vs. 
GAMETIME: 8pm Central (for Canadian TV)
TV/RADIO: CSN, WGN RADIO, and I assume some Canadian station for ChicoMaki and Hawks61
2nd Round Exit Torch Bearers: Nucks Misconduct
Ah, the first truly spicy game of the new season . Sure, there was the one against Scum, but we were raising a banner that night. And then the Blues came to town, but after a Cup win, do the Blues even matter any more? Certainly much less. But tonight, our playoff nemes…wait, they can’t be a nemesis if they’re 0-2, can they? God, I’m so going to get torched whenever I step foot in Vancouver.
Anyway, our friends from the Northwest come stumbling in a bit. They’re 2-3-1 and got smoked last night in Minnesota, which isn’t easy to do. Honestly, six consecutive for the Wild, that sounds like a bar bet. Only the Sedins are putting putting up any numbers, and Kesler seems lost without compatriot Mason Raymond on his line (Raymond is skating with the Children of the Corn while Alex Burrows heals up his [female genitalia joke]). Oh, and Bobb-o got pulled last night for the 3rd. Rumblings are he’ll be back in net tonight, and he always plays one good regular season game here. But that’s it. Also, defensive savior Dan Hamhuis was out last night but may play tonight, because he has Kaner’s number as we found out last playoffs (Kane had seven points and HamHock was -45 in CORSI, but he totally had him).
For the Hawks, reports are that Stalberg is back in but Hendry is sitting out for reasons only known to Harvey the Rabbit. Your bottom two pairing are Hammer and Cullimore with Boynton and Scott, or some variation . How’s that make you feel? Keith and Seabrook may approach 40 minutes tonight. This is a problem, and I’m sure Malhotra, Kesler, Torres, and Samuelsson will be ovulating at the thought of attacking those pairs. I would be. God help us. Turco starts again, hope he got his stretching in.
Always a tasty affair, even in October. Let’s do it.