It’s good to be back with another Around the Rink! The season is starting to find a rhythm to it and we’re learning about the teams around the league. There are some hot starts and cold ones alike so let’s talk about them and a terrible situation in the Windy City. Let’s hit the ice!

First Period

FINALLY: There are bad starts, and then there bad starts. The Sharks have been to the latter, posting an 0-7-2 record through their first nine games going into Mondays tilt in Utah. I’ll let the clip above do most of the talking here, but trailing 4-1 in the third, the road side battled back to steal it in OT. The 5-4 win gets the Sharks into the left side for the first time all year, and hopefully it can spark them to look better…cause no one wants a BAD start.

Second Period

Hot Start in the State of Hockey: Where there is bad, there is good, and the Minnesota Wild have been exactly that. The Wild didn’t have very high expectations preseason, but they have hit the ground running with a mix of stellar goaltending, good defense and timely offense. Their big line of Zuccarello, Boldy and Kaprizov (co-league leader in points) can take over games and Filip Gustavsson’s work in net would make any team feel confident. At 7-1-2 a return to the playoffs feels like a distinct possibility for Minny.

Third Period

Sir Stone, Lord of Sin City: The Golden Knights are off to a flying start at 7-2-1, as they look to be more consistent this regular season. The Knights and their array of star players are always dazzling when they’re at their best, and that’s especially the case when their leader Mark Stone is rolling. Number 61 is tied for the league lead in points with 18 and is once again the life blood of this team with his skill and two way play. It’s nice to see him playing so well after the array of injuries he’s dealt with the last few years, long may it continue.

Overtime

Hope You Didn’t Plan on Watching: Because, you can’t watch the Chicago Blackhawks…in Chicago. Yes you read that right, Blackhawks fans can’t watch the teams games because of the newly minted Chicago Sportsnet. CHSN just launched this month, as its first live broadcast day was October 1st with NBC Sports Chicago’s license with the Bulls, White Sox and Blackhawks expired. The new home for these three is owned by the Wirtz family and Jerry Reinsdorf, both of whom own all three clubs. As per usual with these two groups, the roll out is a gong show and Comcast, Chicago’s largest cable provider, is in dispute with the network. This is the second time in Hawks history where the games are not watchable in the greater Chicagoland area, which is particularly distressing cause it seemed the dark days had long since gone away. What’s even worse is as the games don’t air, the team is struggling on the ice at 3-6-1 through ten, leading to lagging attendance in the United Center. Worrisome times are certainly back for this proud franchise.

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