Thursday night was an entertaining night for hockey fans. From the Flyers making a late comeback in Toronto as Auston Matthews capped a hat trick to the Tampa Bay Lightning dawning their new black uniforms, Thursday night kept NHL fans busy. Thursday night also saw the NHL make history with a mind blowing statistic.
Thursday night saw 12 matchups around the league, proving to be a busy night for the NHL. Five of the matchups however, were former Stanley Cup Finals matchups, the first time in NHL history that five games in one day happened to be a Finals rematch.
The matchups included the Tampa Bay Lightning taking on the Colorado Avalanche in a 2022 rematch, the Los Angeles Kings taking on the New Jersey Devils in a 2012 rematch, the Anaheim Ducks and the Ottawa Senators in a 2007 rematch, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Chicago Blackhawks in a 1992 rematch, and the New York Rangers against the Montreal Canadians in a 1979 rematch.
All games provided exciting moments nonetheless. From Nikita Kucherov putting himself in the MVP conversation as the Lightning scored six goals against the Avs, to the struggling LA Kings frustrating young Devils star Jack Hughes and pulling off the upset, there was plenty to be excited about as hockey season begins to take on a playoff atmosphere.
With the NFL over, the NHL will take center stage on ABC in the 2024 Stadium Series as the Philadelphia Flyers and New Jersey Devils will faceoff in MetLife Stadium as another chapter unfolds in a historic rivalry.
