Sunny skies halt Lake Tahoe game

The NHL’s outdoor game Saturday at Lake Tahoe between the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche had everything hockey fans were clamoring for: a picturesque backdrop, snowy mountains clear as day behind the pop-up rink and two marquee teams with a handful of stars.

However, the game, which originally had a noon Pacific (3 p.m. Eastern) puck drop, was postponed after the first period because of sunny skies and little cloud cover. After an extended intermission, it was announced the madefor-TV spectacle wouldnt continue until 9 p.m. Pacific — midnight on the East Coast.

“We knew that unabated sunshine was a problem,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. Bettman also said Saturday’s conditions were the worst ice conditions in an NHL outdoor game up to this point.

The conditions were clearly rough through the game's first 20 minutes, with players often appearing to catch an edge thanks to ruts in the ice. The Avalanche were up 1-0 at the time of the pause.

With another sunny forecast expected for Sunday’s scheduled game between the Boston Bruins and the Philadelphia

Flyers, the NHL pre-emptively moved the start time back from 11 a.m. Pacific (2 p.m. Eastern) to 7:30 p.m. Pacific (10:30 p.m. Eastern). Subsequently, the game Sunday between the New Jersey Devils and Washington Capitals, which was scheduled for 7 p.m. Eastern, will now start at 2 p.m.

Rangers 4, Capitals 1: Alexis Lafreniere scored his second NHL goal, Artemi Panarin had two assists and visiting New York got its second consecutive victory.

Sabres 3, Devils 2: Sam Reinhart scored two goals as visiting Buffalo snapped a four-game losing streak.

Defensemen Colin Miller also scored and Linus Ullmark made 25 saves for the Sabres, who had not won since beating New Jersey in a shootout Jan. 30.

Kyle Palmieri and P.K. Subban scored in the third period for the Devils.