Whenever I make hockey related trips, my biggest goal is to share my experience with the incredible readers of this blog. Whether it's All-Star Weekend, the Stanley Cup, or now the Winter Classic. So this time around I created a slideshow of all the snapshots I took during my past weekend in Philadelphia, followed by a YouTube video I uploaded of the Rangers taking the ice at Citizens Bank Park. Enjoy.
Rangers take the ice at the 2012 NHL Winter Classic:
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PHILADELPHIA -- Great teams are defined by how well they come together to perform on big stages, in big moments. For a team in the National Hockey League, there may be no stage larger than the annual Winter Classic that has become a tradition in national sports. On the surface, the New York Rangers' comeback win over the Philadelphia Flyers tonight was routine for a club who is not phased by very much. But the fact that they did it on such a large stage, in an away city all while facing many obstacles over the course of the contest makes it that much more amazing. That much more memorable. And, well, that much more "classic".
The atmosphere in Philadelphia leading up to this afternoon's event was electric. For a day, the city was hockey-crazed with a mix of hometown faithful and away intruders filling the streets, and later Citizens Bank Park. The temperature, along with the wind chill (and at one point snow), were not ideal conditions to watch a sporting event in, but that was not chasing away the 46,967 who piled into the stadium today to take in an experience of a lifetime.
The team introductions were fantastic, and despite the Rangers coming out to a sea of boos, they looked amped to be out there. The Blueshirts got off to a solid start in the game, getting pucks in deep and getting their forecheck going. The Flyers picked up momentum midway through the opening stanza, but goaltender Henrik Lundqvist was outstanding in net for New York, stopping everything that was thrown his way.
The Rangers killed off a carry-over penalty to begin the second period, but Philly would slowly begin a takeover from there. The Rangers were suddenly being beaten to loose pucks by the Flyers and were getting badly outshot, and then Brayden Schenn finally scored the game's first goal at 12:26 of the second period to put the Flyers up, 1-0. The puck looked to be bouncing on the play, and upon reaching the crease gave Henrik Lundqvist problems. Lundqvist steered the puck away from the net, but unfortunately right onto the stick blade of Schenn.
Philadelphia would again strike two minutes later when Claude Giroux cashed in on a 2-on-1 in which he beat Lundqvist with a silky-smooth backhand deke and shot. This second goal was what the Rangers needed to wake them up, because from there it was all New York.
Exactly 30 seconds after Giroux scored for the Flyers, Mike Rupp took a Brandon Prust pass and fired it home past Sergei Bobrovsky to finally get the Rangers on the board. His Jaromir Jagr-like salute celebration caused quite the stir, but hey, he doesn't score often, especially on a big stage like this. That would be the way the second period ended, so the Rangers found themselves down just a goal at the intermission.
The Rangers came out with a head of steam to begin the third period, and Mike Rupp would again find the back of the net, this time from a sharp angle, at 2:41 of the final stanza to tie the game at two. New York was buzzing at this point, and then, at 5:21, Brad Richards found open ice and buried a Brandon Dubinsky rebound in front to complete the comeback and give the Rangers a 3-2 advantage.
John Tortorella's squad took complete control from that point on, as they continued to forecheck very well, but still had everyone collapsing to the net on defense. They killed a delay of game penalty by Ryan McDonagh with just over five minutes to go, and then later faced an interesting situation when Danny Briere was awarded a penalty shot. Now, I was in the stadium obviously, so I didn't have the clearest of replays available to me. But from what I saw, I think the officials were trying to add some late spice to an already action-packed game that was being shown off to non-hockey fans because there was no penalty there.
Whether that was the case or not, Lundqvist stoned Briere cold and added a little fist pump to rub it in to the Philadelphia crowd. The Rangers held off the Flyers in the final 15 seconds after that to secure the victory, and then left the ice clapping and pumping their sticks in the air to share their excitement with the Ranger fans on hand.
What a beautiful sight that was.
Henrik Lundqvist was obviously the star of today's game for many reasons. Not only did he stop 34 of the 36 shots he faced, but many of them were stellar saves on some prime scoring opportunities for the Flyers. Without Lundqvist, the game may not have been in reach after the second period, because he stood very strong while the Flyers were surging.
This goes back to what I was saying last week about Lundqvist being a spotlight goaltender who always comes to perform for the big games. For Henrik, this was just another day's work against a hated rival.
Mike Rupp also absolutely deserves a shoutout as well. The Rangers' chances in the game were not looking very good after Giroux scored to make it 2-0, but Rupp took the team on his shoulders, something you don't often see him do, and played a tremendous part in the eventual comeback. It's unexpected performances like this that make the Rangers so successful - they find different ways to win and different people to get the job done every night. In today's NHL, those are the toughest teams to defeat.
And how about Brad Richards? This guy continues to be Mr. Clutch for the Rangers this season, again finding himself in the right place at the right time late in the game. Just so happens that both offseason acquisitions for the Rangers on free agency day came up huge for the team today, and boy, they've earned every penny by performing to the max in their respective roles. It's been fun to watch.
On defense, the big story surrounding the Rangers was the season debut of Marc Staal. While Marc certainly looked like he's not yet at his top speed, I thought he held his own quite well in this game. As always, he was cool and calm and made a few nice plays and threw several hits. There's still a lot of work to be done there, but it's a start.
The experience all together was one I will never forget, nor do I think any of you will, whether you were at CBP or not. The Rangers have won in dramatic fashion many times this season, but to do it under the bright lights of the Winter Classic, in front of thousands of people live, and millions more watching on television, makes this win special.
Defining monents and wins like this are what makes up an incredible season, and sometimes a champioship season. And after seeing what the Rangers were able to accomplish this afternoon to take over first place in the entire National Hockey League, I don't think anyone is doubting their chances of making this season into just that - a Championship one.
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PHILADELPHIA -- In an event that is used a huge marketing opportunity for the National Hockey League, it was only a matter of time before the annual Winter Classic featured a team from the greatest city in the world. That city, of course, being New York and the Rangers who play within it. The organization has anxiously anticipated their invite, just as the players and their fans have, and although they had to travel 97 miles to the city of Philadelphia, Rangerland is more than honored to be included in this year's Winter Classic game. However, as general manager Glen Sather stated on the actual day that the teams for the 2012 outdoor game were officially announced, the Rangers are not here just to be "included". This is a rivalry and two points are up for grabs, so the Eastern Conference's current first place team is here to win and win big.
Now we all know very well the hatred that runs between these two franchises and the history that goes into the match-up. But the Rangers-Flyers rivalry has escalated to new levels this season with HBO producing even more tension between the two clubs with their 24/7: Road to the NHL Winter Classic series, which has followed each team's story from mid-December up until today's big event. On the most recent episode, we got a behind-the-scenes look at the momentum swings and adversity that the Rangers and Flyers undergo when they face-off against each other. There are always those few games on the calendar that as a coach, a player or a fan, you circle simply because of the opponent. January 2, 2012 was not only circled by everyone associated with Rangers or Flyers hockey because of the opponent, but also because it's a game that will be played on the biggest stage that has ever been created by the sport of hockey - The Winter Classic.
Being in Philly for 24 hours now, I can tell you first-hand that the environment here is simply incredible. There are hockey sweaters on every corner (Flyers and Rangers), everyone is talking about the game and tailgating in the parking lots of Citizens Bank Park started early this morning. The city is filled with hockey-related buzz right now for what is expected to be the highest attended game in the history of the NHL's Winter Classic event. That makes this year's edition even more special if you ask me.
But enough of the sappy stuff and onto the actual match-up. Going into this game, the New York Rangers lead the entire Eastern Conference with a 23-9-4 record and 50 points. Their most recent game, played on Friday in Sunrise, Florida, was a 4-1 win over the Southeast Division leading Panthers. Prior to that, the Blueshirts won six of seven games, and one of those wins featured a 4-1 defeat of today's opponent, the Philadelphia Flyers. In fact, the Rangers are 2-0-0 against the Flyers this season, having also beaten the Flyers, 2-0, earlier in the season. And going back to last season, New York is 4-0-0 in their last four meetings with Philadelphia, so they've had their number for quite some time now.
Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Flyers currently sit in fourth place in the Eastern Conference at 22-10-4. Early success this season drove the Flyers straight to the top of the standings, but the team has admittedly lost some steam as of late. They've lost four of their last six games, including a 6-0 doozy against the Boston Bruins two weeks ago. Goaltending, which was supposed to be a solidified position once the team brought in Ilya Bryzgalov, has once again become a major issue for Philly. In dramatic fashion, the hockey world was slightly surprised on Sunday when it was announced (by the team and Bryzgalov) that back-up Sergei Bobrovsky would be starting for the Flyers in today's game against the Rangers, instead of usual starter Ilya Bryzgalov.
Actually, the decision stirred up a little more negative attention than the Flyers had hoped for. As I discussed in this morning's article, Bryzgalov created a media frenzy in the Philadelphia locker room with his outlandish remarks, and the Rangers welcome this with open arms. As head coach John Tortorella has repeatedly said, the Winter Classic has brought levels of attention to his players that they have never before been subjected to, but with Ilya Bryzgalov forming quite the controversy on Philly's side, some of the attention has been taken off New York as they sort of fly in under the radar.
As far as New York's lineup goes, John Tortorella claimed yesterday after practice that it would remain the same as it was in Florida on Friday. However, there was a rumor that Marc Staal would be making his season debut this afternoon after not playing a single game this year due to post-concussion symptoms. That has not been confirmed as of now, so I'm going with the coach's word that the lineup will remain the same for today, meaning no Staal.
New York Rangers Lineup
Also be sure to follow my Twitter (@NickMonteRT) throughout the day for the latest news as well as pictures live from Citizens Bank Park.
We've waited for this day all year and now it's finally here.
Let's do this.
UPDATE (12:50 p.m.): John Tortorella has announced that Marc Staal IS in the lineup on defense today. No word on who is out. Read more here.
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PHILADELPHIA -- The hype leading up to this year's Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Citizens Bank Park has been unbelievable. The attention the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers have received has been Stanley Cup-like, as the entire hockey world, as well as the outside sporting world, prepares for what has become an annual main event to bring in the new year. Head coach John Tortorella has done his best to keep his team out from under the microscope despite the HBO cameras following their every move and the additional media now suddenly crowding their stalls in the locker room. So far, considering how the team has performed to this point, he's done an excellent job of that.
However, like the coach admitted in his meeting with the media on Sunday, the hoopla surrounding his team and today's outdoor game is like no other his boys have ever faced before. He believes his team will not be distracted, but there must be some concern that the atmosphere may take over and veer the team in the wrong direction.
That being said, the Rangers caught a slight break on Sunday when a sudden goaltending controversy emerged on the Flyers end of things. As you should know by now, normal starter Ilya Bryzgalov went against team policy by announcing to the media that he would not be getting the start in today's Winter Classic, and then followed that up with a string of outlandish comments expressing his "feelings" on the decision. In a way, Bryzgalov made the entire scenario into a joke of sorts, especially when he later tweeted a picture of his now infamous thermos. This side-story quickly became the talk of the hockey world and turned the attention to the Flyers locker room, alleviating the Rangers of all the extra eyes at least for the time being.
The Rangers, meanwhile, took the ice yesterday afternoon for a very business-like practice in which those on hand reported coach Tortorella put the players through as in-depth of a practice as he normally would if the team were preparing for a normal game at their practice facility. The players went about their business, Tortorella was short and sweet in his post-practice meeting with the media, simply stating that his team's lineup would remain unchanged for today, and they then packed it up and left the stadium to gather for Sunday evening's team meal.
Peter Laviolette's club, on the other hand, held a much less serious practice in which the players were sort of soaking in the experience (even though many of them have gone through it before), and then Laviolette was faced with question upon question about the goaltending controversy that had been created behind closed doors in the morning. Compared to the Rangers' day, the Flyers' was not routine, normal or as straightforward as they maybe had hoped it would be.
For this reason, the Rangers have sort of flew under the radar here in Philadelphia, while the Flyers are entering this afternoon's contest with a whirlwind of negative attention already surrounding them. The Blueshirts will obviously welcome any advantage that is presented to them with open arms, and in my mind, what went on with the Flyers yesterday most definitely favors the Rangers and their mindset going into the big game.
* Yesterday during the Rangers practice, back-up goaltender Marty Biron wore a small camera atop his mask while on the ice. NHL.com put together a quick collection of clips from Marty's perspective during practice:
* Hit the streets of Philadelphia last night (quickly learned why it is so often considered "Filthy" Philly), and apparently picked the right place for dinner. Upon the many members of the hockey world who showed up at the downtown steakhouse for a bite were Ranger legend Adam Graves, Ed Olczyk, Ruslan Fedotenko, and there at the table beside me was today's starting goalie for the Flyers, Sergei Bobrovsky. "Bob" showed up by himself, had a very quiet dinner by himself and, I'm not going to lie, looked to be a little nervous. At one point he made a phone call in which he had a concerned tone of voice. I'd tell you what he was saying, but unfortunately I cannot decode Russian.
Just a tidbit I thought was worth sharing. Check my Twitter for pictures and more.
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First off, allow me to wish the best damn blog readers on the worldwide web a Happy New Year. I don't talk about the blog itself too often, especially as of late since I get very caught up with the Rangers season and all, but my God, 2011 was a downright amazing year for The Rangers Tribune. Readers doubled, comments/interaction doubled and our team leads the entire Eastern Conference with 36 games in the books. There's a lot to be proud of around here, so you bet I am heading to Philadelphia this morning with my head held as high as possible.
I'm actually pretty stoked for the entire experience, not only because of the Winter Classic on Monday, but also because this will be my first trip to Philly for a sporting event. I've heard plenty of stories and received plenty of warnings, but I'll be as surprised as anyone if I walk out of here without a single confrontation with a Philly fan. I'm a very - I'm always one to think out loud in life in general, but when it comes to the Rangers my opinionated and defensive natures multiply even more, so this should be an interesting weekend for sure.
Don't worry, I'll represent well, but also won't be allowing any filthy Flyer fan to talk badly of our first place Rangers. It's not happening, at least not on my watch.
Scrolling through some of the tweets from the Rangers' players who are actually on Twitter, it sounds like they are even more excited than me for the event, which I guess is logical since they are actually playing in it. Look at it from their perspective for a minute; they grew up playing hockey hoping one day that they could play in the National Hockey League. They would spend endless hours on the backyard rink or pond, with the snow, rain or whatever pouring down on their heads. Now, in 2012, not only are they living their dream, they're living it where its roots sprouted - outdoors. That's unbelievable, and then you add the Super Bowl-like hype and attention and it makes it that much more special.
And head coach John Tortorella will not admit it, but I'd imagine he is uber pumped for the chance to have his club perform on the big stage as well. Of course, it's all business with Torts and he is 100-percent focused on winning a hockey game on Monday, but I'm sure he'll soak in the atmosphere in the process.
So the next time I talk to you guys I will be in the city of Brotherly Love, or lack thereof. Keep tabs on my Twitter and obviously here for pictures and what not over the next few days. I'm looking forward to bringing the experience to those of you who couldn't make the trip to Philly this weekend.
And once again, Happy Rangers Stanley Cup Year. I mean New Year.
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With the 2012 NHL Winter Classic just days away, goaltenders Henrik Lundqvist and Marty Biron are anxiously awaiting the debut of their newly designed equipment for the special occasion. They got most creative with the designing of their helmets, which they discuss in the video below....
I must admit, at first sight I was not overly impressed with Henrik Lundqvist's mask, but close-up it looks fantastic. I've always been a fan of Hank's masks, especially since he always includes the good old statue of liberty logo in there, and he did a fabulous job with his Winter Classic helmet.
Also, in spirit of the Winter Classic, TiqIQ is holding a contest for Ranger fans to win tickets to a New York - Philadelphia match-up later in the year. All you have to do is predict the outcome of Monday's contest and who will score. You can do that here.
Remember, the Alumni Game will be played tomorrow at 1 p.m. and televised on VERSUS.
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And they just keep on getting better.
After seeing episode one of HBO's 24/7: Road to the NHL Winter Classic back on December 14, I honestly didn't think any of the remaining episodes would be able to top what I had just seen. However, I felt the same way after watching episode two last week, which featured a very touching story between head coach John Tortorella and a local fan of the Rangers. Wednesday night's episode three, in my opinion, topped them both believe it or not. In the latest 60 minutes of pure excellence, HBO did a wonderful job of capturing the adversity and intensity that go into a rivalry match-up in the National Hockey League, maybe better than they ever have before. We saw two teams depicted as armies head into a game that was played up to be a war. It was like nothing any of us hockey fans have ever watched prior to Wednesday night.
Episode three started with the Flyers on their road trip, so we had to wait a while before our New York Rangers became the main focus. When they did, however, it was quite worth the wait. We got a glimpse into what was deemed the team's "ugly sweater Christmas party" that was being hosted by Brad Richards. Among many classic moments during that segment, the best came when we got to see a slightly tipsy Brian Boyle in an elf outfit, Brandon Dubinsky dressed as Santa, Ryan Callahan lighting up (literally), and Ruslan Fedotenko with a teddy bear stitched to his sweater. It was a side of the Rangers we've yet to see for sure, and thankfully we have video to capture the memory...
I would have to agree with Dubi that Callahan's outfit was definitely the most unique, but the pants on Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonagh were pretty wicked as well. And I'm pretty sure we got a quick look at Derek Stepan with a white mustache on in the background there. Don't quite know what the significance of that is, but hey, Del Zotto's sweater had a picture of some sort of deformed animals engaging in [adult activities] stitched on it, so what the hell.
After all the kidding was behind them, the Rangers then took the ice against the Devils, where we got a cool look into Mike Rupp's fight with Cam Janssen. They both agreed to go, but Rupp made it clear that he was not about to stretch the bout out longer than it needed to be since he was just returning from surgery. I've always found that sort of stuff interesting, especially when it involves a personality such as Rupp's.
Following the win over the Devils, we were shown footage of Marian Gaborik riding to practice the next day in his BMW M5, which looked to be a 2012 model. Most of you probably do not know this about me, but I am a BMW fanatic since I drive one myself. I've always taken a liking to Marian, but once I saw Gabby in his whip, that like quickly became a love. And hey, he even carries his own Christmas tree from the dealer to his apartment complex. What a guy....
The next time we saw the Rangers was before their match against the Islanders at Madison Square Garden. Now if you recall, prior to that game I expressed my concern about the Rangers potentially looking past that game since they had the Flyers on the schedule for the very next day. Well, much to my pleasure, the first words out of Tortorella's mouth during the pregame speech last Thursday had to do with focusing on beating the Isles despite the real focus being on the Philadelphia game on Friday. And defeat the Isles they did, as the cameras continued to follow Marian Gaborik for he had another big night on the ice after all of the excitement off of it.
And lastly, to begin the closing of episode three, we were then taken behind-the-scenes of last Friday's Winter Classic preview between the Rangers and Flyers at MSG. We all knew at this point that the Rangers had won the game, but the little details that made the contest even more interesting were only being revealed for the very first time.
For example, the trash talking that Tom Sestito was doing to the Blueshirts' bench, which was quickly muted by Brad Richards' condescending remarks about Sestito being a beginner in the NHL. Or the conversation that took place between Mike Rupp and Jody Shelley, in which Rupp claimed that he would not fight Shelley since the Flyers' enforcer was "f------ irrelevant to the outcome of the game." Or even the locker room speeches by each coach, as you saw two different styles of intermission motivation from Tortorella and Laviolette.
It's viewing the game from those angles that makes 24/7 so special for hockey fans, whether or not you like either of the Rangers or Flyers. There's so much more that goes into a rivalry match-up than what we see on the nightly broadcast, and seeing all of it from behind-the-scenes just a week before the two teams take center stage at Citizens Bank Park has me anticipating January 2's Winter Classic even more.
Hats off to HBO for a job well perfectly done.
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Just when you thought nothing could possibly top last week's premier episode of HBO's 24/7: Road to the NHL Winter Classic series, episode 2 stole the spotlight by a mile. Really, that was an extraordinary 60 minutes of television - maybe the best I've ever seen.
In episode two we get to see a lot more of the off-ice stuff, which is really what 24/7 is geared to present to its viewers. The show began with Henrik Lundqvist (and his Maserati) heading over to a studio to rock out with tennis star John McEnroe, as they were preparing for a performance they will put on together for a charity even in February. Now, watching this, I think everyone had the same thought: "Is there anything Henrik Lundqvist doesn't do?"
We are then taken to the apartment of Dan Girardi, where we met his 18-month-old son, Landon. Aside from the kid being a stud and wearing faded designer jeans under the age of two, he also had a wicked wrist shot and one-timer. I suggested on Twitter that Landon may have even looked sharper with a stick in his hand than Brandon Dubinsky does right now. I wasn't kidding, either.
The next time we saw the Rangers was in the locker room a day before their game in St. Louis, where head coach John Tortorella was going over film with his players. I thought this was up there with the best moments of episode 2, because we really got a glimpse as to how Tortorella has complete control of his players and how they respect and listen to his every word. He was candid, honest - just was advertised.
I found it interesting that he turned to Michael Del Zotto and told him that he was the club's best defensemen in their prior game, and also turned to captain Ryan Callahan to decide what time the team would leave the arena. Tortorella has a history of relying heavily on his captains, and we saw it there with Cally. Those two have tremendous respect for each other.
Several minutes later, Tortorella was not so easy-going when we were brought into the locker room after the team had gone down, 2-0, in the first period against St. Louis. That's when we saw our first Torts explosion, which included the following:
"I asked you to [expletive] defend. I've seen you [expletive] defend before! And you're gonna do it here. If that's how we're gonna battle, we're not going to have a chance TO WIN! Jesus Christ, how much time do we have to talk about it? If that's all the juice we have, as far as competing against that team, WE WILL GET KILLED TONIGHT. And we have two periods here. So I've asked you all to buy into how we have to play. If that's it, we're [expletive] done. PACK IT UP! And I know that this [expletive] team isn't that way. I'VE SEEN YA!
"We've got 40 [expletive] minutes to go. Take each shift at a time and chip away. They're not that good in their end zone. And we know our club. That's the biggest [expletive] positive of our team is how hard we play. So [expletive] screw it on right here. Screw it on and let's be ready to go each shift at a time. Stiffen up here! And if you're not going to be stiff you're not going to play!"
That's some heavy stuff, but I love it.
But then HBO did an amazing job of portraying Tortorella's soft side with the following segment, which has already been posted to YouTube:
I was completely speechless after watching that. I held back the tears, but it was tough. Words just don't do a story like that justice. Incredible.
The last we see of the Rangers is the team on a high note, following their 0.1 second win over the Phoenix Coyotes, in which we are finally shown the passing of the Broadway Hat (from Gaborik to Richards). Good stuff.
All in all, another compelling episode, with coach Tortorella stealing the show this time around. Can't wait for part three.
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Defenseman Marc Staal and forward Wojtek Wolski appeared on NBC's Today Show this morning to talk about the Winter Classic on January 2...
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"Just reloading my weapon, you know?"
That was just one of the many golden moments from last night's premiere episode of HBO's Rangers/Flyers 24/7: Road to the NHL Winter Classic. As the cameras took us behind-the-scenes with both clubs, we witnessed different personalities, how each group deals with adversity, and we got a whole lot of insight as to how each coaching staff runs their team. Despite both the Flyers and Rangers being among the Eastern Conference's top teams, HBO did a fantastic job of picking out storylines with New York losing two straight and Philadelphia suffering the loss of their top player to a concussion. Even if you aren't a hockey fan, it was still a captivating story to follow.
Most hockey sites are focusing on the episode from a bi-team perspective, so I am going to focus on just the Rangers' half of the highlights. But, of course, I can't possibly not mention Flyers goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov. But that's for later.
The first golden quote of the night from a member of the Rangers came from, of course, Sean Avery, when he referred to a Philadelphia player as a "f------ loser" in the introduction of the show.
We then were treated to two gems from head coach John Tortorella during the first intermission of the Rangers' loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The first was in reference to Leafs forward Phil Kessel: "If you have a chance, finish him. He's a good player. But don't sh-- your pants on him."
And the next was in the direction of Brian Boyle in front of the entire locker room: "Brian Boyle, we've done that f------ coverage all f------ year long. You got that f------ mic on you and can't f------ think straight."
And at that point you could've officially said that you have witnessed John Tortorella accountability first hand. And give the coach credit, because he did the exact same thing to sniper Marian Gaborik on the bench during the game in Buffalo, when he exclaimed "are you going to stomp on a f------ puck tonight? For f---'s sake!"
Gaborik then scored on his next shift.
And then we got an inside look at the incident between Artem Anisimov and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Yes, I'm talking about his 'shooting the rifle' celebration after he scored, which then resulted in a melee that saw him tossed for 16 minutes.
First Artie quote occurred when the official was grappling with him: (in Russian accent) "What the f---- are you doing!?"
And then when he was told he was being given a penalty: "No, what I do?"
But the best part of that entire segment was when Sean Avery and Marian Gaborik walked into the locker room between periods, where Anisimov was already sitting undressed, looked at him and started chuckling. I nearly wet myself during that scene.
I also got a kick out of how the players decide who pays for dinner. The ol' credit cards in a hat trick, which left Henrik Lundqvist and Jeff Woywitka footing the $2,500 bill at the end of the night. To which rookie Carl Hagelin remarked "thanks for dinner, losers."
Bold kid.
But the very best part of the show had to be Ryan Callahan's moment with his 95-year-old grandmother. I won't even recap this one, I'll just show you video:
As for Flyer quotes, these were my two favorites....
Scott Hartnell to Matt Cooke of the Penguins: "You're the dirtiest player in the league, bud."
And Ilya Bryzgalov on the.... Universe?: "The solar system is so humongous big."
I know I didn't cover it all, so anything else you'd like to share or comment on, be sure to leave it in the comments.
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