The Rangers defeated the Flyers 3-2 in the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Citizens Bank Park yesterday, and the fifth annual outdoor game "was considered an astounding success." The game drew 46,967 fans, and with 45,808 attending Saturday's Flyers-Rangers alumni game, Philadelphia was the "center of the hockey universe for one memorable weekend." NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman yesterday said, "It was spectacular. ... The buzz throughout the city and the crowd today was great" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 1/3). The NHL on Sunday pushed back the start of the game two hours to 3:00pm ET "because of sun." The rink was "bathed in sunlight Sunday at 1 p.m. – the scheduled starting time for the game – creating a strong glare off the ice, glass and boards" (QMI AGENCY, 1/1).
The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Mike Sielski wrote had the NHL's "power people attempted to script the conclusion" of the Winter Classic, they "could hardly have asked for something better." Rangers G Henrik Lundqvist stopped a penalty shot with 19.6 seconds left in the game, preserving his team's win and "helping to transform what had been a sluggish edition of the NHL's annual outdoor game into a night heavy with drama" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 1/3).
