NHL Winter Classic 2011: 5 Reasons Why It's the NHL's Most Unforgettable Yet
The 2011 NHL Winter Classic became one of the most anticipated and hyped hockey games of all time, and the NHL didn't disappoint with this one.
The city of Pittsburgh was completely transformed from a Steeler-loving city into a hockey town in the span of a few days. In fact, Heinz Field was the heart of where the temporary transition took place.
The game itself didn't fall in Pittsburgh's favor, but that doesn't mean it had any less of an impact on the sports world. It was certainly an amazing game to witness.
Here are five reasons why this game is NHL's most unforgettable Winter Classic.
Laura Falcon is a Featured Columnist for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Follow her on Twitter or email her at lfalcon@mail.umw.edu with any comments or questions.
Mike Rupp and John Erskine Fight
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Fights are a great way to charge up the crowd.
When they're on national TV with 68,000+ fans cheering on both fighters, they seem even better. But even standing alone, the fight was something to behold.
After a huge hit in the corner, Pittsburgh's Mike Rupp and Washington's John Erskine dropped the gloves for an epic fight that even had the press box cheering them on.
Both sides fought admirably, but Erskine got the best of Rupp before calling it quits.
The crowd was electric as both skated to the penalty box.
8 p.m. Start
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The weather was a constant battle that seemed to make the news more than the actual game itself.
Questions floated around about whether the NHL should make an announcement to postpone the Winter Classic before Jan. 1 could arrive to save the players from playing the waiting game and taking them off their superstitious pregame routines.
The NHL eventually gave in, announcing that the Winter Classic would be played at 8 p.m. instead of 1 p.m., a time that projected the rain would be heavy.
The decision was made because of poor weather, but it was probably the best decision the NHL made.
The game was played under the lights, which created an unbelievable luminescence that could be seen for miles in all directions. The light was caught in the cloudy fog perpetually present over Pittsburgh, telling the entire city where the fun was happening.
The NHL should schedule the Winter Classic for the evening from now on.
Passionate Fanbases
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The sight in Pittsburgh the day of the Classic was one to behold because of the sheer amount of fans from both sides that took over the city.
Pittsburgh police were making their pay as they took care of traffic while mobs of fans collapsed towards Heinz Field. Both sides chanted loudly for their team as they approached the venue, many times in an attempt to overpower the chants of the other team. Other times it was to insult the other team.
This continued throughout the entire game. The cheers of "C-A-P-S CAPS CAPS CAPS" fought the cheers of "Let's go Pens" and the boos and cheers rained down almost equally when either Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin were shown on the jumbotron.
Following the game, Caps fans were more than happy to continue their celebration while disgruntled Pens fans either chose to ignore them or take them on in a battle of words or fists.
Both fanbases love their teams, and that passion met in an epic clash that created a stunning environment for the annual game.
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Penguins and Capitals Rivalry
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On the ice, these two teams don't like each other.
That was very clear with the post-whistle scrums and the Rupp/Erskine fight.
Even beyond the battles, there is an intensity level that is turned on when these two teams meet, giving truth to the "NHL's biggest rivalry" title. Interestingly enough, while the rivalry started because of the constant matchups between Crosby and Ovechkin, more hatred brews between the rest of the players not named Crosby and Ovechkin as the teams play each other.
Again, this is all on the ice.
Whether people like the rivalry or not, the Pens and Caps rivalry always brings out the best of the two teams, and viewers are always in for a treat because the game's result could easily go either way.
Putting two teams with that relationship together on a national stage makes for good TV.
The Weather
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In the 2008 NHL Winter Classic, fans and non-fans alike were treated to the beautiful scene of an outdoor hockey game that was graced by the gentle falling of snowflakes.
This year, in a perfect imitation of the commercials, fans were treated to a miserable downpour that almost threatened to postpone the game to another day.
As previously stated, the Crosby/Ovechkin matchup played second fiddle to the main story, which was, "Is this game going to happen because of the rain?" The postponement was supposed to solve any problems of inclement weather, but it wasn't the case as a constant mist of rain, sometimes turning into rain drops, disrupted the outdoor game.
While many people want to look at the rain as a negative, it certainly added a hint of realness to the situation.
In celebration of the perfect outdoor hockey game, we have to remember that while the game of hockey may be perfect, the way it is played is anything but. As kids, how many times did the weather not cooperate with the pickup game? How many times did a car passing through the cul-de-sac temporarily halt a game in its place?
Were it not for the pressure of two points and winning in the national spotlight, this could have been a moment more cherished than endured, which was certainly the case for the Pens.
The rain did put a damper (literally) on the game, but it certainly reminded all of the realities of outdoor hockey.
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