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Private Notes
LOS ANGELES -- There they walked, rivals nearly in arms, side by side under the dark Southern California sky, illuminated only by the towers that light up Chavez Ravine and the Elysian Park throughout the summer.
The Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings walked through palm trees and down a path that would eventually separate, forcing the Kings to head in the direction of a beach volleyball court and the Ducks to walk toward a stage built solely for the legendary rock band KISS.
Yes, this was real and it was happening Saturday night in the shadows of Hollywood.
The Ducks would go on for a 3-0 win in front of 54,099, but the result came long after the players followed the rubber matting under their skate guards to the brand new hockey rink stretching from third to first in Dodger Stadium, the third oldest ballpark in baseball, a 52-year-old L.A. landmark.
Legendary broadcasters Vin Scully and Bob Miller emceed the opening act while standing on the interlocking LA behind the stage built atop home plate and not far from a street hockey court. The crowd stood and cheered wildly.
Things were so dire after the second period Martin Brodeur, arguably the greatest goalie in the history of the game, approached his coach and told him that it might be a good idea if he started the third period on the bench.
Of course, this wasn’t just any third period.
In front of 51,105 outside on Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium, with the rival Rangers up three goals and sitting on the adjacent bench, with the snow falling, with the cameras rolling, and with the whole spectacle of the showcase Stadium Series game, Brodeur had had enough.
Coach Pete DeBoer gave the nod to Cory Schneider to play the final 20 minutes in the Devils net, yet at that point Brodeur had coupled with his team’s mistake-ridden defense to make it a formality, all en route to the Rangers’ 7-3 win.
“Tough break, tough game to be part of,” Brodeur said after giving up six goals on 21 shots, prompting the first mid-game goalie change of the Devils season. “You’re looking forward to these kind of events, and when you have a result like that, it’s not that fun.”
The latest installment did not disappoint with the Rangers, considered the road team here despite the fact that Madison Square Garden is closer to Yankee Stadium than Nassau Coliseum, scoring their 121st victory against the Islanders thanks to 30 saves from goalie Henrik Lundqvist and goals from Benoit Pouliot, late in the second period, and Daniel Carcillo, early in the third.
Carcillo's goal at 4:36 of the third was the game-winner.
The Rangers and Islanders will take their rivalry indoors Friday at the Garden to close out the season series, but the memories of the outdoor game will still be quite fresh.
"Honestly, I hope every player in the NHL would have the chance to play in a game like that," said Rangers center Derick Brassard, who assisted on Pouliot's game-tying goal late in the second period. "It's just so much fun. To play in a game like that in front of your family and everything, that's awesome. I'm going to remember that for a long time."
Part of the reason his memories from the Stadium Series will be so good is the Rangers got a Yankee Stadium sweep to move three points up on the Philadelphia Flyers for second place in the Metropolitan Division. They beat the New Jersey Devils 7-3 in a Sunday matinee.
In addition, Lundqvist and the Rangers improved to 3-0-0 in outdoor games, including a win against the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic. Lundqvist has allowed six goals on 89 shots in outdoor games.
"Everything I hoped for," Lundqvist said of the Stadium Series games. "I was hoping for two wins. I was hoping for two [sellouts], and just to walk away from this with an awesome experience. That's what we have. We talked about wanting to win these games to be able to look back on them and have a smile on your face instead of thinking about the mistakes or a loss. Now it's two days that I will remember for the rest of my life."
The Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins at Soldier Field in Chicago in the final game of the 2014 NHL Stadium Series by a 5-1 score.
Patrick Sharp, Jonathan Toews and Kris Versteeg had goals for the Blackhawks, who led 3-0 after two periods. James Neal was credited with a goal when Brent Seabrooke tapped the puck into his own net in the third period, breaking Corey Crawford's shutout.
Bryan Bickell and Toews scored insurance goals later in the third period to ice this one for the Blackhawks who jumped all over the Penguins.
The Blackhawks never really looked out of place in this one, despite taking over 15 minutes to get onto the scoreboard. They outshot the Penguins by a 14-5 margin in the first period and 31-18 spread through two periods.
