They're Back!

In case you hadn't heard, the NHL actually played some meaningful games tonight. No, they won't count in the standings nor will the stats recorded matter, but the NHL saw three exhibition games played today in preparation for the season to resume on Saturday. There was some concern over how the games may look with no fans, over how they may sound in cavernous arenas, and over how the teams would look after a long layoff that saw them have zero exposure to each other outside of the last few weeks. What kind of experience would it be for viewers at home watching on television? We found out today as both the Toronto and Edmonton hubs got their first taste of action!

At first, I wasn't all that impressed. Watching the Penguins and Flyers play was good, but it felt like a preseason game where both sides were getting their legs underneath them and the broadcast crew was making sure they had names and numbers right. However, as the game progressed in the afternoon, I began to notice a few things that stood out.

The tarps (or whatever they are) over the empty seats aren't a distraction unless one makes them a distraction. Honestly, I'm surprised the NHL didn't use a green screen to superimpose advertising on those tarps, but that may still come depending on what the league does to satisfy their obligations to sponsors. Personally, they just became the background to the game.

Some of the camera angles were standard angles, but not having fans in the stands has allowed the NHL to put more cameras in for more angles. The end result of those additional cameras made this feel more like an outdoor game since there was no worry about obstructing fan views. I do like the camera placed on the end glass so you get a good look at what the goalies may be seeing out there. I think this could be a very good addition if the NHL can find a way to either make that camera unit smaller or have it less obstructive. Either way, I want to see the game directors get a little more creative with their shots as they get used to working with the added eyes in the sky.

Regarding the games themselves, the Penguins and Flyers seemed to reignite their rivalry pretty quickly as they knocked the rust off quickly with a Conor Sheary goal to become the first NHL player to score a goal in the month of July, beating Carter Hart 5:06 into the game to add his name to the history books. Sheary, who the Penguins had traded to Buffalo before re-acquiring him at the deadline, and he and Jake Guentzel looked like their old selves flanking Sidney Crosby. If there's a concern, the Penguins' blue line looked a little disjointed at times, and this Penguins team needs to play a little heavier against some of the more bruising teams like the Flyers.

The Flyers, though, really asserted themselves throughout this game, proving why they'll be competing for a top-four seed in this restart. Couturier, Konecny, Giroux, and Hayes all looked dangerous out there, and the Flyers' defence showed they're not going to be afraid to make things happen as Provorov, Gostisbehere, and Niskanen all looked dangerous. Despite the sloppy play by the Penguins' power-play units, the Flyers penalty kill was willing to block shots and get into lanes, and that looks good for them when they battle the likes of the Lightning and Bruins for a top seed.

Toronto made the Montreal Canadiens look a lot like the 24th-ranked team to qualify for the restart, and it's pretty clear that Toronto's offence will be doing a lot of the heavy lifting for them in their series against the Blue Jackets. I thought the third line of Kasperi Kapanen, Nick Robertson, and Alex Kerfoot was much better than what they appeared to be on paper, and the speed in which they attacked the offensive zone may be something to keep an eye on assuming that head coach Sheldon Keefe keeps them together. While Andersen was steady, that Leafs defence still doesn't seem to be Stanley Cup-worthy just yet.

Montreal may have been 4-0 against the Penguins this season, but the Maple Leafs opened the book on the Canadiens and shown the Penguins that they can win with speed. Montreal's defenders simply couldn't keep up with some of the fleet-footed Leafs, and that has to be where Pittsburgh can attack. In saying that, the Canadiens did get a number of chances that they just didn't finish on, so perhaps the offence just needs to find that next gear to make the Canadiens legitimate threats against the Penguins.

The final game of the night saw the Oilers do what they do best as McDavid had a pair of goals while Kailer Yamamoto and Patrick Russell added singles in their 4-1 victory over the Flames. While the Leafs looked fast against the Canadiens, the Oilers looked like blurs against the Flames at times as Draisaitl, McDavid, and Ennis were flying up and down the ice. The Oilers' blue line, finally healthy, looks like what had been promised all year with a solid effort against their provincial rivals, and Mikko Koskinen seemed ready to play at puck drop last night. All of this makes the Oilers appear to be a formidable foe when they face Chicago this weekend.

The Flames, meanwhile, look slow and a little confused when trying to deal with the Oilers. If they play as they did last night against the Jets at five-on-five, this might be a short series. While the Flames' power-play did convert late in the second period against Mike Smith, there weren't a lot of positives to be found with players like Sean Monahan, Sam Bennett, and Matthew Tkachuk not finding the scoresheet. For the Flames to be successful, there has to be secondary scoring from their depth players that simply wasn't there tonight. Dave Rittich looked very human in stopping six of eight shots as well, and that simply won't do against the Jets on the weekend.

Honestly, it feels like the preseason with the changes and everyone finding their legs, but it's good to see the NHL back. While I still have huge concerns over some of the rules that the NHL has put in place surrounding the two bubbles, Day One of restart play seemed to go off fairly successfully. Let's hope that continues.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!