The NHL regular season has kicked off. This year, without such a pump as in the past: then, recall, all the teams went out on the ice on the very first game evening, and the owners of the NTV-Plus satellite dish on the very first game evening — or night — could watch the Ovechkin standoff - Zherdev "(read" Washington "-" Columbus "). Today everything was calmer: the first day of the game consisted of only three fights, of our compatriots the score on the “goal plus pass” system was scored only by Buffalo defender Dmitry Kalinin, and the plane on which Nikolai Zherdev left for Sheremetyevo on Thursday morning, was supposed to take off almost simultaneously with the end of the last meeting of the first gaming day - the match in Denver between Colorado and Dallas.
This is the difference. Well, it’s understandable: a year ago, the League again “came out to people” after a knockout-lockout. In the same year, everything was originally dignified and calm. The next championship. Or, as they usually call it (without particularly getting into the meaning) - “regular”.
In order not to be bored, the current preseason almost every day threw us something "sort of". That Ovechkin grapples with the opponent not shoulder to shoulder, as usual, but on his fists. Then, with a scandal, Malkin who left in the first unofficial game will get such an injury that rumor will first determine for him almost the downtime season (though he will then quickly begin to “win back”). That Kovalchuk will try to embed a skate to Jordin Tutu. The fact that since the youth world championship 2003 has been rushing about, wherever he plays, having in mind only one thing: accelerate through the entire area and “drive” into an opponent. And they will write to us again that Ovechkin did not win in the fight, that Malkinsky shoulder is much stronger than it seemed at first, that Kovalchuk was practically pardoned ... And the time of the first face-off will be still quite far. And interest in this kind of news will mean only one thing. We missed you ... And now we have waited.
So, three matches on the first day. Fitted as a selection. At first, they worn each other to smithereens in last year’s final of the Eastern Conference Carolina and Buffalo. Then, the lap - one of the main Canadian matches: “Toronto” - “Ottawa” (over the past year, “Senators” have already taught everyone that any outcome of such a confrontation, other than their major victory, is practically impossible in this pair), but on Colorado appetizer - Dallas. In the morning already, at six in Moscow. The specifics of the meetings between these teams last year, when Dallas reigned in the regular season, and Colorado exponentially knocked out dust from the favorite in the first round of the playoffs - it was also not just like that.
Last year's “eastern finalists” seemed not to have played enough in the spring in the seven-match series. Everything is the same: the host territorial and game advantage of Carolina, the brilliant game of the same as in the spring, the goalkeepers of Ward and Miller - and overtime. With subsequent shootouts. The only one of which was implemented by the leader of "Buffalo" baby Daniel Briard.
Last year's aria was also performed by Toronto and Ottawa. Despite the fact that the eternal Mats Sundin opened the account, leading forward "Maple Leaves". “Senators” did not begin to miss, but scored four times. Moreover, like a year ago, almost all links were distinguished by equal contribution. Ottawa leader Alfredsson scored only the fourth, last. And he might not have bothered - everything by this time was already clear ...
And Denver and Texans did not forget last year’s motive. “Dallas” now by name looks in attack almost the national team. Yes, released to Nashville by Jason Arnott. But now in the ranks of the club Eric Lindros (sort of retired from Toronto as it seemed to be useless) and Mark Ribeiro's young talent from Montreal. Coach Dave Tippet, as if sensing a possible "star" and trying to cure him, even appointed Brendan Morrow as captain of the team not Mike Modano, like the last hundred years ... However, it is possible (and even most likely), there are other reasons for this appointment. But the fact remains: “Dallas” by name in the attack is magical. And at the same time for two periods, “Colorado” drove the opponent so that it was only thought: “bah, and in fact the Texas club has only one Daley younger than thirty in defense.”
The fact that Colorado was only 2-0 leading to the second break was entirely due to Marty Turco, the Dallas goalkeeper, who was spinning around the goal tirelessly and overfulfilled the two classic shots of 30 shots over two periods. It could be 5-0 and 7-0 ... At the same time, “Dallas” did not have a single moment in forty minutes! But, not having time, he so famously broke the rules that by the second break for six minutes he had already played “three against five”. Even in the fight "Stars" did not win anything for themselves. Although the reputation of a badass for Matt Barnaby, who represented Dallas in a mess, seemed to be much more serious than that of his rival from Colorado, Ian Laperriere ...
However, in the second break, the teams seemed to have exchanged sweaters ... And Dallas seemed to remember that he made comebacks twelve times last season, becoming a record holder. By the third minute, the score was equal, and then the hosts seemed to have vowed to leave the zone, giving their goalkeeper, Jose Theodore, a full frolic. The overtime siren, however, merged with the referee's whistle, which recorded a foul on the part of the defender of the guests Daryl Sidor ... It turned out that Dallas again played three together for two minutes. “Colorado” attacked passionately, both minutes without releasing an opponent from the zone, having twice hit the post. And he went too far. Sidor jumped out of the bench and flew away alone to score the winning goal. As a result, the Dallas veteran was named the "first star of the evening." Although it is unclear what is more “modulo” - the ability to score one-on-one or gagging, leaving the three of us in overtime ... But let's not forget that this was still the first game of the evening ... New words from new performers for last year’s motive ...
And when the reader picks up this number, the train called the NHL will already rumble with might and main. Because the abundance of matches is already a matter of the second night ... Not just three, but as many as ten meetings. The old rivals from Maple Leaves and Senators, for example, managed to move from Toronto to Ottawa and play again among themselves ...
Yuri Rozanov