NHL season checks off

Posted on October 08, 2009 by Jonathan Bocek and Joe Bartlett

The National Hockey League kicked off their season Oct. 1, with a headline game between the Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins, a game the Capitals won 4-1. 

This season should be especially competitive in the early months because the winter Olympics are being held this year in Canada and the national teams have not finalized  roster picks.  Players who wish to impress international coaches will be playing with playoff level intensity during regular season games hoping to be picked. 

With the Olympics this year that the NHL schedule will be longer due to a break for the second half of February to allow league players to compete in the Olympic Games.  This means that the regular season will not be over until April 11, with the prospect of the playoffs reaching into late June.

Hockey at the Olympics this year will also be different from previous years due to the International Olympic Committee's decision to use preexisting NHL stadiums in Canada, which are smaller than international rings normally are.  The larger stadiums typically favor quicker teams with accurate shooting while the smaller NHL rinks favor bigger hard-hitting teams that can win pucks off the check.

Another highlight of the season is the many rivalries that abound in the league. The rivalry between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Capitals is a media favorite because both teams have talented young players in Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby.  The first game between the two teams this year takes place in Pittsburgh on Jan. 21, and the Capitals will host Crosby and the Penguins in Washington D.C., on Feb. 7, which is Super Bowl Sunday, according to ESPN.com.

Senior Charles Keller, a former LC club Hockey player and Capitals fan, said he is sure that this year the Capitals are going to avenge a heartbreaking Game 7 loss to the Penguins last year in the Playoffs. The loss knocked the Capitals out of the playoffs and the Penguins went on to win the Stanley Cup.

"This year we're going to beat the Penguins.  We are the better team now and much more hungry for the cup than them," Keller said.

Other teams to watch out for this year are the Detroit Redwings, Chicago Blackhawks, and San Jose Sharks.