2011-2012 Winter Classic

If you missed this year's Winter Classic, then you should be extremely disappointed. If the thought of 46,000 people freezing their asses off in a wide open baseball stadium in the middle of January watching one of the greatest hockey rivalries the sport has doesn't catch your attention, then you should check your pulse. This is exactly what hockey fans saw on Monday January 2nd. 3.74 million people to be exact, making it the 5th most watched hockey game since 1975.

Over the past five years, I have grown to love the sport of hockey. I have cheered for my beloved Rangers through the ups and downs. Before the beginning of the season, I told my buddies to mark my words: "the New York Rangers will win the Stanley Cup this year." Now it is too early to make any valid statements of where teams will end up in the standings. The Rangers, however, do happen to sit atop the Eastern Conference.

The Rangers have the least amount of losses in the league and find themselves with an astonishing division and home record, both of which have been lacking these past couple of years. This past Monday at the Winter Classic, the Rangers gained their Assistant Captain, Marc Staal, backed from a concussion injury which occurred last year. This event was like making a blockbuster trade without losing anyone. With the great success shown so far, the addition of Staal to the lineup should only improve the Rangers play.

Getting back to the Winter Classic, as most of you may know, HBO has been documenting the last few weeks of the Flyers and Rangers schedule in their show "Rangers Flyers 24/7, Road to the Winter Classic.” The show is highly similar to HBO's "Hard Knocks." The show allows its audience a behind the scenes look to their favorite teams. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching the series and can't wait for the finale on Thursday at 10:00 P.M. EST.

The game started off slowly. Both teams were one and done in the offensive zone. The 1st period contained sloppy play and vicious hits. The Rangers controlled the first half of the period but quickly gave the momentum away to the Flyers. After Jaromir Jagr left to the locker room before the 1st period ended, the Flyers came out in the second with a bang. The Flyers controlled the puck for the majority of the period. Ultimately, the Flyers struck first when Brayden Shenn beat Lundqvist for his 1st NHL goal. This goal sparked life in both teams. Less than two minutes later, Flyer sensation Claude Giroux buried a backhander past the King to take a 2-0 lead.

When talking to hockey players or coaches, you will often hear them say to throw the puck at the net and good things will happen. Mike Rupp of the Rangers did exactly that. 30 seconds after the Flyers 2nd goal, the Rangers bruiser threw the puck at the net and beat Bobrovsky. He then sparked tension after imitating Jagr's celebration after the goal. The goal kept hope in the Rangers locker room. 2 minutes and 41 seconds into the 3rd period. Rupp strikes again making the score 2-2. A few minutes later, off season acquisition, Brad Richards, bangs in the third Rangers goal. Things continue to go back and forth until the last five minutes of play.

There is a hooking call against the Flyers on Ryan Callahan, however the referee also calls Callahan for holding onto the stick, sending both to the penalty box. The first problem I had with this was that the Flyers net was empty and Callahan was on his way to scoring the empty netter. Second problem was that the stick started on Callahan's waist and caught him in the face, but no high sticking was called. Later into the period, there was a scrum by the Rangers net, Ryan McDonagh of the Rangers saved the game when a trickling puck squeaked past Lundqvist and headed for the net. McDonagh dove for the puck and covered it up. After a melee by both teams to save and mock the puck in, the referees called a penalty shot for the Flyers.

Like usual, John Tortarella, Head coach of the Rangers, voiced his disgust to the refs. Even the quiet Rangers goalie was shown screaming at the refs. Nonetheless, there was a penalty to be taken. Briers skated down toward Lundqvist, wound up and fired a shot right into the chest of Lundqvist. With 19 seconds left on the clock all the Rangers had to do was hold the puck. That is exactly what they did.

The performance of the referees was questioned by many after the game. John Tortarella and Henrik Lundqvist had some remarks that might reward them with a fine. But when I sat on the edge of my seat watching the game, I was also disgusted with the calls. Not because they were against my Rangers, but because it took the control out of the players hands. The refs were controlling the game. There were not 46,000 people in the stands to watch referees make awful calls. They are there to watch hockey. John Tortarella felt that the refs and NBC, this year's Winter Classic broadcaster, conspired to fill the game with the drama of overtime. Let the players play.

All in all, the Winter Classic was a huge success. The Rangers won, hockey was the topic of the day and I can happily watch it again on HBO's "24/7." I hope the Rangers will be able to play in another Winter Classic soon. I would not be surprised if The Yankees try and hold one at the Stadium in the upcoming years.


For highlights, follow the link
http://www.nhl.com/ice/recap.htm?id=2011020569