Isn’t that sweet. Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby making nice for the camera during the ceremonial puck drop for The Winter Classic. I guess the young stars, the poster children for the NHL, have grown up a bit. They did not even try to crush each others hand in a pathetic show of adolescent machismo.
Oh I know, the Washington Capitals and The Pittsburgh Penguins really don’t like each other, at all. As a hockey fan, I can appreciate the rivalry and who doesn’t enjoy a great rivalry? Personally, when I saw the gloves come off, I was cheering for them to break in to fisticuffs. I don’t like either team and think both players are over-hyped and a bit over rated. In spite of that, I was set for a good game of hockey and I never miss an outdoor game, even if I was cheering for both teams to pound each other into the ice.
So on to the game. How many hockey games get postponed from a 1pm start to an 8pm start due to rain? By the third period, the rain did come down in a rather annoying drizzle, making the soft ice even more soupy. Who knew that the weather on New Years Day would be warm and sunny with a high of 46 and a chance of rain in Pittsburgh? Ah well, they played in the crappy weather with bouncing pucks and puddle jumping antics.
Highlights included a good fight, what is hockey without a fight? Crosby was a non issue and even took a pretty nasty blindsided hit. I may not like the kid, but that was not cool. Ovechkin tripped over the blue line on a break away and was also a non issue. But it was a good game with two teams hitting hard and scrumming in the corners. In other words, a good hockey game between rivals.
The downside was the camera shots from the blimp. That might work for football, but with hockey it is pointless. As a matter of fact, all the long shots were pointless. As a fan, we want ice level in your face action, not nose bleed football views. Let us forget the announcers, enough has been said about them over the years to fill several books. Most times, I just mute the sound during the game and turn it back up for the commercials. Enough said.
I am a hockey fan and wouldn’t miss the game for nothing. If you missed it, then sit back in and catch the highlights after the jump.
should only be one of these a year
more would be overkill
Outdoor Hockey is great. I remember watching games at Phillips Exeter before they built the big gym. It’s got the whole weather element like football. Games where you can’t tell who’s who because of the mud are my favorite. Astroturf just wrecks knees.
I played a lot of outdoor hockey in my youth, backyard, and down at the fruit market, which had a roof, but man, did that wind blow through the columns! I love these games.
It is so tough to get good seats for these things, you would think lower is better but then the glass actually gets in the way.