Oh Happy Day!!!

The Rangers have released their schedule for the upcoming season so we can start planning our lives.

Hooray!

The first month of action provides some great match ups - four out of the seven home games are awesome:
Friday, October 10th vs. Blackhawks - Home opener is an Original Six match up, how cool is that? It's like someone in the league office is finally getting a clue.
Monday, October 13th vs. Devils - Fatso returns, and we don't have Sean Avery to screen him.
Monday, October 20th vs. Stars - Sean Avery returns, one week too late to help us tip the scales back in our favour.
Saturday, October 25th vs. Penguins - Cindy stops by to cry and whine to the refs.

The opening month's away games aren't so bad either with match ups against the Isles (hahaha), the Flyers and the Red Wings (ouch).

The rest of schedule has some goodies, including visits by Gretzky's kid Coyotes, the big, bad Quack attack and Marian Gaborik, who will try for six this time around.

The Rangers have yet to announce the dates for the special nights to honour Adam Graves, Harry Howell and Andy Bathgate, but if they stick with their stupid tradition and schedule it for a night against a meaningless opponent then keep your eyes on October 30th vs. the Thrashers, January 27th vs. the Hurricanes and February 26th vs. the Panthers.

If the Rangers decide to do the right thing, then Graves night would be on November 10th vs. the Oilers or November 19th vs. the Canucks. Bathgate's evening would come on October 17th or February 22nd against the Maple Leafs, the team he won a Stanley Cup with. While Howell won a Cup as a scout with the Oilers and coached the North Stars, the first Harry Howell Night came on a 2-1 win against the Boston Bruins so it would be good synergy to face off against them again (November 15th and March 8th).

No matter who they play, I am just damn pleased that the schedule is finally out. Now if there was only a way to fast forward to the fall so we can get this party started!!