We're more than halfway through the third straight pandemic-affected NHL season -- but it finally feels like we're tracking toward normalcy. We have (mostly) full arenas again, and a (mostly) typical 82-game schedule -- save for those few weeks in December where a flurry of postponements threatened to wreak havoc on everything. While some off-ice issues linger, and the league works to get back afloat with revenue, fans have been treated to incredible hockey since October. The season's first half has been defined by a series of daring, high-skill goals from a new generation of brash young stars not afraid to show some personality and transform the sport.
Kaplan: Answering 20 big questions heading into the season's final months
