Penguins @ Flyers To Start Shortened NHL Season?

If the NHL Lockout Ends, Is There Any Better Way
To Start the Season Than Flyers and Penguins?

I know that the NHL Lockout isn't over, and it might not be smart of me to speculate on when or how that might happen.  However, I'm sick of reading all the legal jargon and want to talk about some actual hockey.  Needless to say, when the report was released that if the NHL season begins its 52 or 48 game schedule with the Pittsburgh Penguins traveling to Philadelphia to play the Flyers...well that certainly spiked my interest.  If you ask me (and sure I'm biased), this is a case where the NHL would be smart NOT to put the Stanley Cup Champions on TV for the opening night game.  Instead, put a rivalry that boils two fan bases and team's blood and you've got yourself good TV.

IF (and that seems like a big IF) the NHL Lockout does end and the NHL gets back on the ice, the league is going to have to start the mop up work with the fans.  One of the ways to get the fans to forget about the silly nonsense that the NHLPA and NHL have been doing since mid-September is to put great matchups on TV for hockey fans to enjoy...and honestly, is there a better rivalry in the NHL right now than the Flyers and Penguins?  Not only do the two teams hate one another year in and year out, but this has gone beyond just two teams that don't particularly care for each other.  This goes to the fans, and even superstars.

Who can forget the playoff series last year.  Sure, it was embarrassing how horrible the defense was on both sides, but the physicality of those games is what is going to set the tone WHENEVER the two teams get back on the ice and the puck gets dropped.  Frankly, you could probably just put Claude Giroux and Sidney Crosby out on the opening faceoff just to see what happens!  Is Giroux going to complain that Sidney is going after his wrists on faceoffs again?  Is Crosby going to complain to officials about cheap shots and dirty play?  This makes for great TV, and great hockey, and if the NHL ends this lockout soon, it would be EXTREMELY smart to have this be the opening game for the shortened season.

I realize that not all NHL fans are like me.  Some are so angry that they have turned their back on the game, but I'm not going to be a person that says that.  I enjoy watching hockey (and specifically the Penguins) play, and nothing will stop me from doing so when the game returns to arenas across the country (and Canada).  That will be one of the more difficult tasks for the NHL when this lockout ends...getting those disgruntled fans back in front of their TVs and interested in their product again.  Putting the Penguins and Flyers out there to kick things off would be a good step in the right direction.