2020 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

EDMONTON -- The stages are set for the NHL's return with the start of exhibition games at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto and Rogers Place in Edmonton on Tuesday.

The Philadelphia Flyers will face the Pittsburgh Penguins (4 p.m. ET; NBCSN, NBSCP+, ATTSN-PT, NHL.TV) and the Toronto Maple Leafs will play the Montreal Canadiens (8 p.m. ET; NHLN, SN1, TVAS) at Scotiabank Arena, and the Edmonton Oilers will take on the Calgary Flames at Rogers Place (10:30 p.m. ET; NHLN, SN1, NHL.TV).

But when the curtain goes up, the show the players and television viewers will experience Tuesday, and in the exhibition games Wednesday and Thursday, will be a small sample of what the NHL has planned for the Stanley Cup Qualifiers, which start Saturday.

"I would say the difference between what we're going to do from Tuesday through Thursday and what we're going to do on Saturday is about 190 percent," NHL senior executive vice president and chief content officer Steve Mayer said Monday. "Of all we could do, it's probably five percent of what we could do."

NHL and arena staff in Toronto and Edmonton have been working the past two weeks to prepare the buildings to host games without fans in attendance because of the coronavirus pandemic that caused the season to be paused March 12. Without the natural energy generated by the fans, the League, with help from national TV partners NBC Sports and Sportsnet, had to come up with other ways to create a game atmosphere for the players and the fans at home.

On one side of the lower bowl in each arena, a large stage with two LED screens is flanked on each side by three giant LED screens that will display videos and photos. Each of the 24 teams in the Qualifiers -- 12 from the Eastern Conference in Toronto and 12 from the Western Conference in Edmonton -- provided walk-out music, pump-up and highlight videos, and goal horns and songs from their arenas to give the players some of the home-ice feel.



There were will also be videos of fans from each team cheering for goals and doing chants. All of this will be coordinated with enhanced lighting and the TV broadcasts, which will feature 32-35 cameras in each arena (up from the 12 from the normal game).

"I think it's going to be pretty neat," NHL senior director of event and game presentation John Bochiaro said. "Teams have been really cooperative. We've got to a lot of good elements that we're going to try to work in."

But the players and viewers will have to wait until Saturday to see most of it.

"You're going to see the screens on, you're going to see the look of it all, but we're not doing any of our elements, our moving video, our moving lights," Mayer said. "It will be very, very subdued, purposefully. Players need to get also adjusted to the ice, and we just don't feel like this is the time and the place to break out all that we're going to do."

Having seen photos and a rendering released by the NHL, several players have said they're eager to see what it looks and feels like when they step on the ice. They'll have to settle for a glimpse in the exhibition games, but the excitement of playing against an opponent for the first time in nearly five months should help.

NHL.com

 

Tampa Bay and Florida getting ready to face-off... pucks all day and into the night. Dig it!

 

Bolts 5, Panthers 0 - Final

Next up... Wild vs Avalanche

 

Mike Matheson on ice for all five goals against.

Good thing I won't have to get emotionally invested in the postseason, again...

 

Ovechkin didnt lose a step... 2G, 1A against the Hurricanes. Riemer looked real solid when he came in for Mrazek, though.

 

They drop the puck for real tomorrow at noon.

 

The NHL is cool with their head-games...

The drama of the NHL postseason already has started, with seven of the 10 teams scheduled to play Saturday, the first day of the Stanley Cup Qualifiers, unwilling to reveal their starting goalie.

"As far as the goaltender … there's an old hockey movie called 'Slap Shot,' where somebody walks up to Paul Newman and asks him how his power play is," Edmonton Oilers coach Dave Tippett said Friday. "And all he said was, 'We're working on it.'

"That's my answer for the goaltenders: We're working on it."

 

Hurricanes 1, Rangers 0 - After 1 period

 

2-0, Canes - 2nd period

 

Final, 3-2, Canes over the Rangers... Hurricanes lead series, 1-0

 

Final, Blackhawks 6, Oilers 4... Chicago leads, 1-0 in series.

 

Murray goes in net for the Penguins tonight...

 

Islanders dumped the Panthers, 2-1... NYI up, 1-0

 

I'm not sure why anyone thinks the CAR - NYR series is going to be close. Carolina is just a better team. That seemed like an easy one to pick coming in, and I think it'll look like one when it's all over, too.

Florida is just not a good team. I've said it before, but tonight's game clearly showed it. It'll be a clear repeat of 2016. FL will get bounced, and then NYI will lose in the next round when they have to play a good team. Seriously, someone take Mike Matheson. I'll give you whatever you want.

 

How about those Canadiens... they dumped the Penguins when no one thought they had a chance. I said it before, i'll say it again... these playoffs are unpredictable.

 

Scheifele, Laine leave Game 1 of Cup Qualifiers for Jets with injury
Center helped off ice in first period; forward doesn't finish third period

 

Today's, Aug 2nd, Schedule...

 

Rask out for Bruins opener vs. Flyers


UPDATE: While Cassidy said Rask is feeling better, Jaroslav Halak will start Sunday. Dan Vladar will serve as the backup.

The Bruins may be without Tuukka Rask for their opening round-robin game against the Flyers on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, NBC; livestream).

Head coach Bruce Cassidy said that the netminder felt ill and did not join the team for practice on Saturday.

“He wasn’t feeling well, so unfit to participate today,” said Cassidy. “As an afternoon question tomorrow, the natural next question is ‘will he start?’ I’ll have to talk to Tuukka later and see where he’s at. If [he cannot play] then Jaro [Halak] will be ready to go.”

NBC
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Super bad news for the Bruins... they need to rally around this.