Penguins vs. Predators; sounds like a poorly planned zoo exhibit

Since we don’t play nearly enough Eastern Conference teams, I was happy to see the more diverse schedule helped achieve a better balance. With that said, one of my most anticipated games of the season is definitely the January 8th game versus Pittsburgh. I was rooting them on throughout the playoffs (only after we lost, of course) and came to really enjoy watching them on the ice. The Penguins did take a few hits on their roster during free agency but they still have a great core team of players that I can’t wait to see. And that doesn’t necessarily mean I’m all about Sidney Crosby either. I mean, don’t get me wrong; the Kid’s good...but the way the announcers talked about him during games made me think he was out on the ice all by himself. It's a team, people!

A couple of other games worth mentioning are the FLA vs NSH game on November 1st and NYR vs NSH on March 12th. The Panthers now have one of the most beloved Predators in franchise history, Tomas Vokoun. The one game we played against them last season was very bittersweet due to the way in which Vokoun left us so suddenly during the tumultuous offseason following the '06-'07 season. Tomas is a class act and still someone I consider to be one of the best goalies in the NHL. Watching him on the ice is great, no matter what team he's playing for.

As for the Rangers game...I'm just excited to finally see the Rangers back in Nashville. I've been waiting for this matchup for three seasons now and well, they've got a pretty decent (and easy on the eyes) goalie too.