Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Jiri Hudler scored twice and added an assist, as the Detroit Red Wings tallied five consecutive goals en route to a 6-4 win over the Blackhawks in the 2009 Winter Classic at Chicago's Wrigley Field.
The clubs put on an offensive show unlike the 2008 version, in which the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Sabres in a shootout, 2-1, at a snowy Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo. Brian Rafalski had a goal and two assists, while Marian Hossa and Henrik Zetterberg each had three helpers for Detroit, which swept the home-and-home between the clubs.
The Red Wings notched a 4-0 victory over the Blackhawks on Tuesday. Detroit netminder Ty Conklin made 33 saves to pick up the win for the second year in a row in the Winter Classic, having guided Pittsburgh over the Sabres in Buffalo on the first day of 2008.
He has now played all three outdoor games the NHL has staged, as he was with the Oilers when they played Montreal in Edmonton in the 2003 Heritage Classic. Martin Havlat had a goal and two assists, and Kris Versteeg ended with a goal and one assist for Chicago, which has dropped two in a row since reeling off a franchise-best nine consecutive wins. Cristobal Huet started in net for the Blackhawks, but was pulled in the third period after allowing six goals on 30 shots.
Nikolai Khabibulin came in and stopped all 13 shots he faced. Whereas Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of the NFL's Buffalo Bills, had a capacity of nearly 74,000 for the 2008 version, Wrigley Field offered a more intimate venue for this year's Winter Classic.
The Friendly Confines hold a little more than 41,000 fans, normally rooting for the Chicago Cubs. But on Thursday, hockey fans packed the seats to see the rink, which stretched across the infield, between first and third base, with the players walking down the covered basepaths to their benches. The clubs donned throwback sweaters, with Detroit wearing those from the franchise's first season in 1926-27, when they were known as the Cougars. Chicago had sweaters from the 1936-37 campaign.
Final Score: Boston 4, Pittsburgh 2-Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Marc Savard and P.J. Axelsson each had a goal and an assist to help Boston increase its winning streak to 10 straight in a 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins in the finale of a home-and-home set. David Krejci and Milan Lucic each had a goal for the Bruins, who last won 10 in a row in the 1972-73 campaign and are now four wins away from the club record of 14 consecutive victories set in the 1929-30 season.
Also, Boston has not lost at home since October 23 and has won 14 straight as the host. The Bruins' club record of 20 straight home wins was also set during the 1929-30 campaign. Manny Fernandez made 30 saves in the win. Ruslan Fedotenko and Dustin Jeffrey each had a goal for the Penguins, who have lost three straight and four of five. Dany Sabourin gave up three goals on 25 shots. Boston defeated Pittsburgh, 5-2, on Tuesday in Pittsburgh.
Final Score: Buffalo 4, Toronto 1-Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Derek Roy had two goals and an assist as the Buffalo Sabres downed the Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-1, at Air Canada Centre. Jason Pominville had two goals while Drew Stafford and Thomas Vanek each had two assists for the Sabres, who had lost four of five coming into the game. Ryan Miller made 27 saves in the win. John Mitchell scored the lone goal while Curtis Joseph was touched for four goals on 20 shots for the Maple Leafs, who have dropped four of their last five games.
Final Score: Washington 7, Tampa Bay 4-Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Alex Ovechkin had a goal and two assists as the streaking Washington Capitals routed the Tampa Bay Lightning, 7-4, at Verizon Center. Matt Bradley, Boyd Gordon and Mike Green each registered a goal and an assist for the Caps, who have won five straight games and 10 of their last 11 overall.
Chris Clark, David Steckel and Sean Collins all lit the lamp in the win while Brent Johnson made 23 saves for Southeast Division-leading Washington. Vincent Lecavalier struck twice for the Lightning, who have dropped two in a row after a three-game win streak. Mark Recchi scored, as did Ryan Malone, who now has seven points over his last four games. Martin St.
Louis had three helpers and Vaclav Prospal had two. Mike Smith made 28 saves in defeat. Tampa Bay's Jamie Heward left the game on a stretcher in the third period with a concussion after getting checked into the boards by Ovechkin.
Final Score: Vancouver 2, Nashville 1-Nashville, TN (Sports Network) - Jason LaBarbera made 31 saves in his Vancouver debut as the Canucks downed the Nashville Predators, 2-1, at Sommet Center. LaBarbera was acquired from Los Angeles on Tuesday as injuries to Roberto Luongo and Curtis Sanford depleted Vancouver's goaltending corps. Willie Mitchell and Mattias Ohlund each had a goal for the Canucks, who have won two of their last three. Rich Peverley had a goal while Pekka Rinne made 30 stops in the loss for the Predators, who have dropped three straight.