In this crazy, mixed-up world of ours, it's nice to know you can set your clock by some things. Certain dates that roll around every year and bring warm feelings to your heart. So it was yesterday, as the NHL got the 2008-09 season started. So it was this morning, as I opened up my hockey pool page and saw the first true statistical update of the season (last weekend's Europe games aside). Ahh, sweet hockey. My fellow puckheads and I had better savour this - it's only going to last for another nine months or so.
Living in Toronto, I'm stuck with a Leafs-heavy TV schedule despite the fact that they're going to be one of the more dreary teams in the league again this year. Or maybe not. They beat the champion Red Wings last night, and while the result might be an anomaly in what is still probably going to be a very trying season, they looked quite good. Faster, more aggressive, more organized. Fun to watch.
Maybe it's because so many of them are so young that they don't realize how much they're supposed to stink. Or maybe they know exactly how much they're supposed to stink and they want to prove people wrong. Mostly, I think it's the fact that about half of the guys on the team know they could be sent down to the minors if they don't play hard and follow the coach's script. Competing for your job every night - not exactly a feature of recent veteran-laden Leaf teams - has a way of bringing things into focus.
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