Unless I get to watch the two best College teams play today, I'm not all that interested in this year's crop of New Years Day bowls. So Inky and I came home from spending the morning out and watched a Hockey game instead, and I'm glad we did. We don't talk a lot about hockey here on I&TSG but Inky is a Flyers fan and I just like the sport in general. It really is a great game when there is a lot of excitement around a game. Unfortunately you don't get too much scheduled excitement in regular season hockey. You never know when that great goal will be scored, when a goalie will stand on his head and throw a shutout or when a game will feature a fight or a shootout, two of hockey's great spectacles.
Today's game was different, however, in that it's very existence was a spectacle. For just the second time the NHL hosted a game outdoors, and it lived up to every possible expectation. When the game between Buffalo and Pittsburgh began it was already snowing. The 70,000 plus fans were as loud as you would ever hear them at a Bills game and the players all had the glow of young children on their faces.
Buffalo got behind right away as Sydney Crosby assisted on a great goal. The ever changing condition of both the ice and the weather made for a game that was always in a state of flux, but never short on excitement. The Sabres tied the game at one, and after a physical 3rd period and OT, the game went to a shoot out. Each team made a spectacular goal, and it all came down to the superstar: Crosby, just like it should. Crosby beet Buffalo net minder Ryan Miller, who played for the Spartans in that outdoor game back in '01, and the game was over.
The NHL did absolutely everything right in this game, right down to the throwback uniforms both teams sported. I hope the game did well, and I hope we will see it become a New Year's day tradition. 
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