from Kevin Allen of USA TODAY,

Here are five overreactions in the first week of the season mixed in with some reality.

Golden Knights are falling back to earth
Reality: Better times are ahead. No one expects the Golden Knights to replicate last season's magical run to the Stanley Cup Final, but they are a sharper team than they have been in the first three games (1-2-0). They have scored five goals and allowed 10. This a Stanley Cup contender trying to find its rhythm after adding new pieces in the offseason (Paul Stastny and Max Pacioretty) and managing without top defenseman Nate Schmidt, who is sidelined by a 20-game suspension for a banned substance. Another truth: Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury's save percentage isn't going to stay at .841.

Maple Leafs might be able to win it all on the strength of offense
Reality: No they can't. As bullish as we are on the Maple Leafs, they still must address their defensive shortcomings. Even with John Tavares in town and Auston Matthews playing like an MVP, the Maple Leafs are not going to average five goals per game all season. The test for first-year general manager Kyle Dubas will be to find a dependable 20-minute, defense-first blueliner to stabilize the back end. The 3-1-0 Maple Leafs are giving up 4.3 goals per game. You don't win Stanley Cups with defense like that.

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