Winter Classic Still Strong After Five Years

The 5th Annual Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic could not have been better. Two division rivals, both sitting one and two in the Atlantic Division standings, playing to the final whistle in front of over 47,000 fans at Citizens Bank Park.

The National Hockey League's outdoor gala had less problems with mother nature in Philadelphia than they did last year in Pittsburgh. With the game being scheduled a day later due to the NFL games, it gave the ice crew some time to keep the ice playable with mild temperatures and fear of rain in the forecast. Of course the league moved the game back two hours, with temperatures dropping later into the afternoon. Luckily not dealing a repeat of 2011, with heavy rain and temperatures in the 50's. 

The spectacle of the game was as big as it has been in the past. Most in part to the Flyers and Rangers fans who keep it alive. Let's face it, the Winter Classic is a hot event that two of the 30 teams in the NHL hope to hold on New Years Day (or weekend). The 2nd annual alumni game bringing back some of the greats of Philadelphia and New York's hockey past had the Phillies ballpark filled to capacity on New Years Eve. Be honest, if you're a Flyers fan, you were somewhat excited to see Bobby Clarke and Eric Lindros skate together.

The drama leading up to the game heightens every year. The biggest concern is the weather on the day of the event. While many hope for snow and temperatures in the mid 30's (the ideal weather for the ice that was seen at the inaugural event in Buffalo), people in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh can tell you snow is not always in the forecast for the first day in January. The Pittsburgh Classic was the first one challenged by mother nature. Heavy rains and almost 60 degree weather threatened the game, with many hoping the game could continue. The game was moved to 8pm that night, creating a more dramatic atmosphere, and had Penguin and Capital fans sitting in rain during the third period. For the league, they were lucky to pull the game off that night.

Add HBO's "24/7" series into the equation and you have hockey drama at its most realistic and finest. How many teams let you into their locker room and their inner circle for a month? Especially two clubs like the Flyers and Rangers who are in the middle of an Atlantic Division dogfight with each other and the rest of their division. You see all of it, obscenities and all (especially former Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau). This will make you want to get HBO if you don't subscribe currently.   

Now, onto the game. A first period filled with physical play that anyone would expect from two teams that have dropped the gloves in the first minute of their first two meetings this season. The Flyers got the home crowd going with Brayden Schenn getting his first NHL goal on a rebound. How excited would you be to score your first goal in the pros in front of 47,000 plus people at the age of 20? Schenn got to do it. Claude Giroux gave the Flyers some insurance with a goal set up by a breakout by Scott Hartnell to Maxime Talbot, who played in his third Winter Classic this afternoon, making it 2-0 Philadelphia.

While we are on the topic of former Pittsburgh Penguins, Mike Rupp, who had a fight in the 2011 Winter Classic, scored quickly and saluted the Flyer faithful, making it 2-1. If you were in line for hot chocolate and not in your seat for the beginning of the third, the game changed quickly. Rupp scored again and then Brad Richards, another Ranger pickup during the offseason, gave New York the lead within the first 6 minutes of the period. The last five minutes of the game had people glued to the TV. With minor penalties setting up a 4 on 4 situation, it created open ice and an opportunity for the Flyers to pull Babrovsky and try to tie the game. A penalty shot opportunity gave the Flyers a golden opportunity with less than 20 seconds left in the game. Briere went one on one with Henrik Lundqvist, who was a wall toward the end of the game and denied Briere on the penalty shot.

A tough one to swallow for the people of Philadelphia and a reason to celebrate for the Ranger faithful, both teams and their fans should take time to reflect on the experience, especially those who were lucky enough to get tickets. It's an event that someone like myself remembers when the game was held at Heinz Field. Despite the rain and the delayed start, it had all the elements of a memorable day. There was at least some flurries toward the end of the second period.

So where will the NHL Winter Classic be held in 2013? Let the campaigning begin.

Talbot Deserves Cheers, Not Jeers From Penguin Fans

With the Philadelphia Flyers making their first trip to Pittsburgh this season, fans still remember that day in late June when fan favorite Maxime Talbot signed with the Philadelphia Flyers. While his departure from the Penguins was imminent, the idea that Talbot would sign with the cross-state rival Flyers had some questioning how he could do such a thing.

While it will pain many to see Talbot in orange and black at Consol Energy Center tomorrow night, there are a few reasons why fans should applaud him for what he did while he was a member of the Penguins.

His overall representation as a fan favorite. It's enough for people to point to Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin as their favorite player, but for others, Talbot stood out. I have always acknowledged that NHL players are some of the best athletes when it comes to fan relations. Talbot was a perfect example of that representation. A character in his own without trying to draw all the attention to himself. I said that Philadelphia was lucky to be getting a guy like Talbot. Who could forget his A&L Car Motor Sales commercials that had him getting "Superstar Treatment?" I can also say that my family adopted him as our favorite. His "Ice Time" program covers are still on the refrigerator. 

Another reason would be the on ice contributions that Talbot brought to the Penguins. Talbot was a great defensive forward and unsung hero in his time in Pittsburgh.

Wind the clock back to April 25, 2009. The Penguins are in a series clinching situation against the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. The Flyers go up 3-0, and Tablot and Carcillo drop the gloves. While not a victory for Talbot, it was the spark the Penguins needed to come back and win the game 5-3. Go to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. The story of how an unexpected player will rise and lead his team to victory in the deciding game. In that Stanley Cup clinching 2-1 victory, Talbot had both goals.

So for those of you who feel that these reasons still don't take away from the fact that he did take a contract with the Flyers, look at it this way. Talbot, unlike Jagr, who is expecting and will be booed by the Penguins crowd for the first time since May 4, 2008, is a young player who is still has a long career ahead of him. Talbot is 27, and wanted a long term contract from the Penguins, who didn't offer him one, and the Flyers did. He also left on better terms than Jagr did.

So if you are a Penguin fan and are going to the game tomorrow night, show your appreciation for Max Tablot. There is a lot more to him than the color of the jersey he wears. FYI: He's #27 now.

Jagr's Choice Shows the True Colors Pittsburgh Forgot

For Pittsburgh Penguin fans, they have to be slapping themselves for not realizing that Jarimor Jagr was capable of making the move he did on Friday afternoon. Earlier in the week, the Steel City was abuzz about the idea that Jagr was very interested in signing with the Pens in his return to the NHL. On Wednesday, Pittsburgh expected Jagr to make a flight into New York City, hop on a plane to Pittsburgh, and agree to a one year, $2 Million deal. To top it all off, all the Pittsburgh affiliates would have had coverage of the live broadcast of Jarimor receiving his "68" jersey on a jersey different from the one he wore a decade ago with the team, and shaking Mario Lemieux's hand and possibly a "bro-hug."

For all of us, our alarm clocks awoke us from that wonderful dream while Jagr's whereabouts remained unknown from Wednesday night into Friday afternoon. The Penguins and Red Wings both patiently waiting to hear on his decision, finally pulled their deals an hour before free agency began. Pens fans showed some disappointment, which turned into anger once the afternoon rolled around. The news that Jagr not only turned Pittsburgh down, but then the news that he took $1.3 million more to play for the Philadelphia Flyers.

For those of you who have never watched hockey or followed it, the Penguins and Flyers hate each other. There was more love between Biggie and 2Pac than there is between these two teams. So you can see why your friend the Penguin fan may have had steam coming out of their ears yesterday.

Well, unless Jagr doesn't know the Flyers schedule, he will have to face the crowd that once loved him long ago three times, and maybe even in a playoff series in the spring. So it is going to be interesting to see the fans reaction to Jagr when he takes the ice on December 29 at CONSOL Energy Center. Hopefully for him, the fans are still in the Christmas spirit, and the Pens are at the top of the Atlantic and East. While it won't be like Lebron James' return to Cleveland, it will be a hostile environment, especially since Pittsburgh is still pulling the knife out of their back which Jagr dug deeper this time.

So what did we learn from all of this? Jarimor Jagr is in it for the money. OK,  lesson learned, but to go to an arch rival that the Penguins despise with a passion leaves fans feeling that this was the nail in the coffin for any reconciliation of Jagr and the Penguins. This may not bother Ray Shero as much, but what about a guy like Mario? A man who reached out to him when he could have said "sorry, but we're not interested in your services anymore." So put your Jagr jersey back in the closet or into your bonfire this 4th of July weekend, it'll be a collectors item down the road or good firewood.