GDT: Game 1 - New York Rangers vs Tampa Bay Lightning - 7:30pm EST - ESPN, ESPN+

[Fitzy]

Gonna be a tough matchup for the ZIbanejad line being out there against Stamkos-Point-Kucherov

 

[Rempe73]

Battery at 100%. Let’s do this.

 

[MyLoveIsBlue]

 

[EdJovanovski]

“You might believe that Connor McDavid is the face of the 2022-23 NHL. And you might think it is Auston Matthews, Jack Hughes, Trevor Zegras or Cale Makar. Or maybe still Sidney Crosby.

But do you know who is the face of the league? That would be Alexandar Georgiev”

literally made me lol

 

[Kodiak]

Oof, is that TB's real lineup or do they have 4-5 regulars stashed on LTIR?

 

[Mugless]

“You might believe that Connor McDavid is the face of the 2022-23 NHL. And you might think it is Auston Matthews, Jack Hughes, Trevor Zegras or Cale Makar. Or maybe still Sidney Crosby.

But do you know who is the face of the league? That would be Alexandar Georgiev”

literally made me lol

Georgiev is the resting bitch face of the league.

 

[Allan92]

What time should an out of towner aim to arrive if you have a ticket? Considering it's opening night and all. Is 6:30pm ok?

 

[Bacon Artemi Bravo]

What time should an out of towner aim to arrive if you have a ticket? Considering it's opening night and all. Is 6:30pm ok?

Yea youll be fine

 

[FultonReed]

What time should an out of towner aim to arrive if you have a ticket? Considering it's opening night and all. Is 6:30pm ok?

that should be fine, there will definitely already be people there waiting to get in, though.

 

[Taluss]

Pumped we are back, Andiamo!

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

Must win.

 

[McRanger92]

Going from the ESPN broadcast for the Mets to the Rangers is cruel and unusual punishment. Thankfully i get to watch this one live. LFGR.

 

[Kaapo Takko]

 

[Bob Richards]

Either they win tonight or I run down @Tob in my 2004 Nissan Altima and then I delete his account.

 

[irishlaxburger2]

You cringe all offseason about the Rangers losing the depth they acquired at the deadline, and then Opening Night comes and you see the garbage bottom 6 Tampa (of all teams) is throwing out there.

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

If we had just one more competent RW to play up top with Mika, then you could put out the kind line against 3rd line of Koepke-Namestnikov-Colton and totally dominate.

Not to say I'm really amped to see Kakko get off to a flying start up there, but that would be a mismatch against most teams.

I struggle with both ideas. I want the kids to play up and get more minutes, but to see that kid line carry over their play from the postseason you start wondering how that would continue to develop as a unit against 3rd lines like this.

 

[McRanger92]

You cringe all offseason about the Rangers losing the depth they acquired at the deadline, and then Opening Night comes and you see the garbage bottom 6 Tampa (of all teams) is throwing out there.

Yeah its interesting that the knock on the Rangers is that they didn't get better "on paper", but you look around the Eastern Conference and you cant really find a playoff caliber team that clearly improved. Tampa will be relying on Vasilevskiy more than ever.

 

[Psycho for Perreault]

If we had just one more competent RW to play up top with Mika, then you could put out the kind line against 3rd line of Koepke-Namestnikov-Colton and totally dominate.

Not to say I'm really amped to see Kakko get off to a flying start up there, but that would be a mismatch against most teams.

I struggle with both ideas. I want the kids to play up and get more minutes, but to see that kid line carry over their play from the postseason you start wondering how that would continue to develop as a unit against 3rd lines like this.

I think the answer is you find a competent RW at the deadline but you play the top 3 lines based on how much they deserve to play. Line 3 is not bottom six. If the kid line is flying, give them 18 minutes. If Panarin or Mika lines are getting caved in, drop their minutes. I'd love if we did that for the playoffs.

 

[HatTrick Swayze]

Yeah its interesting that the knock on the Rangers is that they didn't get better "on paper", but you look around the Eastern Conference and you cant really find a playoff caliber team that clearly improved. Tampa will be relying on Vasilevskiy more than ever.

Carolina especially being the Vegas favorite in the East confuses me. Not overly convinced they improved over what they had last year.

 

[will1066]

Video tribute for Vlad Namestnikov during TV timeout?

 

[McRanger92]

Carolina especially being the Vegas favorite in the East confuses me. Not overly convinced they improved over what they had last year.

Yeah that makes no sense considering their biggest addition is out for half the season with a torn Achilles

 

[ElLeetch]

“You might believe that Connor McDavid is the face of the 2022-23 NHL. And you might think it is Auston Matthews, Jack Hughes, Trevor Zegras or Cale Makar. Or maybe still Sidney Crosby.

But do you know who is the face of the league? That would be Alexandar Georgiev”

literally made me lol

"average, low-cost goalie on a great team" has been a formula for a long time. Chicago won cups with that formula.

 

[TriFF51]

Hockey's back baby! Tough first game but should be high energy. I'm here for Kakko and Laf breakout seasons....Nice job on the gdt.

 

[NYR94]

ESPN for opening night SMH

 

[Rongomania]

Carolina especially being the Vegas favorite in the East confuses me. Not overly convinced they improved over what they had last year.

They did not.

Burns lol. Dude will look like 2022 playoff malkin in April.