Two NHL games on a beautiful rink took place beside Lake Tahoe on Feb. 20 and 21. It was amazing.

COVID-19 delayed the season start until mid-January. The Winter Classic is annually played on Jan. 1, and therefore was cancelled. So was the Stadium Series, which is in mid-February. However, the NHL did not want to play the season without an outdoor game. After all, the game of hockey was created in the great outdoors.

In NHL history, every outdoor game has taken place in an NFL, CFL, MLB or college football stadium. Without the need of fans, the NHL wanted to try something different. So, the NHL got to work building an arena south of Lake Tahoe, in Stateline, Nevada. The ice lies on the fairway of Hole 18 of famous Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course. Unfortunately, the rink was not actually on the lake, unlike what Avalanche forward Pierre-Édouard Bellemare humorously believed.

Let’s go through all the action!

Colorado Avalanche vs. Vegas Golden Knights

At 12:00 p.m. local time (3:00 p.m. EST) the first game at Lake Tahoe kicked off with Mike Tirico and Eddie Olczyk on NBCSN. Before puck drop, the NHL highlighted the work of some essential workers in the Lake Tahoe area. The US Coast Guard delivered the puck via boat from across the lake. Both teams were suited up in their Reverse Retro uniforms.

1st Period and Intermission

Sam Girard fired in a wrist shot early on Golden Knight’s goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, and the Avalanche went up 1-0. During intermission, Avalanche GM and Hall of Famer Joe Sakic and superstar center Nathan Mackinnon teed off on the 17th hole of the course. Joe Sakic sunk a hole-in-one here in 2011, but couldn’t recreate the phenomenal shot. Next, Nathan Mackinnon took a $1,000,000 swing for NHL’s Learn To Play program. Unfortunately, MacKinnon was well short of the pin.

Postponement

After almost an hour-long intermission, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced the sunshine was intolerable and the ice was unusable. There were tons of wipeouts in the first period, and some players were uncomfortable with the conditions.

So, they postponed the final two periods until 9:00 p.m. local time (12:00 a.m. EST).

2nd Period and Intermission

So, the second period began about nine hours after the game originally started. Alec Martinez scored a rebound to tie the score at one, then Nathan MacKinnon sniped a goal and stole the lead back for the Avalanche. The period ended with Colorado leading 2-1.

During the period, with the help of the NHL, world famous punk rock band Green Day released their new song, “Here Comes the Shock.” The song played in the background of a montage showing highlights from the NHL season so far. Green Day has been a partner of the NHL for a few years now, and performed at the 2019 All Star Game in St. Louis.

3rd Period

After the teams were at a stalemate for a majority of the period, former Islander Devon Toews ripped a shot from the point, giving the Avalanche a cushioned 3-1 lead. He has been a wonderful addition for Colorado.

However, Syracuse-native Alex Tuch, who grew up playing on the frozen lakes of upstate New York, quickly answered by scoring a beautiful spin-o-rama goal to make it a one goal game again. The Golden Knights pulled the goalie for an extra attacker with 90 seconds remaining, but ran out of time. In a fight to the final whistle, the Avalanche won, 3-2.

Day One Analysis

Despite the hiatus between the first and second period, the game was very fun to watch. The gimmicks during stoppages and overall atmosphere had a vibe unlike any other hockey game. Plus, the two cup-favorite teams were on their game all day… literally.

Philadelphia Flyers vs. Boston Bruins

The Flyers and Bruins were planned to kick off at 12:00 p.m. local time, but to avoid the problems of the first game, didn’t start until around 5:00 p.m. (8:00 p.m. EST). Once again, Tirico and Olczyk lead the NBSCN broadcast, and both teams wore reverse retro uniforms. This time, a cappella group Pentatonix performed the National Anthem, and the game puck arrived from Olympic snowboarder Hannah Teter.

1st Period and Intermission

The Bruins took advantage of a shorthanded Flyers team, who have six players on the COVID-19 list, as David Pastrnak scored in the very first minute. The sun was still shining on the ice, and possibly affected Flyers goaltender Carter Hart’s ability to save the shot. A few minutes later, Joel Farabee got through the Boston defense and tied the game. Flyers’ Sean Couturier and Bruin’s Charlie McAvoy both added goals late in the period, and intermission began 2-2.

2nd Period and Intermission

By the beginning of the second period, the sun fully set, and the sky was beautiful. For the second time in a row, David Pastrnak scored in the first minute of the period, as his top-shelf snipe gave the B’s a lead again. It was a close 3-2 game until the final five minutes. The Bruins caught fire, and Charlie Coyle, Trent Frederic, and Nick Ritchie all tallied goals to go up 6-2. Trent Frederic’s goal was the first of his career, and Ritchie’s was the first of the season.

During intermission, Rutledge Wood, an NBC Sports reporter who’s covered the entire weekend, finally got in on the fun. Wood went tubing as the NHL showcased the gorgeous mountains surrounding the lake.

3rd Period and Intermission

With a big lead, Boston emphasized defense to limit the chances of the Flyers coming back. Eventually, the Flyers did crack the Bruins, with a James van Riemsdyk goal. A few minutes later, a Pastrnak one-timer gave last year’s Rocket Richard winner a hat trick. The Bruins won with a final score of 7-3.

Day Two Analysis

Another fun game at Lake Tahoe. There were less gimmicks and fun event during intermission, but the light-lamping game with 10 combined goals made up for it. Watching the sun set gradually until the sky was black by the end of the game was an amazing sight.

In conclusion, the Lake Tahoe weekend was a success. Without the Winter Classic, and a worldwide pandemic, the NHL took advantage fo their limited options to create two of the funnest outdoor games to watch as a fan.

Ben Kule

Die-Hard Islanders fan and writer from Plainview, Long Island, NY. I have a passion and knowledge for this team and I enjoy sharing that with others