Hockey Season Begins

Opening day, banner raising time for Canes.


Opening day. Three games on schedule. I watched Carolina and Buffalo skate to a tie. I hate shootouts. I would have watched more of the Ottawa/Toronto game (waving at Caz), but you all know I'm a Canes fan. Finishing up the evening watching the Dallas/Colorado game. Only the Canadian game was telecast on NHL Center Ice. I ordered my package this evening -- $20 off regular price, to boot. Only $149.00 for the entire season. Hell, I had three seats at Staples that cost that much every game (multiply that by 42 games). I've got an open mind for this season. Let's see if the salary cap and the alleged parity favorably pans out.

I still don't like the point system. The last couple of years I did a stat check of how the teams would have placed if they were not given the phantom point with the tie -- as if it was scored the way it was for quite a few years, 2 for the winner, ZERO for the loser, and one point each if it remains a tie. Despite claims to the contrary, a number of first and second place teams switched places in the standings, which affected whether the team was 1, 2, 3 instead of 4, 5 or 6. In my mind, a huge difference, and a totally arbitrary "impact" on the standings.

October. Gotta love it. Only month of the year that all four professional sports are playing. Hockey season starts, basketball preseason starts, baseball playoffs start, and football is in it's second month. I've already got my four year old grandson ready to answer "football" whenever I start shouting "are you ready for some ..." Tonight, however, he was shouting "he shoots, he scores, grandma!"