Foppa2118
Registered User
- Oct 3, 2003
- 52,476
- 31,801
This year we have a slow start to the schedule due to NHL incompetence. Last season we had a slow start to the schedule due to NHL incompetence in addition to the Global Series. The two years before that were pandemic driven anomalies.
I haven't bothered to really look back pre-pandemic, but I sort of recall that we don't often have a game on opening nights. I can't remember any other seasons seeming to take this long to get started though.
I believe the inability to play consistently (or practice consistently from what I hear) is probably what is taking so long for this team to gel. They need minutes on the ice together in game situations.
Yeah, I've noticed the same thing about opening nights. Perhaps there's more, and I don't remember, but it feels like only once, maybe twice in the last 10 years or so we've played on opening night. Not only that but sometimes it's multiple days into the season. It always annoys me.
100% on the practice time. Beyond the new guys geling with the team, practice is crucial for the returnees as well, because Bednar's sytem needs to be drilled and drilled and drilled, so they can just play on auto pilot to an extent, and not overthink things.