Archives for January 2, 2008

'Bad weather always makes sports events more mediagenic. With winds and snowflakes swirling as the Pittsburgh Penguins visited the Buffalo Sabres for the first outdoor NHL game played in the USA, hockey became unpredictable. Just like football can be suspenseful outside rather than indoors. NBC analyst Eddie Olczyk, for instance, had to note when pucks "were caught in a snow … [Read more...] about Snow, wind give outdoor NHL game extra edge

'But for all its majesty, the Winter Classic also provided ample evidence that these games are not to be entered into lightly, that there is a case for why they shouldn't be played, or at least for why they shouldn't count in the standings.' … [Read more...] about The outdoors are great, but this should not become a regular NHL fixture

'Because snow would just stick to the top of the ice and freeze instead of blowing to the boards, the players learned quickly that stickhandling, stretch passes and one-time shots weren't going to work. There were only two icing calls in the entire game, the first 2:01 into the second period and not another until midway through overtime.' … [Read more...] about Best in snow

'“The only tough part was snow buildup on the ice,” Sabres wing Jason Pominville said. “At times there was a lot of snow, and it made it hard for guys to stickhandle and shoot.”' … [Read more...] about Winter Wonderland for Crosby and N.H.L

'The teams appeared to be feeling each other out while learning the intricacies of the makeshift ice surface and the unique weather conditions.' … [Read more...] about Crosby Shines During Snowy Outdoor Game

'Somewhere tonight, an NBC and NHL executive are sharing champagne -- at least until the television ratings come out.' … [Read more...] about The great outdoors

'Said Whitney: "If it hadn't snowed so much, the level of play would have been better. The puck was 10 times slower than usual."' … [Read more...] about Crosby’s outdoor act follows ‘a great script’