The closing NHL recreation that counted used to be Sunday, June 26 when the Colorado Avalanche received 2-1 on the Tampa Bay Lightning to win the Stanley Cup for the primary time since 2001 and finish the Bolts’ three-peat probabilities. The 2022-23 season opens today (2 p.m. ET) in Prague when the San Jose Sharks take on the Nashville Predators as a part of the Global Series. The groups will play once more Saturday. Colorado is the clear-cut +400 favourite at Caesars Sportsbook to repeat as Stanley Cup champion however isn’t in motion for a couple of days like the remainder of the league.
As some distance as today’s recreation is anxious, the Predators are -200 favorites and so they had been 3-0 vs. the Sharks closing season, outscoring them 12-1. Even although the Sharks are the “road” group they most certainly would be the fan favorites as probably the most group’s very best gamers, Tomas Hertl, used to be born and raised in Prague and performed for Slavia Praha HC from 2010-13. The Sharks even have defenseman Radim Simek, who used to be born in Mlada Boleslav, Czech Republic. Nashville has no Czech gamers.
The Predators completed with 97 issues closing season and made the playoffs, shedding within the first spherical to Colorado. They are set for 96.5 issues this 12 months. San Jose completed with 77 issues and approach out of the playoff combine and is ready at 75.5 issues.
To no marvel, Juuse Saros is web for Nashville after going 38-25-3 with a 2.64 GAA and a .918 save share in 2021-22. He used to be in web for all 3 Sharks video games, permitting one objective on 75 pictures. James Reimer will get the decision for San Jose, and he used to be 19-17-10 with a 2.90 GAA and a .911 save share closing 12 months. San Jose is with out one top-six ahead in Alexander Barabanov (10 targets, 29 assists) due to damage. The Preds are wholesome.
The authentic opening night time in North America is on Tuesday (there are nonetheless preseason video games all weekend) when Tampa Bay visits the New York Rangers in a rematch of the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals and Vegas takes on Los Angeles. It’s just a little uncommon that the protecting champion Avalanche don’t seem to be featured on opening night time. They will hold their Stanley Cup banner on Wednesday vs. Chicago.
Colorado does no longer glance as excellent on paper as it did closing 12 months. Largely for wage cap causes, the group stated good-bye to No. 1 goaltender Darcy Kuemper (37-12-4, 2.54 GAA) and forwards Nazem Kadri (87 issues) and Andre Burakovsky (61 issues). Pavel Francouz, who performed smartly when Kuemper used to be harm, and business acquisition Alexandar Georgiev from the Rangers are the brand new goalie tandem.
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