WHAT WE LEARNED IN THE NHL
What we learned in the NHL over the last week of play:
Tough Classic to watch
The Winter Classic, won by the New York Rangers over the Buffalo Sabres in overtime on Monday at Citi Field, was plagued by shadows that made the puck difficult to track and camera angles that didn’t enhance the TV experience. The frigid weather and the yellow New York City taxis arrayed beyond the rink produced fine visuals, but delaying the start a few hours past 1:30 p.m. Eastern time might have made for better viewing.
There’s one more outdoor game set for this season, on March 3, when the Toronto Maple Leafs will face the Washington Capitals at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md. The two outdoor games scheduled next season involve the usual suspects — the Bruins, Blackhawks, Penguins and Flyers. It would be fair to see some new teams participate and share this experience.
Bruins’ mix f inally working
After a slow start complicated by injuries and stumbles by their younger players, the Bruins have found their footing. Tuukka Rask’s 25 saves and 40th career shutout supported a 5-0 victory at Ottawa on Saturday, improving Boston’s record to 15-3-2 in its last 20 games. Rask has a personal 10-0-1 point streak in his last 11 starts and has allowed only 14 goals in that span.
Burly forward David Backes, who missed most of November after undergoing surgery to remove part of his colon, has five goals and 11 points in his last seven games. Defenseman Torey Krug, benched by Coach Bruce Cassidy for the late stages of the Bruins’ shootout loss to Washington on Thursday, rebounded on Saturday to record two assists. The return of center David Krejci from injury pushed Ryan Spooner to the wing, and he responded with two goals against Ottawa.
Some dreams come true
Goaltender Jeff Glass didn’t make his NHL debut until he was 32 years old, but he made it a memorable night. Glass, who was drafted by Ottawa in 2004 and bounced around among 10 teams across three leagues (including seven seasons in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League), stopped 42 shots in the Chicago Blackhawks’ 4-3 overtime victory over Edmonton on Friday. Glass, who had been recalled twice before by the Blackhawks without appearing in a game, got his chance after Corey Crawford was placed on injured reserve and backup Anton Forsberg struggled against Vancouver.
“It’s something I’ve always dreamed of,” Glass told the Chicago Sun-Times. “I never thought it would actually come true.” He lost his second start, on Sunday in his hometown of Calgary, making 35 saves in a 4-3 overtime defeat.
Can’t avoid the Vegas Flu
Toronto Maple Leafs executives booked a hotel far from the Strip to distance players from the area’s famed distractions before the team’s first visit to Las Vegas on Sunday, but their maneuvering didn’t matter. The Golden Knights prevailed 6-3 on a hat trick from “Wild” Bill Karlsson (who earned that nickname because he’s soft-spoken and anything but wild). Vegas has won seven straight and is a leaguebest 16-2-1 at home.