• After falling behind 3-1 in the first period, the Wings charged into the lead with a three-goal second period.
Underrated Wings left winger Jiri Hudler netted a pair of rebound goals to tie the game, before superstar Pavel Datsyuk scored a brilliant goal -- splitting Hawks defensemen Cam Barker and Brian Campbell and beating goalie Cristobal Huet with a backhand to the five-hole along the ice.
Datsyuk's terrific individual effort seemed to take some of the life out of the Hawks and the home crowd. The Wings further dampened the outlook of the Wrigley faithful with a pair of early third-period goals (they were scored just 16 seconds apart by Brian Rafalski and Buffalo Grove, Ill., native Brett Lebda). With five unanswered goals, the Wings seemed to be wishing the Hawks and their fans a happy new year.
• The most fitting sign seen in the crowd: "Take Me Out to the Ice Rink!" The fan making the sign crossed out the words "Ball Game," inserting the smart change. Nice job!
• It wasn't a great New Year's Day for Chicago starter Cristobal Huet. He was pulled after Lebda's goal made it 6-3 in the third period. He was replaced by Nikolai Khabibulin. The two veterans have been sharing the duties for most of the season. Personally, I think Khabibulin is the better goalie; but, in the final season of his contract, Khabibulin won't be in the Windy City for much longer. If he isn't traded before the trade deadline, he will most certainly leave via free agency in the summer.
• The game organizers added a nice touch by listing the day's NHL games on the big old scoreboard atop the center-field bleachers. I don't think anyone in the crowd of 40,818 really cared about any of the four other games -- all of which were starting later in the day -- but I thought it looked cool to have them listed up there.
• The Central Division rivals didn't take long to exchange pleasantries during the game. Just two minutes into the first period, Chicago defenseman Brent Seabrook slammed Detroit winger Dan Cleary with such force, he knocked him head over heels into the Blackhawks' bench. It took Cleary a few seconds to get back on his feet and retreat from enemy territory.
After losing 4-0 in Detroit on Tuesday night in a game in which they felt they might have been pushed around just a bit, the Blackhawks were eager to make an early physical statement. Seabrook's hit was a major statement. Throughout the first 10 minutes of the first period, the Blackhawks were quick with a shove or a face-wash during the scrums after a whistle.
• Chicago fourth-line left winger Ben Eager channeled Peter Forsberg with a dynamic shift in the final minute of the first period. Eager outmuscled Wings defenseman Andreas Lilja along the end boards behind the Detroit cage. Then Eager made a savvy backhand-to-forehand move to come out from behind the net and stuff the puck under the left pad of goalie Ty Conklin, giving his club a 3-1 lead. Nice work, Big Ben!
• The throwback sweaters looked great, but no numbers on the sleeves? That doesn't help fans who are sitting some distance from the rink.
• At the first Winter Classic in Buffalo, the game had to be stopped several times to fix different ice issues. This year, the ice was much less of an issue. In fact, there wasn't a single significant delay due to the ice. NHL ice guru Dan Craig and his staff had to be thrilled that their hard work paid off with a playable surface.
They had at least two benefits this time around. First, they had a little more experience to fall back on. After all, they had to have learned a few lessons from their work in Buffalo. Second, in Chicago, they had more time to prepare the rink. With the baseball season long over, Craig & Co. were able to take over the facility in mid-December. In an NFL venue -- like Ralph Wilson Stadium -- the league must wait until the home schedule is complete (of course, there's the possibility of playoff games, which could cause a big problem). In the future, the league would be wise to stay away from NFL stadiums on New Year's Day. Next year, the Winter Classic figures to be headed to New York (Yankee Stadium) or Boston (Fenway Park).
• The two coaching staffs brought a little different style to their respective benches. Detroit's Mike Babcock and his assistants each wore Western-style hats, while Chicago's Joel Quenneville and staff went sans lids. Maybe Quenneville and Co. were trying to intimidate their rivals on the other bench? On the ice, referees Bill McCreary and Tim Peel and linesmen Andy McElman and Dan Schachte toughed it out in their own way; They worked the game without gloves.
• Like last year in Buffalo, the pregame ceremonies were spectacular. The Wrigley crowd cheered wildly throughout the singing of "The Star-Spangled Banner," which was accompanied by some well-timed fireworks. At the conclusion of the national anthem, a pair of military jets performed a fly-by over Wrigley. Wow! This kind of run-up to the actual game really helps make this a special event. While a regular-season game isn't a championship finale, the Winter Classic does have a bit of a Super Bowl feel. That's a great thing for a league looking for different ways to connect with sports fans throughout the United States.
• No snow? No problem. To give the outdoor setting a more wintry look, the league pumped in some faux snow to fill in the outfield and surrounding areas around the rink. There were only two places on the Wrigley playing field that weren't covered by the white stuff: the pitching mound and home plate. Who'd figure you'd need fake snow on New Year's Day in Chicago?
The pregame weather was cold and breezy with a wind chill around 14 degrees. Thankfully, it was nothing like the frigid conditions I encountered during the league's first outdoor game, the Heritage Classic, played Nov. 22, 2003, in Edmonton. On that day, if memory serves me right, the wind chill was something like minus-20. Brrrrr! And that game was played at 5 p.m. local time. Thinking back, I believe that start time wasn't the smartest idea.
• Next to the main ice surface, stretched out lengthwise across the Wrigley infield from first to third, the league had a smaller ice surface where kids played a little shinny throughout the morning. That was a nice touch. In the future, as the Winter Classic becomes a staple of the NHL season, the league would be wise to try to get more use out of the ice surface. In Chicago, they allowed sponsors, team personnel/family and the media to skate on the ice. In the future, it might be a good idea to leave the rink standing for a few days after the event, thereby allowing local youth and high school leagues to take advantage of the rare opportunity.
• Tough guys: Detroit's Dan Cleary and Chicago's Adam Burish and James Wisniewski were the only players to hit the ice for the pregame skate without the benefit of some sort of head gear (wool hat, helmet or anything else warm-looking). Burish, who was just activated from the IR, didn't play in the game. Tough girls? The Hawks' cheerleaders worked the entire day in their short skirts and hockey socks. Thankfully, they did get to wear parkas.
• Former Blackhawks coach and Hall of Fame center Denis Savard received a very warm welcome from the sellout crowd when he was introduced with other Chicago sporting legends. That was nice. Savard, who was fired just four games into the season, did a respectable job with a young team last season. But let's face it: Experienced Joel Quenneville was an upgrade. That's no knock against Savard. It's just the truth.
E.J. Hradek
