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Quick Strikes: Crunch win final preseason game and the NHL season starts today

Posted on by Alexandra Ackerman

The Headline

The Syracuse Crunch played their last preseason game last night, a late afternoon tilt at Toronto. Syracuse won the game, finishing their abbreviated preseason with a 1-1-0-0 record. Five different Crunch players recorded a goal on route to Syracuse’s 5-4 victory.

Alex Barré-Boulet knows his goals going into his first professional season:

Crunch broadcaster Lukas Favale’s twitter kept fans updated and optimistic throughout the game.

Taylor Raddysh was the first star of the game:

Head Coach Ben Groulx had careful praise for his young team following the game.

(Rest up, coach, and get that cold taken care of!)

The Bolts

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Dan Giradi wrapped up his training camp journal yesterday. Let’s get this season started! [Tampa Bay Lightning]

We’re very familiar with the team we’ll be facing Saturday, so should be prepared properly for that. We have a couple days without games after Opening Night, so everything’s focused on that first game to make sure we’re doing all the right things, make sure we’re not turning pucks over, playing good defensively, stuff we’ve been saying around here for a while. I think it’s going to be good to do that in practice in the next four days and then use it in a game.

Coach Jon Cooper took some time out to praise Anthony Cirelli:

Speaking of Cooper: For God’s sake, guys, seal the wall!

The Lightning squad seems to be getting healthy again. Only Tyler Johnson and Ryan Callahan were in red jerseys yesterday.

THN lays it all on the line: “Anything less than the Stanley Cup will be considered a lost season for the Tampa Bay Lightning.” [The Hockey News]

Alan has a very important announcement about his existential crisis. [Raw Charge]

Being an extremely normal and healthy individual, I channeled this crisis energy into answering the dumbest question I’ve ever asked myself: Just how meaningless is preseason hockey? In most cases, this is where the author of this kind of article will say, “The answer might surprise you!” Except in this case, it won’t. It will only confirm your worst suspicion

There’s going to be new food at Amalie Arena this season!

Solar Bears News

The Orlando Solar Bears announced that forwards Chris LeBlanc and Brady Shaw have been returned to Orlando after their release from Syracuse Crunch training camp. Four other players from other AHL camps were also returned.

The Game

The NHL season officially starts today. The Maple Leafs will host the Canadiens at 7:00 in a game that won’t be available on TV in the US. Instead, we get to watch the Bruins and Capitals on NBCSN at 7:30. The late games will feature Vancouver hosting Calgary and the Ducks visiting San Jose.

Montreal Canadiens forward Jacob de la Rose suffered what is being called a “cardiac episode” and was not cleared to travel with his team. He has been placed on injured reserve. [Habs Eyes on the Prize]

The forward missed practice on Monday with what the team called a therapy day at the time. The severity of the injury is not said to be serious but anything that includes “cardiac episode” needs to be taken seriously and with extreme caution.

The Edmonton Oilers signed Jason Garrison to a one-year pact for $650k. [CopperNBlue]

Garrison looks like he’ll deputize on the bottom pairing every so often, while theoretically having a skill set that might see him playing spot duty on the second powerplay unit as well. There isn’t much risk (other than him being bad, which is very real), and all he cost the Oilers was money, so you can sort of understand their thinking here.

Brent Burns gets his beard shaved off in the kitchen, because of course he does. The comments to this particular post, especially those from his wife and others, are all gems.

The Toronto organization suffered two big waiver losses yesterday. Ouch.

When the Vancouver Canucks put Sam Gagner on waivers, they said they would try to get him close to his family if he wasn’t claimed. He cleared successfully, so they have loaned him to AHL Toronto.

The Washington Capitals showed off their new bling yesterday. Ah, Jostens. Anyone else have an urge to go find their class ring? [Washington Capitals]

The ring is made of 14-karat white and yellow gold expertly set with diamonds, genuine rubies, and genuine blue sapphire. The ring features 230 round diamonds, as well as 22 princess cut diamonds, for a carat weight of 5.5. Increasing the stone count are 28 custom taper-cut rubies and seven custom-cut star-shaped rubies, totaling 4.6 carats. A star-shaped sapphire weighing .10 carats brings the precious stone weight to an astonishing 10.2 carats.

The New York Islanders saved a bit of money yesterday by sending forward Jan Kovar to the AHL.

The Athletic predicted a ton of stuff going into the 2018-19 NHL season. I can’t read it because I, like many of you, don’t have a subscription. But I’m sure it’s great. [The Athletic]

It was a bit foggy at in Chocolate Town yesterday. What a cool shot.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman stated Tuesday that the board of governors’ executive committee has recommended proceeding with Seattle’s expansion application. [ESPN]

“The notion is have the board vote on expansion,” Bettman said. “And assuming, as I think everybody is, that it would be approved — I don’t want to be presumptuous of the board’s prerogative — but everything seems to be on track.”

Meanwhile, the readers of the Seattle Times have voted, and their choices for the new NHL team name has apparently been narrowed down to two choices. They’re…choices, all right.

Gritty, the Philadelphia Flyers new mascot, has been granted his own Upper Deck Young Guns NHL rookie card. [Upper Deck Blog]

Scott Moore has resigned as president of Sportsnet and NHL Properties.

The PHWA announced Isabelle Khurshudyan of The Washington Post winner the 2018 Red Fisher Award, which recognizes to the top overall beat reporter from the 2017-18 season. It was voted on by her peers.

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