With the NBA postseason concluding tonight (I forget who won), there's nothing but MLB from now until September when the NFL regular season starts. Of course, there are welcome diversions like Euro 2012, the College World Series, Wimbledon, London Olympics, Little League World Series etc. but today the Boston Bruins gave us something else to savor this summer: their 2012-13 regular season schedule.
At first glance, it's a very appealing start to the season for the B's as they open with three games on the road against Eastern Conference foes. The season starts on October 11 against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center, from there Boston visits the Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Devils two nights later before taking on the Montreal Canadiens October 16 at the Bell Centre.
The NHL didn't wait long to get its money's worth out of the superb Bruins-Canadiens rivalry as the teams actually play a home-and-home series in the first week of the 2012-13 season. TD Garden will be electric for the home opener on October 18 with the Habs in town.
Boston will get its first crack at the Washington Capitals-the team that unceremoniously knocked them out of the 2012 playoffs-on November 2 as the B's visit the Caps. Too bad Tim Thomas will miss that one, no word on if his bunker gets NESN.
Other highlights include the Rangers visiting the afternoon following Thanksgiving (November 23) then the Penguins coming to Boston the next night and the Devils will be here two nights after that.
The Original 6 meetings with the Red Wings (December 10 in Detroit) and Blackhawks (January 12 in Boston; February 17 in Chicago) are always superb, I always wish they played them more often. Those games are 10 times more interesting and exciting than the usual Northeast Division games vs. the Maple Leafs, Senators or Sabres that seemingly take up half of the schedule.
The Stanley Cup champs-the LA Kings-only play the Bruins once, December 17 at TD Garden. Ditto for the Canucks although Boston will have to go there on December 29. The Blues visit on January 29 and Boston goes to Nashville on February 18.
For my money, Bruins-Flyers (March 9 in Boston, March 30 in Boston and March 31 in Philly) and Bruins-Canadiens (January 19 in Montreal, February 28 in Montreal, March 4 in Boston and March 27 in Boston) are usually your best bets for most intense regular season matchups involving the B's.
Boston's schedule is front-loaded with long homestands early in the season: six games in October and November/early December plus seven games in December. That means they will be paying for it in the second half on a long road trip: seven games in February (which feels like an annual occurrence before the trade deadline).
Three of the Bruins last four regular season games are on the road and they wrap it up April 12 in Buffalo against the Sabres.
Stay tuned for the NHL draft which begins tomorrow night in Pittsburgh then free agency officially starts on July 1. After that, it will be a very slow couple of months for hockey.
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