Following the Compass is getting going for 2017

This year's Following the Compass games, for those that don't remember, are tightly packed on the calendar, as well as on the map. I'm only going to attend one, but the first is tomorrow in the Bronx. For the first time, the game will be an MLS game, and it will be the home opener for NYCFC against DC United. It's only the second game of the season, so there isn't much tape on either team. DC drew 0-0 with Sporting Kansas City in their first match of the year while NYCFC lost 1-0 to Orlando. DC is usually a strong contender, with a roster based on MLS veterans, while NYCFC likes their veterans of European leagues, and relies on big names like David Villa and Andrea Pirlo to hold up their end of the bargain.
The other game on our calendar is a hockey game on April 3rd. That will be between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres, the first NHL game that Following the Compass has drafted. I will, in fact, be going to Buffalo for the game at the First Niagara Center. Each team has an exciting stable of young players. The Maple Leafs are coming together and appear to be a playoff team, with players like Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitchell Marner excelling. They have gone all in on the season, acquiring Brian Boyle for the stretch run. The Sabres haven't quite jelled like their rivals from Toronto. They made big moves in free agency and on the trade market anticipating a turn to respectability, with Kyle Okposo and trading for Evander Kane to play with top choice Jack Eichel.
This is going to be a fun game, because the rivalry between the two teams is so thick, and hockey games are, unquestionably, the best example of games that you need to watch in person.
I will be chronicling my experience at Barry Melrose Rocks when I head out to western New York. I will be tweeting along with NYCFC and DC United tomorrow afternoon, so please follow me @RhinoandCompass.