It’s nice to be in a situation where things are starting to feel normal again. Sure, there are a few postponed games still on the schedule every night, but they got off eight games last night without a hitch and, I don’t think, more than a couple COVID absences. Things have been a lot worse.

But we’ll see how everyone feels about it when they’re playing four games a week, every week, for the rest of the season, especially if lockdowns and everything else continue. Can the league reasonably get everyone to 82 games before the end of April without doing the whole “you have to play after the playoffs start” thing? 

Here’s an edge case for ya: After tonight, the New York Islanders have to play 53 times in 114 days. They don’t play again until Saturday, and that game is in Edmonton so there’s a possibility it’s postponed. But beyond the most extreme example, another 12 teams haven’t hit Game 32 yet. That feels like too many!

Feels like the rest of the way is going to be a meat grinder. Don’t envy the players at all for this one.

Let’s go: