Saturday Slap Shots

Time to fire some pucks on the 'net:

• Most people are dismissing Edmonton's playoff chances right from opening puck drop, but I think they will be in the thick of things come late in the season. Reason being - new coach Pat Quinn. He is the best coach Edmonton has had since the last time they had cigar-chomping bench boss by the name of Glen Sather.
  
  
• So who is going to win the NHL scoring title this year? Alexander Ovechkin? Sidney Crosby? Evgeni Malkin? I'm going to pick Joe Thornton thanks to Dany Heatley's arrival in San Jose. I still don't think Thornton should make Team Canada 2010, though. But with Heatley riding shot gun, Thornton will put up big numbers that will be too hard to pass on.
  
  
• If Thornton does make Team Canada, it may come at the expense of Vincent Lecavalier. I love Lecavalier as a player, but he needs a real strong start to the season. Can he do that with the dysfunctional Tampa Bay Lightning?
  
  
• Two seasons ago I annointed Lecavalier as my favorite current player. Last season I switched to Alexander Ovechkin. Who will I pick this year? Early favorite: Zdeno Chara.
  
  
• 2010 rookie of the year? I think it is John Tavares' title to lose, but Jonas Gustavsson is my "monster" out-on-a-limb pick.

Here's a little hockey history set so far this opening weekend:

• Colorado had two 18 year olds, Matt Duchene and Ryan O'Reilly, in their opening day line-up. The last time that happened was 1995 when the Winnipeg Jets dressed Shane Doan and Jason Doig.
  
  
• Forever rivals Montreal and Toronto opened their season against each other for only the second time in their 85 year rivalry.
  
  
• It was great to see Toronto honour six Team Canada greats before the game on Thursday: Cassie Campbell, Ron Ellis, Darryl Sittler, Paul Coffey, Mario Lemieux and, still the biggest hero of them all, Paul Henderson.
  
  
• Tomas Vokoun's 52 save performance in the 4-3 shootout win over Chicago in Helsinki, Finland set a NHL record for most saves in a season opener. The previous high was 48 by Jeff Hackett of the Sharks in a 4-3 loss at Vancouver in 1991.