Cal Clutterbuck has more than 4,000 hits on his NHL resume, but when he laced up his skates for the Alumni Classic between the New York Islanders and New York Rangers on Saturday, bringing his signature physicality wasn’t top of mind.
“I might try and score today,” Clutterbuck said with a laugh before the game. “But I’m looking forward to going out there and having some fun.”
And score, he did. Clutterbuck’s hat trick led the way in an eventual 4-2 win over the Rangers in the Alumni Classic, presented by Northwell, at Madison Square Garden. Clutterbuck came out of the gate with a fiery edge, sniping a shot past Henrik Lundqvist that opened the scoring. Goaltender Kevin Poulin stood tall and made some flashy saves, while Clutterbuck netted his second and third goals of the game before Eric Carins iced the game with an empty netter, as the Isles bench lit up with smiles.
“It's really exciting, especially because Cal Clutterbuck is playing,” said Islanders Season Ticket Member Samantha Stoll. “To see him shoot against Hank brings back fun memories.”
The fourth annual Alumni Classic had a change in venue as the Islanders and Rangers took the ice at MSG after playing at Northwell Health Ice Center for three consecutive years. Islanders and Rangers fans packed the lower bowl of the garden to see their favorite players coming together to put on a show.
“Watching them play is really lighthearted and exciting,” said Stoll, who made the trip to MSG from Farmingdale. “I love games at UBS [Arena] where I’m yelling and fired up, but today is just a relaxed environment.”