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NHL Hockey’s back

Quick, which team skated off with Lord Stanley’s Cup back in June. Tick . . . Tick . . . Tick . . . Time’s up.

If you said the Carolina Hurricanes, after a thrilling seven-game series with Edmonton, the eighth seed out of the Western Conference, then you’re well aware the NHL is set to raise the curtain and drop the puck on another season beginning with three games tonight.

We offer some names and numbers that will make headlines over the next eight months on here.

The race to 600 goals

The New York Rangers’ Brendan Shanahan appears to be the frontrunner among the three within range of reaching 600 goals scored, but don’t count out his Rangers teammate Jaromir Jagr. Shanahan needs a pair to reach the milestone and join a club that includes just 14 others. But a fast start from Jagr (591) could propel him first.

Defending the title

The last team to repeat as the Stanley Cup champion was the 1997-98 Detroit Red Wings. They had no problems in the finals, sweeping the Philadelphia Flyers for the first title and then the Washington Capitals the second time.

Fueled by the fact that they couldn’t fully enjoy their first title, Detroit got back to the playoffs and got by Phoenix, St. Louis and Dallas before squaring off with the Capitals.
Carolina was a sleeper team last season and not many expected the Hurricanes to win it all. So, do the Hurricanes have enough drive to win a back-to-back title?

New faces expected to make an impact

Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals and the Penguins’ Sidney Crosby burst onto the scene last year with stellar rookie campaigns - Ovechkin’s earning him Rookie of the Year honors.

This season, there are more new faces who expect to make an impact this season.

Evengi Malkin, an early favorite for Rookie of the Year and Crosby’s teammate, is generating a buzz after being sidelined and denied an NHL debut last season because of a preseason shoulder injury. He was the second overall pick in 2004.

There’s also Columbus’ Gilbert Brule, whose injuries kept him out of most of the 2005-06 season. He has a tenacious playing style, which has contributed to his injury-prone career. He definitely makes up for his size with his effort.

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