The NHL announced its nationally televised schedule for all 32 teams this week. The announcement highlighted some key matchups across the league, ranging from the Boston Bruins vs. the New York Rangers to the Vegas Golden Knights vs. the San Jose Sharks.
Speaking of which, hey, remember that rivalry? It used to be good until the Sharks became godawful during their tank sessions. That's how the Golden Knights dominated the Sharks all-time, with a 31-2-5 regular season record. They don't hand those records to everyday teams and people, you know.
In fact, there's one particular date that stands out for both fanbases. No, it isn't the matinee on November 27 at SAP Center. It's nice to have some leftover turkey after the Thanksgiving Day festivities, you know.
Instead, it's the first matchup at T-Mobile Arena between these two teams. That would be on December 16 and TNT will broadcast the game. Personally, I'm a bigger fan of TNT since they don't botch their broadcasts like the Mickey Mouse network does (although streaming TNT's games can be painful). But there's more to the story than simply seeing hockey's present face off against hockey's future.
Why I'm looking forward to seeing the Vegas Golden Knights play against the San Jose Sharks on December 16 on TNT
As mentioned, there's a personal preference for seeing hockey games on TNT as opposed to ESPN and ABC. Golden Knights fans will personally tell you how annoyed they were at the perceived bias of Disney's broadcast team during the Stanley Cup Final. Besides, who doesn't love hearing Kenny Albert and Eddie Olczyk call a hockey game?
Speaking of which, there's a good chance that TNT's top-flight broadcast crew calls this game. The Golden Knights are one of the most well-known hockey teams in the NHL, while the Sharks have Macklin Celebrini to boast about. Combine the memories of a previously "heated rivarly" and things get even juicier.
This will be especially true if both teams are atop the Pacific Division by this time. It'll add more suspense and drama regarding divisional superiority, eventually being a game that hockey fans will point to as being significant in the divisional race.
Fans can also point to the Sharks making drastic improvements to their roster
Adding Jacob Trouba and Darnell Nurse to the blue line should make the Sharks contenders in the division. Both are proven veterans who know how to provide better all-around game to any roster. That includes a young San Jose squad that needs such leadership on the front lines.
Add in a dash of younger players and both teams should make for compelling television. You can also add in the layer of Canada vs. the United States since Celebrini's Canadian and Jack Eichel's Captain America. It's a win-win for hockey audiences everywhere.
Mark your calendars for December 16, dear reader. It should be an old-fashioned bloodbath between two bitter rivals (okay, the history says otherwise, but still) and will feature the league's biggest stars. It's what makes hockey fun to watch, after all.
Add us as a preferred source on Google