rips into some idiot reporter asking stupid questions. Apparently he had enough of the guy trolling him on social media.

Yeah that's right Wolverine. That reporter is from the Philadelphia Inquirer, and he has written some BS stuff in the past, seemingly making stuff up. At one point he wrote in his column that the Flyers are collapsing and it's all Voracek's fault. Of course he didn't take well to that.

I love seeing stuff like this, reporters cut down to size, especially when they think they are the story.

That was great. I'd like to see that more. Better than most of the pre programmed sound bytes they spit out.

Watch Montreal, lots of talent on my team

Marc..

Josh Anderson was a great pick up. The guy is a bull.

Saw one of the first game of the season between Washington and Buffalo. The colour commentary was pretty horrid and it just made me thankful for the Canadian commentators who seem to have a much better understanding of the game.

Montreal should make the playoffs in this year's format. I suspect the Leafs and maybe the Oilers? are the best in the new division, but after that? Why not Les Habs? They're scoring in bunches. But The Flames have looked good so far too, their power play is clicking. Four will come out of the North. Leafs, Oilers, Habs, Flames? Maybe Vancouver? Should be a good race.

When the Flyers beat them in the first round last year I wondered where Montreal was heading, but they made some good roster moves over the offseason and look to have retooled to be a factor this year.

Flyers opened with two wins against the Pens, then split two with the Sabres to sit at 3-1 after four games. The loss was really bad, so bad I flipped channels at 3-0 down. There was one shift where the Flyers somehow gave the puck away 6 or 7 straight times without getting it out of the zone. I couldn't watch.

Bad loss last night for the Flyers. Lost to Boston in a shootout after blowing a lead. Watching it, I said 'The Flyers have to be the worst shootout team ever in the NHL'. So I looked it up. And I was right. By a lot.

The Flyers have been in 139 games decided by shootout. They've won 50, lost 89 for a winning percentage of .360. Just awful.

Next worse is the Senators, 56-78 for .418.

Leafs are 58-77 for .430, fourth-worst all time behind the Panthers.

The Avs are the best, 73-41 for .640

Despite the loss to the Bruins, Philly took 7 of the first 10 points, and that's a pace I can live with.

Philly will compete, they have some great players. Love Carter Hart.

I hope you're right. I like the squad for the most part. I wasn't happy with the deal they gave JVR, and he has yet to live up to it, predictably.

The key for so many teams this season will be avoiding the effects of Covid. Losing your top players for a week or two at a time for quarantine is devastating for the product on the ice.

Philly's done well so far, but only played one road game. By contrast, Montreal is top of their division having yet to play a home game. And anyway, the traditional concept of home and away may not mean much this year. Not many hostile crowds.

I like the realignment and the new playoff qualification setup. Honestly, I'd like them to keep it after this year. Divisional play is important again, not just conference. Brings back the close rivalries like back in the old Patrick Division days. The all-Canadian North is so cool.

JVR is off to a good start, last year was brutal for him.
I like the Canadian division too. I doubt they keep it though. 3 different time zone in one division.
The NHL will want to showcase the star players in all markets as well, even if it is only 1 or 2 games a year.

Five years with a 7 million cap hit each year. Through 2023 when he'll be 33. For that I expect more. He has three goals so far so yeah, good start, but needs to keep it going.

Hart's been shaky so far. Sub-.900. I'm not worried about him, but had big expectations this year. Last year he sort of had the yips on the road, and I thought what better time to get past that than a season with few or no fans? But I'd like to see him sharpen it up.

Dallas hadn't played a game yet this season because of Covid. They finally get on the ice for a game last night and promptly smoke the Preds 7-0. Amazing.

Big trade just went down, essentially Laine for Dubois. Second pick in 2016 for the third pick in 2016. interesting.

Dubois now has to quarantine for two weeks.

Well hopefully Dubois is okay with the trade, or we will see more pyloning from him. And nobody will want to pick him up as he stands on the ice, like a pylon

Jets fan?

Yeah, Torts had benched him this week, Or last week. Not sure. Maybe new scenery will be good for him. But yeah, you have to hope he thinks it was a good move going to Winnipeg.