Thoughts on Opening Night

Some day-after reflections from the NHL's opening night:

— With Andrei Markov out of the lineup until after the Olympics, the Montreal Canadiens will have an impossible time replacing his offense. But judging by the way the Canadiens played in their own end in their 4-3 overtime win against the Toronto Maple Leafs, what has to scare the bejeepers out of them is what they'll be losing defensively from the back end. The Canadiens were putrid and things won't get any better after losing their best two-way defenseman.