2019 Winter Classic Review

Well, I don't know about you, but I thought that today's edition of the Winter Classic was certainly one of the better games in their 11-year history.  The ice didn't prove to be an issue, the boards were lively and somewhat unpredictable and the weather looked pretty good for the players and all the fans in the stands.  The atmosphere looked fantastic and it led into a very good game.

The Bruins and the Blackhawks battled well on the grounds of Notre Dame, both teams skated well, played a physical brand of hockey and drove the net effectively.  It was a very evenly contested game, with scoring going back and forth through the first two periods, but the 3rd period belonged to the Bruins, who had that extra little bit of finish when it counted and it came from the team's 4th line. 

Sean Kuraly, a non-hockey pool player from the Bruins' grind line, was able to bury a fat rebound off of his own player, in behind Cam Ward, midway through the final frame and that ended up being enough to give the Bruins another outdoor victory.  The Bruins top line and power play were most effective in this game, carrying much of the load, as David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron each finished with a goal and an assist, while Tuukka Rask held down the fort at the defensive end, making 36 saves for the win.

Well, after the first of two outdoor games to be played, Jesse's team has the early lead in the outdoor games pool, which sadly doesn't pay.  Jesse had Rask's win and another point from Jonathan Toews on the Chicago side to give his team 3 points, better than Stacey M. and Eric's teams, which finished with 2 points each. 

Next up, the Stadium Series game between the Penguins and the Flyers, going in February.  That could be one hell of a contest and possibly one that could generate a fair bit of offense... and penalty minutes.