Archives for December 29, 2007

'"Ty said he wore a deep-sea diver's suit under his equipment to stay warm because he was standing all the time," said forward Colby Armstrong, who grew up playing pond hockey in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. "I don't know if it will get that cold, but it will be weird to see."' … [Read more...] about Penguins already gearing up in practice for great outdoors

'"We played outdoors all the time when I was a kid. It was fun," said Buffalo's Maxim Afinogenov, who grew up in Russia. "We didn't even know what it was like to play indoors. When you were growing up in Moscow, you always played outdoors."' … [Read more...] about NHL challenges bowls with throwback game

'The Buffalo Sabres and the Pittsburgh Penguins will switch ends halfway through the third period of the NHL Winter Classic on New Year's Day to ensure that each team spends an equal number of minutes attacking or defending each goal so any advantages or adversities created by weather conditions at Ralph Wilson Stadium will be nullified.' … [Read more...] about Teams will switch ends during halfway through third period of Winter Classic

'“What we have today is a low of 20 or so, and a high of about 32 -- a little bit of rain, a little overcast,” Renzulli, the N.H.L.’s senior vice president for events and entertainment, said Thursday. “And that’s the forecast right through the game as of today. As long as it stays like this, it’s not a problem at all.”' … [Read more...] about Warming Up for a Chilly Day

'In Edmonton, the players benches were heated, which provided relief from the cold but created a problem. "It was so hot on our bench, you couldn't acclimatize," said Smyth. "You'd go from really cold to really hot."' … [Read more...] about Ex-Oiler Smyth says unpredictable ice biggest adjustment in outdoor hockey

'“I kept my options open but the team had other things like Chris [Drury] and Danny [Briere] to deal with so I understood,” Zubrus said before Friday’s game between the teams in Prudential Center. “I kind of knew those are things that had to be solved first before I got a phone call and I never really did get one.”' … [Read more...] about Ex-Sabre Zubrus happy to be a Devil

Scouting the Sabres (Pittsburgh Tribune Review) Buffalo (19-15-2) at Pittsburgh (19-16-2) (AP) Buffalo Sabres (19-15-2) at Pittsburgh Penguins (19-16-2) (The Sports Network) … [Read more...] about Saturday’s Pittsburgh Coverage

'Miller was sensational in making 34 saves in regulation and overtime. He kept Buffalo alive in a first period that saw the Devils dominate with a 13-2 edge in shots. Meanwhile, Brodeur made 26 saves.' … [Read more...] about Bounced in New Jersey

'“People want to be outside” during the New Year’s Day game, said Nick Giammusso of VIP Seats, an Amherst ticket brokerage. “They want to experience the outdoors. They want to be outside drinking beer and cooking on their grills.”' … [Read more...] about The Ice Bowl: Just another excuse to party

'"The puck's a lot harder, your pads don't absorb it as much when they're stiffer," said Stewart. "The big concern is the goalie's glove. Is the puck going to hurt when they catch it? Pucks are going to hurt when you get hit in the foot more. It's going to sting more. It is a concern."' … [Read more...] about Outdoor rink a Classic pain

Devils vintage in victory (Newark Star Ledger) Devils rally again (Bergen Record) Devils 2, Sabres 1 (F/SO) (NewJerseyDevils.com) Photo gallery (Sabres.com) … [Read more...] about Saturday’s New Jersey Coverage

'"The wind. I don't know how you prepare for it, but it's something that you kind of maybe expect," Penguins forward Adam Hall said. "Some periods the wind would be behind you and you'd feel like you were flying. The next period you're changing ends and you're skating right into it, feels like you're in quicksand."' … [Read more...] about Frightful forecast for Winter Classic

'"When you have a lead with that amount of time left, it's a point but it's not a good one," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "We had hoped to lock it down, and we didn't."' … [Read more...] about New Jersey 2, Buffalo 1, SO

'"There will be 70,000 people who are going to enjoy watching a hockey game outside and most of them are going to be able to see the puck, which is great," said John Shannon, the NHL's senior vice president for broadcasting. "If you can combine actually watching a game with creating an event, I think we've got the best of both worlds."' … [Read more...] about On Frozen Pond

'After Martin Brodeur used a poke check to stop Ales Kotalik for the first attempt, Parise skated in on Ryan Miller and snapped a shot over the goaltenders right pad. Brodeur then made a right pad save on a Tim Connolly backhander and used the glove to stop Thomas Vanek to hang on for the win.' … [Read more...] about New Jersey 2, Buffalo 1 (SO)