BREAKING: The NHL Winter Classic Start will remain Noon CT today!
It’s foggy and drizzling at Busch Stadium with a high of 52 degrees and a 66 percent chance of light rain in the afternoon, but staff is tending to the ice in preparation for today’s game.
Per the NHL:
The National Hockey League announced today that the start time of the 2017 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Busch Stadium between the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks will remain at Noon CT. The decision was made after consulting with meteorologists regarding the latest weather reports, which while the weather forecast is unpredictable, the original start time should provide the best opportunity to play the game.
Notes:
All 2017 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic tickets will continue to be honored and all ticket holder agreement language remains unchanged.
The following is a list of Fan Reminders:
Umbrellas are not permitted in Busch Stadium
Gates to Busch Stadium will now open at 10 a.m. CT
Busch Stadium Parking Lots at Ballpark Village will open at 7 a.m. CT
The PreGame presented by Enterprise will now open at 9 a.m. CT
The following are the weather-related GAME procedure contingencies for the 2017 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic:
Once the game has begun, it may be subject to one or more temporary stoppages due to unplayable weather conditions, at the discretion of the Commissioner.
Period and game format may be reconfigured to accommodate temporary stoppages as determined appropriate by the Commissioner.
In the event of high winds at the ice surface, the clubs will switch ends at the 10:00 minute mark of the third period as signaled by a “hard whistle.” The face off will take place where the play was whistled dead. This identical procedure will take place at the 2:30 minute mark of an overtime period, if needed.
In the event of a shootout, each club will determine what end they prefer to defend, which could be the same end.
If the game is started, then stopped permanently due to unplayable weather conditions, it will be deemed “official” once two periods have been played. The team leading at the time play is stopped will be declared the winner and will be awarded two points in the standings.
If the game is tied at the time play is stopped permanently, any time after two periods of play, each team will be awarded one point in the standings, with an opportunity to earn an additional point in a standard shootout format.
If weather conditions permit, the shootout will be conducted at Busch Stadium immediately after regulation play has been stopped. If weather conditions make it impossible to conduct a shootout safely at Busch Stadium, the shootout will take place at United Center on Sunday, February 26 prior to the regularly scheduled St. Louis-Chicago game, with St. Louis deemed the home club for shootout purposes only.
If the game is started, and stopped permanently due to unplayable weather conditions, and fewer than two periods of regular time has been played, the game will be officially “postponed” and, if possible, will be played in its entirety at Busch Stadium on Tuesday, January 3. If the game cannot be replayed at Busch Stadium on January 3, it will be rescheduled at Scottrade Center for a date to be determined later in the season.
Ticket holders must retain their tickets to gain re-entry to Busch Stadium in the event the game is to be played Tuesday, January 3. There will be no refunds for ticket holders unable to attend Monday’s postponement date. If the event is canceled on Tuesday, a refund of the ticket’s face value will be honored. The refund does not include service fees, and other fees such as delivery or processing fees. Ticket holders should review the back of their ticket or https://www.nhl.com/news/2017-nhl-winter-classic-refund-policy/c-281264752?tid=283985238 for complete refund policy language.
The game will be televised at 12:00 p.m. (noon) CT/1 p.m. ET on NBC, Sportsnet, TVA2.
“Listen, I think that both of them are obviously superstars, both of them are Hall of Famers. I don’t think there’s any debate over that. More importantly, they’re winners and they’re very unselfish, and they’ve had a great deal of success. And they’ve been a real positive for Chicago, not only because of the way they play but because of the fact they’ve won championships.
And so you have to have good leadership and you have to have talent. And they bring both of those qualities to the organization, and consequently they’ve had a great deal of success, and they’re fun to watch.”
Sure, the All-Star duo has earned three Stanley Cup rings, Olympic medals, and a hefty variety of hockey accolades. But, this was different from a trophy. It was words from a living legend.
Toews voiced his appreciation for Gretzky’s comments after Sunday’s Winter Classic practice, noting “tremendous respect” for veteran players and their perspectives.
“He’s the greatest player to ever play the game,” Toews said. “We’re all trying to play to live up to those standards.
“I’ve got a lot of work to do, but it’s an honor coming from The Great One.”
Kane was a bit taken aback, learning about the compliments from media in the locker room.
“That’s kind of nice,” he said with a laugh. “That’s kind of special.”
He found it to be coincidental, as well.
“It’s funny, I scored my 700th point the other night, and I got all these text messages from people saying ‘only 2,100 more points to catch Gretzky,’” Kane said. “That speaks volumes about how great a player he was. So, that’s nice of him to say.”
For an outdoor game in January, the Blackhawks–Blues Winter Classic competition will be hot.
With the Hawks (51 points) in first place in the Western Conference and the Blues at third (43 points), both are determined to take two points home from the outing.
“As far as how tomorrow is going to be–it’s two points. It’s two teams that hate each other and have the added emotion of a game like this. Chicago fans are going to be flooding in today and tomorrow. I hope the Blues fans drown them out.”
The Blackhawks didn’t exactly mention hate, but they were passionate about giving it all, special event or not.
“We need those points. We know coming into St. Louis that they play well with their fans. We’ll be ready. We’ll try to get a good start and get the lead. We’d much rather start hard and play with a lead.”
The Blues’ fans were a talking point among the team.
“We’ll see,” Brian Campbell said. “They’ll be fired up with that crowd. But, playing with some [outdoor] experience obviously helps.”
Ryan Hartman, took everything in to prepare for his first outdoor game. He noted advice to not look into the sun and hoped the weather wouldn’t hold the game back.
“It’s a special one. It’s something I’ve been looking forward to forever.”
This will be the fourth of five matchups between the Blackhawks and Blues. For this season so far, Chicago is 2-1-0 while St. Louis is 1-1-1.
“It’s an intense series there,” Trevor van Riemsdyk said. “Just because it’s outside doesn’t mean it’s going to be easier.”
Some Blues-Blackhawks Fast Facts from the NHL:
The Blues will become the 23rd NHL team to participate in a regular-season outdoor game. The Blackhawks will be appearing in their fifth such contest (1-3-0), the most in the League, as well as their third Winter Classic (also 2009 and 2015).
Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews has scored the most points in NHL regular-season outdoor games (2-4–6 in 4 GP).
Road teams are 14-4-1 in outdoor games, including a 9-3-0 record since the start of the 2013-14
The 2017 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic will be the 21st regular-season outdoor NHL game, following eight Winter Classics, seven Stadium Series, four Heritage Classics and today’s 2017 Scotiabank NHL Centennial Classic (Detroit at Toronto).
The Blues will become the 23rd NHL team to participate in a regular-season outdoor game. The Blackhawks will be appearing in their fifth such contest (1-3-0), the most in the League, as well as their third Winter Classic (also 2009 and 2015).
The Blues and Blackhawks have competed in the same division every season since 1970-71, tied with the Bruins and Sabres for the longest active streak in the NHL. They have met in the Stanley Cup Playoffs at least once in each of the past five
The 2017 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic will mark the 305th all-time regular-season meeting between the Blues and Blackhawks. Chicago leads the all-time series, earning 337 points in the 304 contests (146-113-45). St. Louis has countered with 294 points (123-133-48).
The 2017 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic will mark the fourth of five contests between the Blues and Blackhawks in their 2016-17 season series (STL 1-1-1; CHI 2-1-0). In their final matchup before meeting outdoors, on Dec. 17, the Blackhawks scored three unanswered goals in the third period to win 6-4 and halt the Blues’ home point streak at 14
The Blues and Blackhawks have met 12 times in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with Chicago owning an 8-4 edge. The only franchise the Blues have faced more often in the postseason is the Dallas Stars (13 times), while the Blackhawks have only faced the Canadiens (17) and Red Wings (16) more
The Blackhawks qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for 28 consecutive seasons from 1969-70 through 1996-97, the second-longest such streak in NHL history. The Blues made the postseason for 25 straight years from 1979-80 through 2003-04, tied for the third-longest streak.
The first-ever playoff meeting between the Blues and Blackhawks occurred in 1973, a best-of- seven Quarterfinal. Chicago won the series 4-1, outscoring St. Louis 22-9.
The Blues and Blackhawks have met in the postseason twice in the past three years, with 10 of the 13 games decided by one goal. In 2014, Chicago rallied from a 0-2 series deficit to win in six games while the Blues prevailed in overtime of Game 7 in 2016.
The 2016 First Round Stanley Cup Playoff series between the Blues and Blackhawks, won by St. Louis in overtime of Game 7, was one of the most closely-contested in recent NHL history. Six of the seven games were decided by one goal and 91.3% of total playing time in the series saw the score tied or within one goal (412:48 of 452:11).
Current Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville owns franchise coaching records for both the Blackhawks and the Blues. He has guided the Blackhawks to a franchise-record three Stanley Cups and holds the Blues coaching records for career games (593) and wins (307).
The 2017 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic is a matchup of the career wins leaders among active coaches, Chicago’s Joel Quenneville (1st active, 2nd all-time, 824) and St. Louis’ Ken Hitchcock (2nd active, 4th all-time, 776).
Five current Blackhawks players dressed for the club in its first Winter Classic appearance in 2009 against Detroit at Wrigley Field: Campbell, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, and Toews.
While the Blues are making their outdoor debut, three players on their roster have appeared previously with other clubs: Robert Bortuzzo (for Pittsburgh in 2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series), Jay Bouwmeester (for Calgary in 2011 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic) and Carl Gunnarsson (for Toronto in 2014 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic).
Updates
Thanks to weather concerns, the NHL will be announcing the Winter Classic game time at 7 a.m. CT Monday.
With the NHL breaking a New Year’s Day Winter Classic tradition, the Blackhawks–Blues event at St. Louis’ Busch Stadium has teams pondering how to handle rainy-day pond hockey.
While the Alumni Game Saturday was perfect and Sunday practices feature ideal conditions in the upper-30s/lower-40s and overcast, Monday’s forecast shows a high around 50 with fog and increasing likelihood for rain.
Following a seemingly successful practice, the Blackhawks addressed the potential for delays–a concept not too rare for them as they approach their fifth outdoor game. In 2015, the sun’sglare on the ice at the Nationals Field against the Capitals threatened setbacks. In their Soldier Field Stadium Series, snow coated the players and the ice. And, in 2009, Wrigley Field was bitterly cold.
Blues Coach Ken Hitchcock said the Blackhawks could have the advantage when it comes to idle time thanks to previous outdoor experience, while Hawks coach Joel Quenneville noted that the Hawks have played games starting at 11:30 a.m. CT, in the middle of the afternoon, and anywhere from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the postseason.
Ultimately, both teams are hoping to avoid what the Penguins and Capitals faced in 2011, with the day start pushed back to 8 p.m. ET for rain. But, at least they found out the night before.
“Obviously weather you can’t control,” Trevor van Riemsdyk said. “Hopefully we have enough head’s up where it’s not hour-to-hour.”
So far, teams are expecting final word in the morning. Most would like to push through as planned but will be prepared for flexibility.
“I think the NHL will want to get this on as soon as possible,” Kevin Shattenkirk said. “If we have to play through a little rain, we’ll do it.”
Similarly, Blackhawks Captain Jonathan Toews said the conditions aren’t terribly worrisome since they’ll be the same for both teams.
“There’s always ways around it,” he said. “Take it into consideration and be ready for it. Be ready whenever.”
Duncan Keith said players have ways to stay physically loose, but downtime could be a threat to mental preparation.
“A lot of it is being mentally tough,” he said. “We have to understand that not everything is going to be perfect.”
Their routines usually involve little workouts like hallway soccer, but the players will have to find ways to stay occupied if forced to wait it out at Busch.
Despite a hat trick from Kyle Calder, a Hawk from 1999-2006, and flurrying last-minute chances, Chicago fell 8-7 to St. Louis.
No one appeared defeated, though.
“That’s it. I was done, ready to go home,” former Hawk Brent Sopel said about taking a photo with “The Great One” Wayne Gretzky during warmups.
In the running-clock 20-minute periods, a total of 15 goals were scored.
Pierre Turgeon tallied first, shooting a puck past legendary Blackhawk goalie Darren Pang just 2:31 into the game. Jim Cummins tied the score just a couple minutes later.
Then, with a gorgeous setup from Ben Eager, Calder scored his first goal of the afternoon to give Chicago a 2-1 lead.
This was quickly answered, however, on an Bruce Affleck-to-Larry Patey play halfway through the first.
And then, about three minutes before first intermission, Calder went top-shelf for a 3-2 Blackhawks lead.
In the second period, the Blues capitalized on having Murray Bannerman (1980-1987) in net, scoring three goals.
Gretzky dished to Bernie Federko, who knotted the score at 3-3. Then, Peter Stastny shot high when Bannerman went low a bit too soon for a 4-3 lead less than five minutes into the period.
But Reid Simpson responded for Chicago shortly after, and Ben Eager tied the game once more, 5-5, with about five minutes left in the second.
Barret Jackman closed the second with a goal, though, giving the Blues the upperhand going into the third.
Less than three minutes into the third, Daniel Carcillo (recipient of jeers), showed nice control taking the puck from behind the net to a shot from the front for a 6-6 score.
The next two would go to the Blues, with Keith Tkachuk regaining the lead 7-6.
Big Walt scored 538 goals in his career. Pretty sure this is the first time he’s dabbed after one of them. pic.twitter.com/a7vsUFE8uf
Despite Martin Brodeur‘s intense third period play, Calder was able to net his third goal–though no hats could’ve reached the ice from the stands–bringing Chicago back within one.
Chicago maintained quite a bit of control until the end, but the Hawks were ultimately unable to make the comeback before the final buzzer.
Gretzky, Hull, Oates, MacInnis, Pronger and Brodeur on the ice right now. Is this real life?
Gretzky not only skated with kids on the side rink, he also made wishes come true for his peers. He gave Troy Murray his stick after the game.
“I never got a picture, never got an autograph before–until today,” Murray told the press. “I’ll certainly treasure that.”
Gretzky also spoke about the benefits to outdoor hockey games, a concept some have scoffed as overdone:
I would say most of the guys who played today kind of grew up in that era where we grew up in outdoor rinks and ponds and frozen lakes and backyards. You know, guys like Adam Burish and Brett Hull and myself and Tkachuk, that’s how we started playing the game of hockey. We weren’t thrown into beautiful, warm, artificial-ice arenas when we were kids; we were thrown out to the 30-below-zero and wearing a toque and a scarf and freezing our hands numb and our feet numb when we came in.
That’s what’s wonderful and makes the game great. And each and every person to a tee was the exact way. We all love it.
It’s changed in the sense that it’s become not just a winter sport. One of the proudest days I had as a professional player was being part of an outdoor game in Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium to see 60-degree weather and people there enjoying the game–and 60,000 people at a game like that just shows you how far the game has come.
So, we’re an all-weather sport. We can play when it’s warm. We can play when it’s cold. But, obviously, we grew up playing on those outdoor rinks.
St. Louis provided a great backdrop for the event, with a packed house at Busch Stadium, rivalry fans from the same region in one large backdrop and impressive rosters on the ice.
“It was bigger and better and more exciting than I could ever come close to imagining,” Brett Hull told media. “It just shows you what great sports fans the St. Louis area has.”
So, the game against the Blackhawks and how both teams now are–obviously Chicago has won the Cups and they have such a great corps of players. Well, the Blues the last five years have been as good as anybody, haven’t quite gotten over the hump to win that cup. But there’s two really good teams in the NHL and they always have good battles.
So, this one’s going to be even more exciting with the outdoor and hopefully the weather will cooperate. And, I mean, could you ask for anything luckier than our day for us today? I mean, it was perfect.
The combination of different generations of hockey players and two strong fan bases provided a thrilling afernoon for just about everyone.
“This is one of the coolest hockey experiences I’ve had, and I’ve played an outdoor game before,” Adam Burish told media. “That was the fastest pickup game that I’ve ever played in, by far. Pierre Turgeon was awesome out there.”
Carcillo, who is coaching Team Illinois 15U with Eager, and running The Chapter 5 Foundation to help former NHL players, was excited to play this game in front of his toddler, Austin, and alongside a stack of Hall of Famers.
The Blues took the game 8-7, but everyone seemed to leave a winner. And now, thousands are anticipating seeing the current rosters hit the ice for the Winter Classic on Monday.
Thanks to the NHL, we have a 2017 Winter Classic weekend “by the numbers.”
1 First-ever NHL outdoor regular-season game played by the St. Louis Blues. They become the 23rd NHL team to participate in such a game.
3 The number of Grammy Awards won by Nelly, who will headline The PreGame presented by Enterprise on Game Day.
4 Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko ranks fourth amongst NHL scoring leaders with 39 points (16-23-39) through games played on Dec. 29.
11.5 Number of hours the 2017 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic PreGame presented by Enterprise will be open. Fans of all ages are welcome to join the NHL and its corporate partners at Ballpark Village in parking lots A & B across from Gate 4 of Busch Stadium for a free fan festival with hockey-themed attractions, music and fun. The PreGame presented by Enterprise will be open at 9 a.m.–1:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Dec. 31; Noon–4 p.m. CT on Sunday, Jan. 1; and 9 a.m.–Noon CT on Monday, Jan. 2.
12 The longtime Central Division rivals have met 12 times in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, facing off at least once in each of the past five decades, including a seven-game First Round series won by St. Louis in 2016.
18.5 The economic impact of the 2017 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic is expected to generate $18.5 million for the St. Louis region, according to the St. Louis Regional Chamber.
19 Number worn by Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews who has scored the most points in NHL regular-season outdoor games (2-4-6 in 4 GP).
24 Average low temperature, in degrees Fahrenheit, for St. Louis, Missouri on January 2, according to weather.com.
36 Average temperature in degrees Fahrenheit at puck drop for the eight NHL Winter Classic® games (2008 – 31.1°, 2009 – 31.9°, 2010 – 39.6°, 2011 – 51.7°, 2012 – 41°, 2014 – 13°, 2015 – 37°, 2016 – 41°).
39 Average high temperature, in degrees Fahrenheit, for St. Louis, Missouri on January 2, according weather.com.
53 Length, in feet, of the world’s largest mobile rink refrigeration unit, specially built for outdoor games conducted by the NHL.
59 Combined points scored by Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith (1-24-25)and Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk (8-16-24), who rank fourth and tied for fifth, respectively, in scoring by NHL defensemen through games played on Dec. 29.
243 Number of ice pans under the main rink at Busch Stadium, each measuring 30” x 340” in size.
260 Approximate distance, in miles, separating St. Louis and Chicago.
300 Ton capacity of refrigeration trailer that will keep the ice cool at Busch Stadium.
304 Number of all-time regular season meetings between the Blues and the Blackhawks, including the three matchups from this season. The Blues (123-133-48) have earned 294 points and the Blackhawks (146-113-45) have earned 337 points in these meetings. Blackhawks lead this season’s series 2-1 after a 6-4 victory on Dec. 17.
350 Gallons of paint used to make the Busch Stadium ice white.
591 Players and head coaches who have participated in the League’s 19 regular-season outdoor games to date.
1,000 Number of youth patients expected to use the upgraded teen lounge at St Louis Children’s Hospital annually. The interactive lounge was recently completed as part of the 2017 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic Legacy Project executed by the St Louis Blues, Companions in Courage and the NHL.
1,875 Gallons of Hot Chocolate will be served to fans at Busch Stadium during the 2017 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic, according to Delaware North Sportservice.
2006 Year Busch Stadium was opened.
3,000 Gallons of coolant used to freeze the Busch Stadium rink.
16,754 The number of hot dogs that will be consumed by fans at Busch Stadium during the 2017 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic, according to Delaware North Sportservice.
20,000 Gallons of water needed to create a two-inch ice surface at Busch Stadium for the 2017 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic.
1,054,295 Total attendance for the NHL’s 19 regular-season outdoor games, an average of 55,489 per game.
A few additional notes courtesy of The Pink Puck:
50 It’s 50 degrees and overcast with just under an hour until faceoff for the Winter Classic Alumni Game.
12/14 The day the NHL and Blues unveiled the Companions of Courage revamped teen lounge at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. According to the NHL, the lounge will be used exclusively by youth in-patients and was designed with technology in mind–helping teens and young adults gather and have easy access to technology to connect with friends and family outside of the hospital. It includes new flat-screen computers with web conferencing cameras, Xbox 360 game consoles, games, activities, craft tables with LED lighting, and decor featuring Blues players.
“I was born in St. Louis and put on my first pair of skates in the suburb of Kirkwood. I always hoped that Companions in Courage could one day give back to the place where I was born,” said Pat LaFontaine, NHL Vice President of Hockey Development and Community Affairs. “I am thrilled this year’s Winter Classic Legacy project will introduce technology to the healing process for pediatric patients for years to come.”
53 The percentage chance of rain Monday from about 4 a.m. to 1 p.m. CT, with a high of 57 degrees Fahrenheit. The Winter Classic will be moved to Tuesday night if the weather does not cooperate.
In a battle of hockey heroes, legends, and retirees, the Blues and Blackhawks alumni will hit the ice first at 1:30 p.m. CT Saturday (televised on CSN Chicago and Fox Sports Midwest).
(Photo: NHL.com)
The Blackhawks’ alumni roster includes more recent players as well as longtime esteemed Hawks.
This will precede the Detroit Red Wings versus Toronto Maple Leafs Centennial Classic in Toronto Sunday and the Hawks-Blues Winter Classic back in St. Louis Monday. With rain in the forecast, NHL officials have stated the game could be delayed to Tuesday night.
Chicago and St. Louis both have Friday night games, but as of Friday evening, the Blackhawks led the league and division by one point over the Minnesota Wild with 51, and the Blues sat at third in the division with 43 points.
(As always, check bolded links for interesting tidbits. And, don’t forget to follow live coverage this weekend on The Pink Puck social media.)
The NHL has teamed with Enterprise and a series of other corporate sponsors to celebrate the Winter Classic with ThePregame in Ballpark Village Lots A&B.
“The hockey-themed, family-friendly, official pregame tailgate party of the NHL Winter Classic will be free and feature hockey attractions, special appearances, food and live music, including a special game day performance from Grammy Award-winning and Diamond-selling St. Louis native Nelly,” the media release said.
ThePreGame will open before Saturday’s alumni game and run until the start of the Winter Classic Monday at 601 Clark Ave., St. Louis:
Saturday, Dec. 31: 9:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. CT
Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017: 12:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. CT
Monday, Jan. 2, 2017: 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. CT
Visitors can become a part of the Winter Classic experience with a number of free, open to the public, events and activities, as provided by an NHL media release:
• Bridgestone will introduce new extreme experiences that will test your performance at the 2017 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic. Fans will have a chance to get between the pipes and make a game-winning save or challenge friends to an interactive hockey game. This includes an official Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic rally towel!
• Use the Enterprise Target Practice exhibit to shoot pucks into an old washing machine and dryer, much like the pros, and leave with a pair of Enterprise binoculars.
• Coors Light is giving fans the ultimate hockey pregame experience with the Coors Light Slapshot Recycling game and the SkyDeck Bar at The PreGame. Fans 21 and older are invited to take their best shot at the Coors Light Recycling Goal and enjoy a complimentary beverage.
• Join thousands of NHL fans making the pledge to never drive drunk and always have a designated driver by adding your name to the Coors Light Responsibility Puck. For pledging, receive a souvenir photo and enter to win a prize pack sponsored by Coors Light, the official beer of the NHL, and TEAM Coalition.
• Shop an extensive selection of officially-licensed 2017 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic® jerseys, knit caps, apparel, and novelty items. Available at retail locations throughout Ballpark Village and Spectator Plaza.
• Warm up in the Dunkin’ Donuts tent, try a free sample of Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee, and test your skills at the DD Perks® Accuracy Challenge.
• Receive a free GEICO Hockey Foam Glove at the GEICO display, and enter to win a $500 gift card!
• Come check out the all-new 2017 Honda Ridgeline, participate in a slapshot challenge, and receive a free gift while supplies last. Honda is the Official Vehicle of the NHL®.
• Experience calling the shots with the Envision NHL Network’s booth, which features a photo op that virtually makes you look like you are on set with on-air NHL Network talent!
• Check out the iconic Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, also known as the beloved 27-foot-long hot dog on wheels.
• Showcase your accuracy and take your best shot at the Pepsi Zero Sugar Sharp Shooter.
• Nobody goes nuts for hockey like Mr. Peanut–and he’s there to share samples and take photos with visitors.
• Experience augmented reality photo booths to outfit yourself in the latest Reebok NHL gear and test your skills with Reebok Hockey Ultimate Challenge floor projection game with the Reebok pregame immersion zone.
• The Upper Deck Trading Card Zone lets visitors create a free personalized hockey card! They’ll also offer more information about e-pack, the best new way to get free packs and trade cards.
• The NEW Velveeta Mini Blocks can “melt your heart” with a pose in the Velveeta Liquid Gold Snow Globe.
Nelly will headline The PreGame entertainment at 10:30 a.m. CT Monday, Jan. 2 with a performance of his hit songs. Fellow St. Louis natives, Legends Undercover – an all American cover band covering rock-infused top 40 music with a touch of Midwest charm – will perform three sets on Sunday, Dec. 31 starting at 10:00 a.m. Fans can join the conversation on social media by using the official hashtag #WinterClassic.
St. Louis media also announced “Winterfest at the Arch,” a partnership between the Blues and the CityArchRiver Foundation, which includes a temporary outdoor synthetic ice rink at Luther Ely Smith Square. It will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. CT daily until January 8 with music and food vendors on site. A number of special events are also planned, including a family-friendly New Year’s Eve celebration and a street hockey tournament for kids (ages seven to 12) on New Year’s Day. The Blues will also have certified coaches and alumni teaching kids hockey basics during two days (December 29 and 30) of Try Hockey for Free sessions before the rink opens to the public. Skate in the shadow of the Gateway Arch with $7-$12 skate rental.
The hockey
With a flurry of last-minute goals, the Blackhawks beat the Blues 6-4 Dec. 17 in their last meeting before the Jan. 2 Winter Classic.
Just over three minutes into the second, Kyle Brodziak gave the Blues the lead again with Hawks winger Patrick Kane knotting the score again mid-period. Berglund scored again three minutes later for a 3-2 lead.
Brian Campbell answered, though, to tie the game once more with just about a minute left in the second before Alex Pietrangelo tallied seconds before intermission.
“I’m glad we’re going to get a chance to have this Winter Classic game because I think people are really going to get a good feel for the type of emotion and the type of intensity that’s around these games,” Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk said.
The Hawks, with 49 points, currently lead the league by three points and the west by three points (with the Minnesota Wild in second with 46 points) and the third-place Blues eight behind at 41 points.
In their last 10 games, Chicago is 6-2-2 while the Blues are 4-5-1.
Coming into Boston on Tuesday night, the New York Islanders were riding a disappointing five-game losing streak. The most recent game hosting the Ottawa Senators on Sunday saw them in a two-goal deficit at the end of the first. While they managed to tie it in the second that was short lived before the Senators Mark Stone got a power play and the go-ahead goal. By the final horn, the Islanders were on the losing side of a 6-2 game and had notched their fifth straight loss.
Questions and comments before Tuesday’s game against the Boston Bruins focused on struggles in between the pipes for the Isles.
By Michael Miller (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
“It’s a big part of team success throughout the league, is goaltenders getting that confidence and playing well. I just thought [Jean-Francois] Berube had a good game in Buffalo, gave us a chance, and went back with him,” Islanders head coach Jack Capuano said before the game. “With the three that we have now, we’ve talked about it. We obviously have to have goaltending to win hockey games. The guy that seems to be playing well, we’re just going to talk about that a little further.”
As the puck dropped in Boston, Thomas Greiss, who had last played in the Isles loss on December 15 against the Chicago Blackhawks, was the Islanders starting goaltender. Prior to the Boston game, he was 6-5-0 with a 2.66 goals against average and a .912 save percentage. He only saw a total of 27 shots in the first two periods from the Bruins. However, the 30-year-old Fussen, Germany native would see another 23 shots in the final frame, for a career-high 50 shots on goal. He would stop all but two.
Two hundred feet opposite Greiss was the Bruins starting goaltender, Tuukka Rask, who had a 16-5-3 record with a 1.82 goals against average and a .932 save percentage. And even Capuano considered Rask a challenge before the game.
“Well, Tuukka’s obviously playing extremely well. Their power play is extremely dangerous, as we know. Their penalty kill, obviously with [Brad] Marchand and [Patrice] Bergeron on their top unit, was really good at the World Cup, really good for the Boston Bruins. Special teams and goaltending are strengths of their hockey team. They’re a structured team, they play hard, and the young kids have come up and done the job for them,” Capuano stated.
On paper it would seem that the outcome might be predictable, however, it turned out to be anything but, as the Bruins’ lackluster play and some miscommunications would see the Islanders not only on the board first off the stick of Anders Lee, but to up 2-0 a little more than two and a half minutes later, this time from Thomas Hickey, though Lee did get one of the assists. As the two teams headed to the locker rooms during the first intermission, the Islanders had kept the Bruins off the board.
Less than seven minutes into the second period, Nikolay Kulemin would get the Islanders their third marker, assisted by Johnny Boychuk, and the Bruins bench boss, Claude Julien would pull Rask and put in backup Anton Khudobin.
Khudobin would deny the Islanders for the remainder of the second period and well into the third. Despite what appeared to be a completely different Bruins team, who pummeled Greiss that last twenty minutes, the Islanders would hold onto their lead, and extend it on the power play, another from Lee, at the thirteen-minute point of that final frame, deflating a Bruins team who had become more confident after scoring their two quick goals.
For Lee, it was a three-point night with two goals and an assist. While he only got three shots on goal, two of those went in, and that really is all that matters. However, given the renewed drive of the Bruins in that final frame perhaps it was his power play goal that was most important, even though it wasn’t a game wining goal.
“We moved it around quickly and we were able to get a couple shots, and when we are able to do that it kind of spreads them out a little bit and it gets them running around,” Lee described after the game. “We were just able to get a bounce in front and off a rebound that we’ve been looking for and it was nice because we have been struggling on the power play and we needed one tonight. We were able to capitalize.”
Dennis Seidenberg
Capitalize they did while Greiss remained strong in net. And for former Bruins Boychuk, who has returned to Boston a few times now, and Dennis Seidenberg, on his first return, it must have felt good to get the win. While they both still have friends off the ice, on ice was an entirely different story, as at least two of the three hits attributed to Bruins Adam McQuaid were on Seidenberg.
“Well it was big, especially after coming off of five losses in a row,” Seidenberg told media. “Winning this game tonight was big especially in the third period, trying to hold on to a win, or getting the win after giving up a ties or an upset. Hopefully this is a right step in the right direction and we build on that.”
The Islanders have one more game before the short holiday break. They will host the Buffalo Sabres at the Barclay Center on Friday night. It will be interesting to see if they can ride the momentum from the Bruins win into a strong game against the Sabres.
See interview with Anders Lee after the game:
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After the impressive effort that the Boston Bruins had from a full 60 minutes in Sunday’s matinee against the Los Angeles Kings, it was expected that they would bring a similar momentum into Tuesday’s game hosting the New York Islanders. It was anything but, with the end result a 4-2 loss and the replacing of Tuukka Rask between the pipes in the middle of the second period.
The lackluster start was compounded by a series of miscommunications and one Keystone Cop moment between Rask and Brad Marchand behind the Bruins net just over three minutes into the game. It might have been funny if it hadn’t resulted in Anders Lee putting the Islanders up 1-0 as a result.
The Islanders sit at the bottom of the Eastern Conference and coming into Tuesday night’s game they were on a five-game skid, so they really had nothing to lose in putting it all out there. And not to take away from their win, but the first two goals were the result of big mistakes on the part of the Bruins.
“The goals they got were basically from our plays and mistakes we made. Miscommunication on the first one. The second one, same thing—kind of misjudged plays and not being there for support and not communicating,” said Bruins assistant captain Patrice Bergeron after the loss.
Though hockey is certainly a game of mistakes, these were not just small gaffes, but major missteps. Adding in the slower pace of their skating, and countless turnovers, and it should not be surprising that going into the third period Boston found themselves in a deep three goal hole.
The third period was as if a totally different team came out of the home team’s locker room. It’s almost as though the Bruins had to get to that point in the game and the score to realize what was at stake, which is not the best way to play a game.
“It’s really simple—going back to playing your game and being ready from the drop of the puck. We talked about this last stretch before the break. It was three games, now it’s two, but it was three games that we wanted to get those points from and we needed to do the job and we didn’t do that tonight. We didn’t show up for the first two periods and we paid for it.”
Despite having outshot the Islanders by seven shots between those first two periods, the struggle to finish was ever present, as it has been in other games this season. There seemed to never be someone in the dirty areas around the net to put home a rebound. And while the Islanders goalie Thomas Greiss was good, he offered a number of rebounds that should have found their way in the back of the net off a Bruins stick. In the third period, the ramped up Boston put 23 shots on net and managed to get two goals. By the end of the game, Greiss had seen 50 shots and stopped 48.
Johnny Boychuk and Dennis Seidenberg
If there was one bright moment for the Boston fans, it would be the chance to welcome Dennis Seidenberg back and applaud him after the Bruins showed a video tribute on the Jumbotron. And while they don’t normally play on the same pairing, Islanders head coach Jack Capuano started he and Johnny Boychuk as his defense pairing in the game, and it stuck.
“Yeah, you know what, once we started them we just put them together there for a little while and as [the] game went on they went the whole game,” Capuano shared post game. “But for the most part, you know it’s emotional when those guys come back and even Johnny [Boychuk] has been with us for a couple of years, so anytime you come back here, you want to play well. It was great for Seidenberg, you know seven years here and a Stanley Cup, you know his fans really appreciate him.”
For Seidenberg, as with others of that fabled 2011 Stanley Cup-winning team who have returned, the video tribute stirred some memories.
“Well, I just… I guess a lot of emotions I guess,” Seidenberg said about the video. “A lot of good memories and it was a nice video and gesture of them.”
Likewise, the pre-game rushes had not indicated that Seidenberg and Boychuk would be paired during the game. As alluded to by Capuano, it was intended to be just at the beginning of the game.
“It was kind of a surprise that we got paired up, we were talking about different pairs,” Seidenberg commented. “We didn’t know that it was going to happen, but, I mean, it was good.”
And for the Islanders the entire evening was good. For the Bruins, it is back on the road for two more games before the holiday break—first against the Florida Panthers on Thursday and then in Raleigh to take on the Carolina Hurricanes. They have been consistently better on the road this year, so perhaps they will garner the much needed four points from these two tilts.
![By Michael Miller (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://thepinkpuck.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Jack_Capuano_2013-05-09-232x300.jpg)
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