It feels great to have hockey back.

It also feels weird to watch a game without every rush being full of do-or-die anxiety and every scramble in front of the net cause a cold sweat. Sure, they all do to an extent, but not nearly like they did four months ago.

Interesting notes on the NHL season as it stands right now, Canes goalie Cam Ward is tied for the league lead in assists. He’s also tied for the worst GAA in the league, and Eric Staal is on pace to score 334 goals. (That will put him just a hair behind Buffalo’s Jason Pominville’s pace for 547 goals, but I don’t think he has the tools to keep that pace up.)