Fall is a season of renewal for hockey players. In the NHL, the calendar shift is a mindset switch. Crisper air and shorter days foster boundless optimism for the season ahead. Anything is possible. Every team has a realistic shot to still be playing in the spring.
"You wouldn't be excited if you thought you were just playing to finish up outside of the playoff picture," Buffalo Sabres forward Jeff Skinner said. "That's what drives that excitement is everyone starts off with a clean slate. For us, expectations have started to build and that's something you want and that's something you obviously have to earn.