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Ranking the five best 2014-2015 home openers

Los Angeles Kings v San Jose Sharks - Game Seven

SAN JOSE, CA - APRIL 30: Tommy Wingels #57 of the San Jose Sharks shakes hands with Drew Doughty #8 of the Los Angeles Kings after being eliminated from the playoffs in Game Seven of the First Round of the 2014 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at SAP Center on April 30, 2014 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Rocky Widner/Getty Images)

Getty Images

The NHL released the list of home openers in 2014-2015 for all 30 teams on Saturday afternoon and while everyone will be excited to see the league back in action in October, there are a few games that stand out above all.

After taking a look at who each team will get to host, we’ve picked out five games that are appointment viewing in the opening week of the season. Let’s rank them out, shall we? And before you ask, no, there was no debate over which game would be No. 1. Sorry Sabres-Blue Jackets and Islanders-Hurricanes, you didn’t make the cut.

1. Los Angeles Kings vs. San Jose Sharks -- October 8

Not only will the Kings be raising their 2014 Stanley Cup championship banner that night, the NHL was kind/cruel enough to have the Sharks be the guests of honor. You don’t need to be reminded that the Kings overcame a 3-0 series deficit against the Sharks in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and went on to win it all.

Will Joe Thornton be there to soak in the agony of having the knife twisted one last time? Will Drew Doughty remark about the fear in the eyes of Sharks players again? If the Sharks can’t get up for this game...

Brad Marchand, P.K. Subban

Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63) shakes hands with Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban after Game 7 of a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Boston, Wednesday, May 14, 2014. The Canadiens defeated the Bruins 3-1, advancing to the Eastern Conference finals against the New York Rangers. (AP Photo)

AP

2. Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins -- October 16

The Habs will have to start the season on the road but when they do get back to Bell Centre, the Boston Bruins will be there to greet them. After the Canadiens took out the Bruins in the postseason and their Stanley Cup hopes with them, this ancient rivalry will get to reboot once again.

Seeing P.K. Subban on the ice should be enough motivation for Zdeno Chara and the Bruins to get up for the game. The Habs hope the respect they earned by beating Boston won’t be forgotten.

Let’s just hope Milan Lucic will be on his best behavior.

3. Minnesota Wild vs. Colorado Avalanche -- October 9 & 11

A bit of a funky situation with these two 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs combatants and division rivals as they start the year with a home-and-home series against each other. After going to seven games in the first-round of the playoffs ultimately won by the Wild, Patrick Roy’s Avs will get to start the season trying to wrangle Zach Parise and Ryan Suter all over again.

Big question for the Avs will be whether they’ll have Paul Stastny and Ryan O’Reilly there to try and get the season off to a good start. Equally good question for the Wild? Who will they have in goal? Ilya Bryzgalov was key for them in the playoffs but so was Darcy Kuemper. Niklas Backstrom is still around and Josh Harding may still be in the discussion.

Riley Sheahan, Tuukka Rask

Detroit Red Wings’ Riley Sheahan (15) readies a shot on Boston Bruins’ Tuukka Rask (40) during the first period in Game 5 in the first round of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs in Boston, Saturday, April 26, 2014. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

AP

4. Detroit Red Wings vs. Boston Bruins -- October 9

It’s a playoff rematch between a Red Wings team that was game and beat up and a Bruins team that was too good and too much for the Wings. Now that they’re division rivals and they have a playoff battle under their belts, perhaps we’ve got the start of a good rivalry.

The Red Wings should have Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg at full strength while the Bruins will still have Tuukka Rask and Patrice Bergeron excelling. These two teams bring the best out of each other but the Bruins will be coming off an opening night game at home against Philadelphia. Nothing like back-to-backs to start the season.

5. Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Montreal Canadiens -- October 8

It’s one of the most storied rivalries in the NHL and having the Leafs and Habs open up against each other in Toronto makes opening night all the more special. With the pomp and circumstance the Maple Leafs provide on opening night, it provides all the hockey feelings fans get tingly about.

It’ll also feature a Leafs team that hits the ice for the first time since an incredible season-ending collapse that saw them fall from third in the Eastern Conference to 12th in just over a month’s time. Meanwhile, the Canadiens are coming off an Eastern Conference Final appearance and were perhaps a Carey Price injury away from making the Stanley Cup Final.

Phil Kessel and Jonathan Bernier are about the only two Leafs players we know for sure will be on the ice for Toronto as they’ve got a summer filled with rumors and intrigue ahead of them.

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