Devils @ Penguins
5:00 PM (MT)
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Season series: This is the first of four meetings between the Metropolitan Division rivals, all before the calendar shifts to 2014. Although the Pittsburgh Penguins finished 24 points ahead in the standings last season, the New Jersey Devils took three of their four matchups. Defenseman Andy Greene contributed a goal and three assists for the Devils, while forward Chris Kunitz had a goal and three assists to pace the Penguins.
Big story: It's evident Cory Schneider is the Devils' goaltender of the future, but he'll also be their starter on opening night. Martin Brodeur has started 18 straight season openers, but missed practice time last weekend due to the death of his father, and coach Pete DeBoer will apparently hold him for the team's home opener Friday against the New York Islanders.
At the other end of the ice, all eyes figure to be on Marc-Andre Fleury, who unquestionably will start for the Penguins and will look to start the process of making everyone forget about his meltdown against the Islanders in the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs. His veteran backup, Tomas Vokoun, is out for three to six months after dealing with a blood clot during training camp.Lightning @ Bruins
5:00 PM (MT)
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Season series: The Boston Bruins won all three matchups last season as Tuukka Rask was 2-0-0 with a .964 save percentage and a shutout in two starts. Teddy Purcell had four assists and Steven Stamkos had two goals in the three games for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Big story: After losing one future Hall of Famer in the offseason (Jaromir Jagr), the Bruins begin title defense of their Eastern Conference championship with another one, Jarome Iginla, still looking for his first Stanley Cup. The Lightning are coming off their second straight season without a trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs and have missed the postseason in five of the past six seasons.
Kings @ Wild
6:00 PM (MT)
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Season series: The Minnesota Wild were 2-1-0 in the 2012-13 season series against the Los Angeles Kings, with both wins coming at home. The Kings' Jeff Carter and Justin Williams scored three goals each in those three contests. Minnesota aims to extend its home winning streak against Los Angeles to four games.
Big story: Minnesota will try to extend its streak of never losing its first game of the season at Xcel Energy Center. The Wild tied the Philadelphia Flyers 3-3 in the first regular-season home game in franchise history in 2000 and have won their next 11 home openers (not counting a 2010 game against the Carolina Hurricanes in Finland in which Minnesota was designated as the home team).
Predators @ Blues
6:30 PM (MT)
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Season series: This is the first of five meetings this season between the Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues. The Blues won three of four games against the Predators in 2012-13, though they were actually outscored by Nashville in the series by a 9-8 margin.
Big story: As a result of the NHL's realignment for the 2013-14 season, the Central Division looks completely different than it did a year ago, but the Predators and Blues will be seeing some familiar faces when they open their respective campaigns Thursday night. For the Blues, the ultimate goal of winning the franchise's first Stanley Cup starts against Nashville, while the Predators will look to get a strong start to a season they hope will see them return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Panthers @ Stars
6:30 PM (MT)
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Season series: While many teams open the season against bitter rivals or divisional foes, that won't be the case on Thursday in Dallas. The Panthers and Stars rarely face one another; their last matchup came nearly two years ago, on Nov. 15, 2011. The Panthers dominated that encounter, winning 6-0 behind a three-point night from Kris Versteeg and a 25-save shutout performance by Scott Clemmensen. This is the first of two meetings in 2013-14; the teams won't see each other again until the Stars come to South Florida on April 6.
Big story: Which of these non-playoff teams from 2012-13 will get off to a fast start this time around? The Panthers and Stars finished at the bottom of their respective divisions in 2012-13, and both enter this season in an arguably tougher group thanks to realignment.
Rangers @ Coyotes
8:00 PM (MT)
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Season series: Drama unfolded the last time the New York Rangers and Phoenix Coyotes opposed each other on Jan. 10, 2012 at Madison Square Garden; Derek Stepan ended a thriller in the sixth round of a shootout to give New York a 2-1 victory. Marian Gaborik had a chance to win it for the Rangers in overtime on a penalty shot, but was denied when Coyotes goalie Mike Smith made a sprawling save.
Big story: The Alain Vigneault era begins for New York as the former Vancouver Canucks coach makes his regular-season debut with a Rangers team expected by many to compete for the Stanley Cup. Vigneault, who guided the Canucks to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final in 2011, takes over for John Tortorella -- Vigneault's replacement in Vancouver. He is charged with, among other things, fixing a power play that ranked 23rd in 2011-12 and 2012-13.
Canucks @ Sharks
8:00 PM (MT)
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Season series: The San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks, both members of the revised Pacific Division, will meet four times this season. But it was the last four times they met, a four-game sweep by the Sharks in the opening round of last year's Stanley Cup Playoffs, that sticks in the collective craw of the Canucks.
Big story: Both teams are looking to take a big step this season, with the Canucks having won just one playoff game in the nine they've played the past two seasons and the Sharks making it all the way to Game 7 of the 2013 Western Conference Semifinals before being edged out by the Los Angeles Kings.