NHL Schedule 2013-14: Highlighting Top Matchups to Start the Season

The 2013-14 NHL regular season is almost upon us, and excitement surrounding the start of another full hockey season has hardcore and casual fans alike ready for the return to the ice.

With a wild first week of hockey on the schedule—plenty of nationally televised marquee matchups that will get everyone excited—the anticipation surrounding the return of the NHL on Oct. 1 will take over the sports world.

All of the following matchups will be the best of the first week of hockey.

For the full 2013-14 NHL schedule, check out the league’s official site.

Full Week 1 NHL Schedule

Date	Visitor	Home	Time	Channel
Tuesday, Oct. 1	Toronto Maple Leafs	Montreal Canadiens	7 p.m. ET	CBC, RDS
Tuesday, Oct. 1	Washington Capitals	Chicago Blackhawks	8 p.m. ET	NBCSN
Tuesday, Oct. 1	Winnipeg Jets	Edmonton Oilers	10 p.m. ET	CBC
Wednesday, Oct. 2	Toronto Maple Leafs	Philadelphia Flyers	7:30 p.m. ET	TSN, CSN-PH
Wednesday, Oct. 2	Buffalo Sabres	Detroit Red Wings	8 p.m. ET	TSN2, NBCSN
Wednesday, Oct. 2	Anaheim Ducks	Colorado Avalanche	9:30 p.m. ET	RDS2, PRIME, ALT
Thursday, Oct. 3	Tampa Bay Lightning	Boston Bruins	7 p.m. ET	SUN, NESN
Thursday, Oct. 3	New Jersey Devils	Pittsburgh Penguins	7 p.m. ET	MSG PLUS, ROOT
Thursday, Oct. 3	Calgary Flames	Washington Capitals	7 p.m. ET	TSN, CSN-DC
Thursday, Oct. 3	Nashville Predators	St. Louis Blues	8 p.m. ET	FS-TN, FS-MW
Thursday, Oct. 3	Los Angeles Kings	Minnesota Wild	8 p.m. ET	TSN2, NBCSN
Thursday, Oct. 3	Florida Panthers	Dallas Stars	8:30 p.m. ET	FS-F, FS-SW
Thursday, Oct. 3	New York Rangers	Phoenix Coyotes	10 p.m. ET	MSG
Thursday, Oct. 3	Vancouver Canucks	San Jose Sharks	10 p.m. ET	TSN, CSN-CA
Friday, Oct. 4	Ottawa Senators	Buffalo Sabres	7 p.m. ET	SNET-E, TVA, MSG-B
Friday, Oct. 4	New York Islanders	New Jersey Devils	7 p.m. ET	MSG PLUS, MSG
Friday, Oct. 4	Detroit Red Wings	Carolina Hurricanes	7 p.m. ET	FS-D, FS-CR
Friday, Oct. 4	Calgary Flames	Columbus Blue Jackets	7 p.m. ET	SNET-W, FS-O
Friday, Oct. 4	Los Angeles Kings	Winnipeg Jets	8 p.m. ET	FS-W, TSN- JETS
Friday, Oct. 4	Nashville Predators	Colorado Avalanche	9 p.m. ET	RDS2, FS-TN, ALT
Saturday, Oct. 5	Detroit Red Wings	Boston Bruins	7 p.m. ET	NHLN-US, NESN
Saturday, Oct. 5	Ottawa Senators	Toronto Maple Leafs	7 p.m. ET	CBC
Saturday, Oct. 5	Philadelphia Flyers	Montreal Canadiens	7 p.m. ET	CBC, RDS, CSN-PH
Saturday, Oct. 5	Columbus Blue Jackets	New York Islanders	7 p.m. ET	FS-O, MSG PLUS
Saturday, Oct. 5	Buffalo Sabres	Pittsburgh Penguins	7 p.m. ET	MSG-B, ROOT
Saturday, Oct. 5	Tampa Bay Lightning	Chicago Blackhawks	8 p.m. ET	SUN, CSN-CH
Saturday, Oct. 5	Florida Panthers	St. Louis Blues	8 p.m. ET	FS-F, FS-MW
Saturday, Oct. 5	Washington Capitals	Dallas Stars	8 p.m. ET	CSN-DC, TXA 21
Saturday, Oct. 5	Anaheim Ducks	Minnesota Wild	8 p.m. ET	PRIME, FS-N
Saturday, Oct. 5	Edmonton Oilers	Vancouver Canucks	10 p.m. ET	CBC
Saturday, Oct. 5	Phoenix Coyotes	San Jose Sharks	10:30 p.m. ET	CSN-CA
Sunday, Oct. 6	Philadelphia Flyers	Carolina Hurricanes	5 p.m. ET	NHLN-CA, CSN-PH
Sunday, Oct. 6	Anaheim Ducks	Winnipeg Jets	8 p.m. ET	PRIME, TSN-JETS
Sunday, Oct. 6	Vancouver Canucks	Calgary Flames	8 p.m. ET	SNET-P, SNET-W
Monday, Oct. 7	New Jersey Devils	Edmonton Oilers	9:30 p.m. ET	MSG PLUS, SNET-W
Monday, Oct. 7	New York Rangers	Los Angles Kings	10:30 p.m. ET	MSG, FS-W

Washington Capitals at Chicago Blackhawks

The Washington Capitals have the toughest test on the opening night of the NHL season as the team travels to Chicago to square off against the defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks.

Chicago is coming into the year led by a strong core of players like captain Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane on offense, Duncan Keith and Niklas Hjalmarsson on defense and Corey Crawford as the unquestioned No. 1 goalie in town.

The Capitals have several star players as well (forwards Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom highlight a talented cast), but the focus will be on how Washington plays in front of goalie Braden Holtby and how he responds to the pressure.

Tuesday’s opening-night matchup between the two playoff contenders should be an exciting way to kick the season off, but it will be the defending Stanley Cup champions that walk away victorious.

Prediction: Chicago 3, Washington 2

Detroit Red Wings at Boston Bruins

The offseason was highlighted by the changes in conferences and divisions. With the Detroit Red Wings now in the Eastern Conference and stuck in the tough Atlantic Division, the team will face off against new divisional rival the Boston Bruins to start the season.

While some traditionalists may hate the changes, the new rivalries that come from the move will make Boston vs. Detroit one of the most heated battles in the league.

Add in the history of these two franchises being part of the Original Six, and this matchup will be a great example of what hockey fans should expect from the Red Wings' transition to the Eastern Conference.

This will be an absolute war on ice with both teams instituting a hard-nosed style to their offensive and defensive schemes. But with little familiarity, this will be a tough matchup to predict.

Prediction: Boston 4, Detroit 3

Philadelphia Flyers at Montreal Canadiens

The Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens are two fringe teams in the Eastern Conference that will be both hunting for a playoff spot throughout the season. This has the potential to be a playoff preview.

These two teams have developed a rivalry over the last several seasons, and it will culminate with an intense matchup that will set the tone for the rest of the season. Montreal lacked depth at center and in the defensive zone last season, and the Flyers had inconsistent goaltending and a lackluster defensive effort.

The key for the eventual winner will be which team addressed those needs more effectively this offseason. This matchup should be a good gauge of how these franchises will perform throughout the 2013-14 season.

Prediction: Philadelphia 5, Montreal 2

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Washington Capitals at Chicago Blackhawks

The Washington Capitals have the toughest test on the opening night of the NHL season as the team travels to Chicago to square off against the defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks.

Chicago is coming into the year led by a strong core of players like captain Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane on offense, Duncan Keith and Niklas Hjalmarsson on defense and Corey Crawford as the unquestioned No. 1 goalie in town.

The Capitals have several star players as well (forwards Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom highlight a talented cast), but the focus will be on how Washington plays in front of goalie Braden Holtby and how he responds to the pressure.

Tuesday’s opening night matchup between the two playoff contenders should be an exciting way to kick the season off, but it will be the defending Stanley Cup champions that walk away victorious.

Prediction: Chicago 3, Washington 2

 

Detroit Red Wings at Boston Bruins

The offseason was highlighted by the changes in conferences and divisions. With the Detroit Red Wings now in the Eastern Conference and stuck in the tough Atlantic Division, the team will face off against new divisional rival the Boston Bruins to start the season.

While some fundamentalists hate the changes, the new rivalries that come from the move will make Boston vs. Detroit one of the most heated rivalries in the league.

Add in the history of these two franchises being part of the original six, and this matchup will be a great example of what hockey fans should expect from the Red Wings transition to the Eastern Conference.

This will be an absolute war on ice with both teams instituting a hard-nosed style to their offensive and defensive schemes, but with little familiarity between the two teams, this will be an unpredictable matchup.

Prediction: Boston 4, Detroit 3

 

Philadelphia Flyers at Montreal Canadiens

The Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens are two fringe teams in the Eastern Conference that will be both hunting for a playoff spot throughout the season.

These two teams have developed a rivalry over the last several seasons and it will culminate with an intense matchup that will set the tone for the rest of the season. Montreal lacked depth at center and in the defensive zone last season and the Flyers had inconsistent goaltending and a lackluster defensive effort.

The key for the eventual winner will be which team addressed those needs more effectively this offseason. This matchup should be a good barometer of how these franchises will perform throughout the 2013-14 season.

Prediction: Philadelphia 5, Montreal 2

 

Follow @Donald_Wood