Games to Watch for the Upcoming 2010-2011 NHL Season | IXGAMES

The 2009-2010 season was one of the best for the NHL, after setting a new record not only for the Chicago Blackhawks, who won their Stanley Cup after a 49-year championship drought, but also as one of the most-watched games in the US based on TV ratings and sports betting activities.  This makes Game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals garner one of the highest ratings on NBC as the most-watched game in the US in 36 years.  Following the skyrocketing success of the previous season, hockey fans and experts are looking forward to a strong 2010-2011 season. Among the favorite teams to win the next Stanley Cup are the Chicago Blackhawks, Washington Capitals, and Pittsburgh Penguins.  Atlanta and Minnesota may also have a good chance to make it to the playoffs, while Detroit may be a strong contender for the Stanley Cup based on sports betting odds.  With all these bold predictions, sports bettors and fans are already counting the days before the regular season will kick in on October 7. 2010-2011 NHL season About 40 days to go before the new NHL season begins, many are anticipating a more exciting roster of games not only from defending champion Chicago Blackhawks, but also from other teams, which showed a lot of promise and improvement on their performance.  With new draft picks and some reshuffling among players, it is said that the 2010-2011 season will be just as exciting as the last season, if not better. The opening game For the season opening, the 5-game roster includes the national doubleheader for Hockey Night in Canada on CBC, the national tripleheader on VERSUS in the US, and the national game featured on TSN.  Minnesota Wild is scheduled to play against the Carolina Hurricanes that day in Helsinki, Finland, at Hartwall Areena, as part of the NHL Face-off and the 2010 Compuware NHL Premiere.  This first regular season game will be broadcast in the US through VERSUS and in Canada through TSN. For the opening night, the Pittsburgh Penguins will host the game against the current Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia Flyers at the CONSOL Energy Center, the Penguins’ new home.  This will be the middle game for the tripleheader of VERSUS.  The regular season games will also kick off with the defending Stanley Cup champion, the Chicago Blackhawks, playing against the Colorado Avalanche, which will be hosting the game. For CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada, the doubleheader will feature the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs for the first game.  The Edmonton Oilers will also battle it out with the Calagary Flames in what is dubbed as the “Battle of Alberta.” Regular season games held overseas For four consecutive years, the NHL has been hosting games in different parts of the globe.  For the 2010-2011 season, the games between the Sharks and Blue Jackets will be held in Stockhom, Sweden, on October 8 and 9, at the Ericsson Globe Arena.  In Prague, Czech Republic, the Bruins vs. the Coyotes game will take place at the O2 Arena on October 9 and 10.