MVN - Most Valuable Network

Pens Freeze the Sabres at the Ralph

Every kid who has ever laced up and played hockey has at some point in their lives played outside.  Whether its on the numerous backyard rinks that sprinkle the landscape of Canada or on frozen lakes and ponds in the northern US, there is nothing quite like a little game of pond hockey.  In 2003, the NHL decided to give players a flash back to their youth when Edmonton and Montreal tangled in the Heritage Classic.  On Tuesday afternoon, Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo was the site of the first outdoor NHL regular season game in the United States, as Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins shared the ice with Ryan Miller and the Sabres.  This game did not disappoint.

Crosby scored the decisive shootout marker to lift the Pens to a 2-1 victory over the Sabres.  The poster child for the NHL also provided an assist on the Pens other tally.  Brian Campbell scored the lone goal for the Sabres.

It did not take long for Buffalo to fall behind.  Crosby worked his magic swooping down the wing, cutting towards the net.  Initially trying to work a forehand to backhand move, the puck deflected to Colby Armstrong, who buried it less than 30 seconds into the game giving the Pens the lead.

It may have been awe or nerves, but the Sabres were very sluggish in the first period.  They were badly outshot, and the offense provided few quality chances.  However, they seemed to wake up after the intermission, ultimately resulting in a tie score.  Playmaker Tim Connolly found Campbell on a cross-ice feed, and Soupy let loose a wrister that beat former Sabre Ty Conklin.  The score would remain the same throughout the remainder of the regulation and overtime.  Crosby scored the 2nd and decisive tally in the shootout to propel the Pens to the win.

While the outcome was rather unfortunate for the home team, no one can deny the buzz and electricity present as 76,000 fans gathered to watch hockey in swirling winds and blowing snow.  It was a truly unique experience.  The NHL was well prepared for the inclement weather situations the affected the ice surface, but it did chop up the flow of the game.  Zambonis were used every 10 minutes to re-surface the ice, and there were numerous stoppages to fix chunks of damaged ice.  All in all, however, it was a widely successful event that every player seemed to enjoy.  With the great publicity that these events generate, it would not surprise me if the NHL played an outdoor game every year.

Unfortunately for the Sabres, they earned 1 of a possible 4 points against a team directly ahead of them in the conference standings during this home and home series.  For the players, it is time to compartmentalize this experience, the novelty and uniqueness will no doubt stick with the for a while, but they need to re-focus their attention on winning important games.  I know it’s only January, but wins are wins, points are points, and the playoffs are getting closer, not farther.  That being said, this was a great event for the Sabres, the city of Buffalo, and the NHL, and I would love to see an outdoor game added to the NHL schedule on a permanent basis.

What are your thoughts on an outdoor game every year in the NHL?  Would the novelty fade?  Leave us your thoughts!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 2nd, 2008 at 12:43 am and is filed under Pittsburgh Penguins, Game stories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.