Courtesy of Zimbio.com

By: Joe Ballway, YawkeyTalkies Correspondent
Article idea courtesy of Dan Massar, YawkeyTalkies Correspondent.

Hockey Season starts tonight for the Bruins. Here are some key games to mark on your calendars, because they’re guaranteed to be good ones. Lets see if they can grab the Eastern Conference again, and then some.

1) Thu, Oct 1 vs Washington
Tonight’s season opener in Boston features two hungry, powerful Eastern Conference teams left unsatisfied by shortened playoff runs. Initially viewed as legitimate contenders, neither team made it out of the second round last spring; both lost in crushing Game 7’s at home. The Bruins and Capitals face heightened pressure and expectations heading into the new campaign, and the atmosphere in the Garden tonight will be booming. What better way to kick off the new season than a clash between Ovechkin, the league’s most potent sniper, and Chara, its most prominent shutdown defender?

2.) Sat, Oct 3 vs Carolina
While the Canadiens have cemented their role as the Bruins’ arch-rivals, the Hurricanes held the post of Public Enemy #1 in the wake of Boston’s second-round exit. The series created plenty of dislike between the teams, most notably as a result of Scott Walker’s sucker punch on Aaron Ward. Ironically, Ward is now on the Hurricanes, but that doesn’t render the rivalry obsolete; there should be plenty of bad blood simmering on Saturday night, and bad blood generally equals a good hockey game.

3.) Thu, Nov 5 vs Montreal
While I endorse any Bruins-Canadiens contest as entertaining television for even the most clueless of sports fans, this one will be particularly important in setting the tone for the season series. In the first of six games between the division rivals, Montreal will be seeking payback after its embarrassing playoff performance, and its revamped offense appears ready to create problems for the Bruins. The game should feature plenty of scoring, and it should also contain plenty of the post-whistle scrums and chatter that make this rivalry one of the best in sports.

4.) Sat, Dec 5 vs Toronto
Obviously, the focal point of this matchup will be Phil Kessel’s return to Boston, assuming he has fully recovered from offseason shoulder surgery. It will be interesting to see how the exiled sniper is received by the hometown faithful, as his departure was less than amicable, and it will be even more intriguing to see how he plays against his former teammates. Considering his tendency to avoid body contact, he probably won’t like the idea of going one-on-one in the corners against Chara’s 6-9, 255-pound frame.

5.) Fri, Jan 1 vs Philadelphia: The Winter Classic
Forget about the All-Star Game–the Winter Classic is the marquee event of the NHL regular season, and Fenway Park is the perfect venue for its continued success. The traditional appeal of the old ballpark will combine with the blustery winter weather to create a dynamic recipe for old-time hockey, and Chris Pronger and Zdeno Chara will be relied upon for some equally chilling physical play. Just like last year’s Classic at Wrigley, the buzz of the crowd and intensity of the game will further indicate the rebirth of an Original Six city that had recently struggled to keep professional hockey on its radar.

6.) Thu, Jan 7 vs Chicago
It’s unfortunate that the Bruins play Western Conference teams so infrequently, because there are plenty of talented and dynamic players that fans don’t become familiar with over the course of the season. The Bruins’ tilt with Detroit on November 3rd will be a stellar game, but I’m looking forward to the Blackhawks’ arrival in January even more. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are two of the game’s most exciting young players, and Chicago parallels Boston in the sense that it’s an upcoming powerhouse franchise that has regained the interest of its fan base. It’s always entertaining to see how these two teams match up against each other.

7.) Thu, Jan 14 @ San Jose
Through two periods of Joe Thornton’s much-anticipated return to Boston last season, the game was shaping up to be everything fans expected–the B’s led 2-1 in a tight defensive battle between the league’s top teams. Then they suffered a most uncharacteristic collapse: San Jose came out firing in the third, and Boston surrendered four more goals in a frustrating exposure of defensive weaknesses that catapulted the Bruins into their worst slump of the season. The Bruins head to the Shark Tank for a redo this January, and the matchup should again serve as a clash of elite teams. Hopefully, the Bruins are better prepared this time.

8). Sun, Mar 7 @ Pittsburgh
As the season winds down and teams jockey for final playoff positions, the Bruins and Penguins will most likely be in the thick of the struggle for top seed in the Eastern Conference. This game could go a long way in providing momentum for either one of the teams, and it will also be a strong gauge of where the Bruins stand in preparation for postseason play. Last season, the Bruins matched up fairly well with the Pens, splitting even over the four-game series between the two teams. However, once Pittsburgh heated up down the stretch, the B’s were unable to contain their explosive offense in a 6-4 March loss.

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