Hockey is back.
If that doesn't make you want to just randomly burst into song, I don't know what will. And we've officially reached the point where the countdown can be measured in hours (or minutes, if you're really fanatical) rather than days.
In a season where the Coyotes will raise their first ever Pacific Division banner, they'll also have plenty of work to do in a hurry. Not just because they'll have a target on their back as one of the final four teams standing at the end of last season, but because a condensed schedule presents some unique scenarios for 2013.
With that in mind, here are five key notes about the condensed regular-season schedule...

















