‘How fitting it was that the Sabres and Penguins wore retro jerseys Tuesday because the Winter Classic, an NHL cry for attention, set back the league’s image 30 years. Persistent snows slowed the skating surface and undermined tempo. Dangerous holes created lengthy and repeated delays, inviting those watching at home to channel surf for more compelling alternatives while repairs were conducted. No Zambonis were on hand to clear swatches of ice before the shootout, requiring marksmen to drag pucks through heaping mounds of snow sitting atop the pebbled glass.’