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Jan 1, 2008 4:00 pm US/Central
Crosby, Penguins Down Sabres In NHL Winter Classic
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) ―
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Sidney Crosby scored the game-winning goal for the Pittsburgh Penguins in a shootout against Ryan Miller of the Buffalo Sabres in the NHL WInter Classic on Jan. 1, 2007.
Dave Sandford/Getty Images
Snow, a sold-out football stadium and Sidney Crosby scoring the shootout winner.
The NHL couldn't have scripted a better finish for its showcase event, the Winter Classic outdoor game, to kick off 2008.
Even Sabres managing partner Larry Quinn couldn't complain, even
though Buffalo wound up losing, 2-1, to the Pittsburgh Penguins on
Tuesday afternoon.
"We did this for the NHL to build the sport," Quinn said, referring
to the game being broadcast across North America, on NBC and Canada's
CBC. "I was down along the glass for the shootout and at the opening of
the game. And the feeling was just hard to describe: The noise, the
enthusiasm."
At times it was deafening in a game played before a league-record
crowd of 71,217 at Ralph Wilson Stadium in the NHL's second outdoor
game, after the Oilers and Montreal Canadiens played in Edmonton in
2003, and first held in the United States.
"You look up at the people and there was just this incredible
celebration of our team, of our sport, of our city, our winters,
everything. I'm so happy to have had that experience," Quinn said. "I
just wish we had gotten a lucky bounce."
Oh, that's right. The Sabres lost, leaving them winless in their past four games (0-2-2).
The winners, besides the Penguins, might have been the
publicity-hungry NHL, which offered up a perfect backdrop for its sport
— falling snow, end-to-end action, and a suspenseful finish that was
decided by its star player, Crosby.
"This was a fun afternoon," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said.
"Based on the response, on our ability to execute, and the inquiries
we're getting from other clubs for similar activities, this is
something we're going to look at doing at again."
Crosby was honored to be a part of it, noting that it was bigger than a mere regular-season contest.
"Growing up, I played a lot outside," said Crosby, a Nova Scotia
native. "When you see 70,000 people jammed into a stadium to watch
hockey, it's a good sign. The atmosphere and environment, I don't think
you can beat that."
Crosby set up the opening goal, scored by Colby Armstrong, 21
seconds in. Brian Campbell tied it 85 seconds into the second period.
And then it came down to a shootout, with Crosby — the Penguins' third
and final shooter — somehow slipping a shot past Ryan Miller.
The Penguins won their fourth straight and swept the home-and-home
series with the Sabres that started with a 2-0 win at Pittsburgh on
Saturday.
To honor the event, both teams dressed in retro-style jerseys, while
Buffalo's Lindy Ruff and his coaching staff looked sharp wearing
varsity jackets, with the Sabres' old logo — a buffalo above crossed
swords — on the chest.
"I'd love to do it again. I thought it was awesome," Ruff said. "It
was good for the game. It may not be the best hockey game because of
the situation, because of the weather, because of the snow, but the
atmosphere was incredible.
"The hell with the cynics."
There only a few drawbacks, mostly involving the snow that fell for
most of the afternoon and made it sometimes difficult for the players
to move the puck. That led to numerous stoppages to allow NHL crews to
clean the ice with shovels and Zambonis.
Surprisingly, the Zambonis didn't clean the ice prior to the start of the shootout as they would during regular NHL games.
Three trouble spots cropped up on the ice along the wall in
front of the players' benches, two in the zone Buffalo defended in the
first period. Before the Penguins' third power play of the frame, with
7:43 remaining, the ice crew did patch work that caused a delay for
several minutes.
Otherwise, there were few complaints.
"It was probably the toughest game, conditions-wise," Penguins
coach Michel Therrien said. "I thought the NHL did a great job with the
ice. There were times when it was pretty tough, but they took care of
it right away."
It was a hit, too, for the fans, who arrived early and stayed
until the end. Several young men went most of the game without their
shirts, while one enthusiastic patron held a poster that read, "Look
Mom, no roof."
And what a finish, the Penguins hanging on thanks to a solid
outing from goaltender Ty Conklin, who stopped 36 shots, including
seven in overtime, to allow Crosby a chance to secure the victory.
"It was great for hockey. He did a great job" Armstrong said,
referring to Crosby. "For him to get that was pretty great. Everyone
tuning in, that's what they wanted to see — well, maybe not the Buffalo
fans — but it was great."
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