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What we love (and hate) so far this NHL season
Winnipeg Jets rookie Patrik Laine enjoys his goals. Jonathan Kozub/Getty Images

What we love (and hate) so far this NHL season

Thanksgiving is practically upon us, giving NHL fans the perfect time to reflect on the best things they're thankful for seeing through the first couple months of the NHL season — and the worst things they're perhaps not so thankful for. From amazing goals to laughable penalties, rookie sensations to familiar standouts, we've already been treated to some amazing and amazingly awful hockey.

Welcome back to the Yardbarker NHL roundtable. Get those Thanksgiving recipes ready, and in the meantime, our panelists provide a distraction with the best and worst things that have happened this still young NHL season.

What's the best thing you've loved and worst thing you've hated so far this NHL season?

Chelena Goldman
Love: Auston Matthews' debut, because during the centennial season when so many historical moments and records are being discussed, it is great to see a record actually get set.

Patrik Laine's stick-twirling goal celebration — it seems like the more goals he scores the more elaborate and amusing his celebrations become.

The bomb-sniffing dog that dropped the puck at the Anaheim Ducks' game, because c'mon, it was a dog dropping the puck and that is awesome.

The fact that Joe Thornton's beard is still a work of art. Long live the Zeus beard.

Hate: For starters, the day it was announced that Steven Stamkos, Johnny Gaudreau and Taylor Hall were all injured was the worst because seeing a whole grouping of players get sidelined with injury is such a bummer.

Second, when Ben Bishop's teeth got knocked out.

I get shivers just thinking about it, it looked so painful.

Finally, the Habs' effort in their 10-0 loss to the Blue Jackets. I don't have any sympathies toward either team, but damn that game was painful to watch.

Laura Saba
Love: The Oct. 19 game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Winnipeg Jets was incredibly fun. Winnipeg scored three unanswered goals to tie the game after going down 4-1 to the Leafs, and then rookie Patrik Laine scored in overtime to get his first NHL hat trick and give the Jets the win. 

Hate: I don't know if this is the worst thing I've seen so far, but it was definitely incredibly frustrating: The NHL did not suspend Nazem Kadri for his hit on Daniel Sedin during the Vancouver-Toronto game on Nov. 5.

Decisions like that often set a benchmark in players' heads regarding how reckless and dangerous they can be on the ice.

Joe Boland
Love: This. 

Hate: Any Flyers goaltender. I shouldn't have to explain. Next question.

Jason Clinkscales
Love: The Rangers having a legitimately good offense that may not fade for once. You have to understand that this is taking a lot of getting used to. I’m sure no one is happier than Henrik Lundqvist.
 
Hate: We may all be in unison here, but own goals are pretty bad and normally funny as hell if they don’t involve your team. Recently against Colorado, Winnipeg’s Nikolaj Ehlers wanted to get the puck off the boards, and he seemingly attempted to make a one-handed touch pass to Toby Enstrom. That didn’t happen. Not by a long shot. Though they walked away with a point, Ehlers’ own goal actually costs them a road game in overtime. Yikes.

Sarah Sprague
Love: Ryan Miller's save deserves to see him land a baseball contract ahead of Tim Tebow. 

Hate: World. Cup. Of. Hockey. I know it feels like a lifetime ago this event happened, but it was on NHL Season Eve and we have yet to fully see how the extra grind exhausted players all for an ill-advised power move designed to force players out of the Olympics in two years (good luck with that). By the time the playoffs hit in the spring, some players will have been at it for nearly 10 months without a break.

More must-reads:

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