With the hockey season already a few weeks underway, let’s check back in to see how your favorite teams are doing to start the year.
The Florida Panthers started off the season by raising the banner on their first Stanley Cup Championship, then promptly beat the Boston Bruins 6-4. Simply put, the Panthers show no signs of a championship hangover as they are currently the top team in the Eastern Conference.
On the flip side, the Oilers are off to a sluggish start. Yes, the Western Conference champs have stumbled out of the gate for the second straight year. While the Oilers turned things around last time, it wasn’t without casualties as they fired their coach, Jay Woodcroft and replaced him with Kris Knoblauch. While I don’t see a coaching change in the future, the Oilers will be without arguably the best player on the planet, Connor McDavid, for the next 2-3 weeks with an ankle injury. Can they survive until then?
It’s not just the Oilers who have struggled out of the gate. The Avalanche, Stanley Cup winners in ‘22, and the Predators, who had the busiest off season, are currently outside the playoff picture. Both teams have started to turn it around, but can they turn it around? There’s still plenty of hockey to play.
With two goals against the Rangers on Tuesday night, Alex Ovechkin now has four goals on the season. More importantly, he now sits at 857 career goals, a mere 38 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record. Could he do it this season? If he stays healthy, he could have a shot. After all, “Russian machine never breaks.”
Lastly, glad to see Marc-Andre Fleury get the win in his final game in Pittsburgh. Now playing for the Minnesota Wild, it was good to see him back in the city that drafted him and where he helped win three Stanley Cups. Always a fan favorite wherever he has played, it was nice to see the crowd give him a standing ovation throughout the night. More importantly, the show of sportsmanship from Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang to stay on the ice to see “Flower” be recognized as the 1st star of the game was an equally touching moment.
Brewin’ in Bethel
For this week, I thought I’d stick with the focus of Halloween and devote this section to some pumpkin beers. I already know what you’re thinking: “it has to be Shipyard, or Pumking, or as the Town Crier might have you believe, Sam Adams Jack-O.” Readers, you are all entitled to your opinions and this writer and beer drinker enjoys all those beers as well. I thought I’d write about some that have been starting to pop up more recently and that I now seek out every fall. The Elysian Pumpkin Pack includes four beers, all pumpkin based, but with a twist. All four have a higher percentage of alcohol, but still gives you that feeling of fall. You can’t go wrong with Night Owl, Great Pumpkin, or Dark o’ the Moon, but my favorite has to be the Punkuccino. Brewed with actual coffee, this one will be sure to keep you warm by the fire during these fall nights. What’s more basic than pumpkin coffee? When you add beer to the mix.
