In spite of it being nearly two months before the beginning of training camp, the Toronto Maple Leafs will begin selling individual game tickets for the 2018-19 regular season to members of the Leafs Nation club starting next Wednesday, and based on the excitement generated by the signing of John Tavares, whatever tickets that are made available to the public will be gobbled up in seconds.
The release of the regular season schedule got lost in the mix of NHL Draft weekend, but taking a look at the home games at the newly renamed Scotiabank Arena, here is one game per month that should be considered the game to go to:
1. Wednesday, October 3, 2018 vs. Montreal - Nearly every season opener is special in Toronto and returning to the tradition of the Canadiens being the opponent makes it even better, but Leafs fans seeing John Tavares wearing Blue and White in his first regular season game should make it very memorable.
2. Monday, November 26, 2018 vs. Boston – The Leafs play in Boston in early November, but this will be the first meeting in Toronto since the painful loss in Game 7 in the first round. The Bruins may now be the Leafs greatest rival and will continue to be a measuring stick for the young club until they can surpass them when it counts in the postseason.
3. Saturday, December 29, 2018 vs. New York Islanders – Tavares return to Long Island in February will be much more dramatic and emotional, but the first meeting between the former Islanders star and the team he played nine seasons for, as well as the return of Leo Komarov and Matt Martin to Toronto should make for high theatre.
4. Wednesday, January 23, 2019 vs. Washington Capitals – In spite of the outdoor game in Annapolis last season being a total dud, the Stanley Cup Champions and Leafs still have a healthy dislike for each other. One wonders whether Alex Ovechkin will have worked off his post-Cup beer belly by then.
5. Wednesday, February 27, 2019 vs. Edmonton Oilers - Connor McDavid’s only trip to Toronto should make for a wild, wide-open offensive affair, but if it is a repeat of last season, there could be little playoff consequences for the Oilers that late in the calendar.
6. Monday, March 11, 2019 vs. Tampa Bay Lightning – This could be the preview of an incredible playoff series if things go as predicted, but the shame of it is it might be a first or second round match. The signings of Nikita Kucherov and Ryan McDonagh solidified Tampa as one of the best in the East and if they are able to pull off a deal for Erik Karlsson, they might be the Cup favorite.
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