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Morning Skate: The Patrik Laine and Auston Matthews rivalry is here
And it is awesome.
Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports
Lace ‘em up. Time for the Morning Skate.
A RIVALRY BEGINS
Remember when Auston Matthews, the first overall pick in the 2016 NHL draft, scored four goals in his debut? Well. Consider the ante upped.
Toronto faced Winnipeg on Tuesday in a high-scoring overtime affair. The headline? Patrik Laine, the second overall pick in his first game against Matthews, notched his first career hat trick. These kids are unreal.
If only the Jets and Maple Leafs played in the same division, let alone the same conference. It’s like Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel all over again. The saving grace, though, is that the entire league is littered with young, thrilling talent. Ten percent of the NHL is eligible for the Calder Trophy this season. Ten! And judging from the amount of first goals we’ve gotten in the first few weeks, 10 percent might just threaten to win the darn thing.
THE NEWS FROM LAST NIGHT
- Leafs fans now have to hear about Laine forever.
- Jets fans are already beyond ecstatic about their latest young star.
- Other teams also played on Tuesday! Jimmy Howard played hero for Detroit, making two key breakaway saves to secure a win over an otherwise dominant Rangers team.
TONIGHT’S HOCKEYBALL
- Anaheim continues their East Coast swing in Philly. So far, the trip has been more downs than ups. The Flyers will miss Michael Raffl for two weeks.
- Pittsburgh and San Jose re-enact the Stanley Cup Final! No word on whether Joe Thornton will be wearing a shirt.
- Washington, last season’s Cup contenders, face this year’s Cup contenders.
- The slow-shooting Minnesota Wild square off with a Leafs team licking its Laine wounds.
- Two beat-up teams play in St. Louis. The Blues placed Jori Lehtera on injured reserve, meaning their top six will need a makeover. Meanwhile, Edmonton placed Mark Fayne on IR, which is probably just a good thing.
- The undefeated (?!?!) Canucks will look to keep rolling against Buffalo.
- Boston heads home for the first time this season, ready to face a Devils team playing remarkably well early on.
- Some goalie news headlines Arizona’s trip to Montreal: Carey Price might start! And Arizona is awaiting final medical results on Mike Smith.
- Dallas faces a Kings squad desperate for their first win.
- Also looking for their first win: Carolina, heading tonight to Calgary.
ELSEWHERE IN HOCKEY LAND
- Brayden Schenn is happy his suspension is behind him.
- A Sharks fan reflects on what it means to be a Sharks fan away from San Jose.
- It sure seems like the Penguins narrowly avoided two serious injuries.
- Dmitry Orlov’s now-legendary hit on Matt Duchene only underlies his improved defensive game.
- It might be time to send Jesse Puljujarvi to the AHL.
- Ottawa is getting good value from its bottom six.
- Ryan Pulock is already back with the Islanders.
- Nashville’s new players just aren’t in sync with the rest of the team yet.
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