Bruins Viewing Winter Classic As Just Another Game
BOSTON (CBS) -- For much of the season, the Boston Bruins tried to avoid talking about the Winter Classic.
While they remained focused on the next game on the schedule, it was inevitable that they'd be asked about the NHL's yearly outdoor fun-fest in the months leading up to it. Still, they tried not to think about taking on the Montreal Canadiens at Gillette Stadium in front of 68,000 fans.
That was then. Now that the Winter Classic is next up for Boston, they can finally start to soak it in and enjoy the upcoming event, right? Not quite.
On Wednesday the B's will hit the ice for first time for some fun with their families, then hold their first practice on Thursday. That evening, they'll get to watch some of the greats of the rivalry go skate-to-skate in the Alumni game.
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But now that the game is here, with all the fanfare and excitement surrounding it, the Bruins are doing their best to treat it like just another game on the schedule. That's not an easy task given it's against their biggest rival on National TV, but the B's are certainly talking the talk at the moment.
"I'm sure in the papers, obviously, it does [add a little extra], because it's one of the greatest rivalries in the game, but for us, really, it doesn't change anything," said netminder Tuukka Rask. "It's just a game for us. We try to focus on our system and how we want to play. The atmosphere's going to be great, and it's going to be great for the fans, but for us as players, we just have to focus on our jobs; we can't focus on who we're playing against. That might throw you off."
While they remain even-keeled about Friday's game, the team's mood is certainly much better thanks to a win over the Senators Tuesday night at the Garden, snapping a three-game losing streak.
"If you lose four in a row and you got to go into the next game, especially the stage that we are going to be on, I think it makes it easier," said defenseman Torey Krug. "But by no means are we sitting back and happy with where we are at. It's a great opportunity to keep moving on and I know we are all excited for the next one."
A single point separates the Bruins and the Canadiens in the Atlantic Division standings (with Montreal trailing division-leading Florida by a point), adding a little more gasoline to the ever-burning rivalry.
"That's going to be a ton of fun," said forward Jimmy Hayes, coming off his first career hat trick on Tuesday. "Just to be able to play outdoors and then to be able to play Montreal it's going to be a great match for us and both teams are neck-and-neck in the standings so were going to have to find a way and hopefully we can jump them in the standings with a win."
The transformation at Gillette began weeks ago and wrapped up with final preparations on Tuesday. After Boston's 7-3 win over the Senators on Tuesday night, the team's crew packed up their equipment for the 28-mile trip to Foxboro.
Bergeron is one of few B's players who took the ice five years ago in the Winter Classic at Fenway Park, an overtime win for Boston over the Philadelphia Flyers. He said one of the adjustments was not seeing fans at ice level, but said getting used to that didn't take long with the energy in the building. He's expecting more of the same -- on a much bigger scale -- Friday at the home of the New England Patriots.
"It's definitely twice the size, so there's going to be a big difference there," said Bergeron. "I'm sure the atmosphere's going to be pretty amazing and special to be a part of. I'm not sure exactly what to expect, but I'm sure it's going to be a great event."
Tune in to Friday's Winter Classic between the Bruins and Canadiens on 98.5 The Sports Hub — the flagship station of the Boston Bruins. Coverage begins at 12:30pm on Friday, with Felger & Mazz broadcasting live from Foxboro following the game. You can also hear the Winter Classic Alumni Game on Thursday, December 31 beginning at 3:45pm!
