The 2011-12 NHL season drops the Opening Night puck in three arenas on Thursday night. The defending Stanley Cup champions, the Boston Bruins, start things off with a contest against Eastern Conference foe, the Philadelphia Flyers. The last time these two teams met during the 2010-11 season was in the conference semi-finals. The Bruins swept that series, 4-0, and only had a tough time during Game 2, which was decided in overtime. Game Time: 7:00 p.m. ET, Versus
2011 NHL Schedule: Season Opens With Philadelphia-Boston, Montreal-Toronto
The Boston Bruins, defending Stanley Cup champions, start the regular season with a game against the Philadelphia Flyers. It’s one of three games on the Opening Night schedule.
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At the same time as the Bruins, the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs take center ice at the Air Canada Centre. The Leafs are looking to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2003-04 season, which was loss in the conference semi-finals. Goalie James Reimer will need to prove he can handle being the No. 1 goalie for Toronto. The Canadiens took the Bruins to seven games in the opening round of the playoffs. How far will goalie Carey Price lead them? Game Time: 7:00 p.m. ET, CBC (Canada)
The Stanley Cup runners-up, the Vancouver Canucks begin their march back to the finals with a home contest against the Sidney Crosby-less Pittsburgh Penguins. The Canucks outdistanced themselves from the competition during the regular season with a league-high 117 points. They'll need Ryan Kesler back from hip surgery to make a run at that again. Game Time: 10:00 p.m. ET, Versus
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