It’s that time of year again; the 2014-2015 National Hockey League season has kicked off. From the first drop of the puck, fans can expect the competition to be even more intense than last year. Many preseason power rankings have placed the Los Angeles Kings at the top—as they should be.

With superstars like Marian Gaborik, Jeff Carter, Dustin Brown, Alec Martinez and Drew Doughty returning, the defending Stanley Cup champions will have a stellar chance to defend their cup. Last year’s William Jennings Trophy winner Jonathan Quick, league-low 174 goals, .915 save percentage, 6 shutouts in 49 appearance, is back in the net ready to carry over his success into this season. As last seasons total points, goals, and assists leader for the Kings, Anze Kopitar will surely bring the offensive heat on the ice for the Kings once again. Justin Williams, 2014 Conn Smythe trophy, will look to continue to be a dominant force for his team.

The Kings will raise their Stanley Cup Championship Banner for the second time in three years before they look to open the season and defend their cup with a win at home against the San Jose Sharks, who they came back against 0-3 in the first round of the playoffs. 

On Thursday, their local Western Conference foes, the Anaheim Ducks, will start their season off against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Pittsburgh. The Ducks home opener will be Friday the 17th against the Minnesota Wild. The Ducks look to build off of their second place regular season finish from last year. 

The Freeway Face-Off will be as intense as ever this season with the Ducks looking to avenge their loss in the Western Conference Semifinals, which was the first time the two Pacific Division rivals met in the postseason. In case you forget, the Kings took the series with a dominant 6-2 in Game 7 at the Honda Center.

The Chicago Blackhawks, who lost to the Kings in the Western Conference Finals, have won two Stanley Cups in the last five seasons and look to take the Cup from the Kings this season, as well as avenge their Game 7 loss from last year. The Blackhawks follow the Kings in second in many preseason power rankings.

The Boston Bruins, who lost 4-3 to the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern conference Semifinals, were ranked first after the regular season last year. For this season, they are the other team that’s highly favored to challenge the Kings chances at defending the Cup this season—which hasn’t been done since the Detroit Red Wings won in 1997 and 1998. If the Kings successfully repeat, they will make history and establish themselves as a legitimate dynasty in the NHL—the first in over a decade. Also, if you’re into EA Sports, their annual simulation for the NHL season predicted that the Kings would make that dynasty dream a reality with a 4-2 series win over the Bruins—who won in 2011.

With talent in excess this season, both new and longtime hockey fans will be in for a great time on the ice.

Reach Staff Reporter Jodee Sullivan here and on Twitter here.