The main event is here.
It is Wednesday, my dudes.
At long last, after what seems like a few weeks of waiting, the Stanley Cup Final begins tonight in Edmonton.
The Oilers will host the Panthers in Game 1, with puck drop set for some time in the general area of 8 PM Eastern.
Storylines abound with this match-up, as the Panthers seek their second Cup in a row while the Oilers look for revenge after last year’s seven-game defeat.
Locally, we’ve got skin in the game on both sides, with former Bruins Trent Frederic and Brad Marchand lining up opposite one another.
While Marchand adding another ring to his jewelry case in the twilight of an outstanding career might have more appeal to the average Bruins fan, it’s at least nice to know that one of the two will be getting a ring.
Speaking of the Bruins, there’s still no movement (as of Tuesday night) in the coaching search.
We heard earlier this week from Pierre LeBrun that he thought the B’s would be naming a coach early in the week this week; that ship has kind of sailed.
Part of me wonders if the league would prefer teams not name new coaches once the Final begins just to keep the spotlight on that marquee event, but it’s also unfair to ask teams to wait, so…who knows.
We’ve heard, from various sources but without official confirmation, that Joe Sacco isn’t a finalist and that some combination of Marco Sturm, Jay Woodcroft, and maybe Jay Leach are the last men standing.
However, there are rumblings that Pete DeBoer may be on the way out in Dallas, so you can’t help but wonder if the Bruins might be waiting that one out to see what happens.
Elsewhere, Conor Ryan wonders if the B’s should go after Marco Rossi and Marchand reflected on the end of his Bruins tenure.
What’s on tap for today?