NHL Regular Season Underway

A quartet of games on Wednesday night marked the beginning of the National Hockey League’s regular season. A new quest for the Stanley Cup has begun.

The wait is over. The pursuit continues. The excitement returns.

Hockey is back.#NHLFaceOff https://t.co/rlSd6Z1cDk

— NHL (@NHL) October 4, 2017

The Back-to-Back Champs are Back

The Pittsburgh Penguins hung their second Stanley Cup championship banner in as many years before taking on the St. Louis Blues. Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo ended up being the star of the night with two goals, including the game winner in overtime.

Game-Winning Play-By-Play Call

Other NHL Games in Action

• The Toronto Maple Leafs scored seven goals in a season opener for the first time since 1987, defeating the Winnipeg Jets 7-2
• Edmonton center Connor McDavid became the first reigning MVP to record a hat trick in a season opener since 1965 in the Oilers’ 3-0 shutout of the Calgary Flames.
• The Philadelphia Flyers went into the home of the Stanley Cup runner-up San Jose Sharks and left with a 5-3 win to close out the evening.

Hockey is back.

CONNOR McDAVID IS BACK.#NHLFaceOff https://t.co/CRgCHX6tLH

— NHL (@NHL) October 5, 2017

Battle for The Sunshine State

The rest of the NHL gets going on Thursday and Friday with a full slate of games, including the Florida Panthers traveling to Tampa Bay to take on the Lightning.

A player to watch for the Lightning is goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy. This will be his second year as the starting backstop, but his first full season in that role. A successful start against the Panthers will help solidify him as “the guy” in Tampa Bay.

Both teams split the season series with neither team being able to snag a win on the road.

Panthers captain Derek MacKenzie will be seeking additional leadership from other sources with the departure of veteran wing Jaromír Jágr.

The @TBLightning are 15-7-2 (.667) in season openers all-time, highlighted by an 11-3-2 record when opening at home. #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/cQ8X7FaAvj

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) October 4, 2017

Other Notable Thursday and Friday Games

• Nashville Predators at Boston Bruins (7 p.m., Thursday)
• Pittsburgh Penguins at Chicago Blackhawks (8:30 p.m., Thursday)
• Las Vegas Golden Knights at Dallas Stars (8:30 p.m., Friday)
  • This is the inaugural season for the Las Vegas Golden Knights