Bruins, Penguins will display immense star power at Winter Classic
Game will feature 3 1,000-point scorers for 1st time in Crosby, Malkin, Bergeron
But between the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins, there will be enough star power on the ice to steal the show in the NHL's marquee regular-season game on Monday (2 p.m. ET; TNT, SN, TVAS).
"I think it's a great game to show off what the NHL is all about," Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. "You have stars that have done so much in the League. You have young, budding stars.
"You have the speed of the game. Both teams like to play fast. Both teams like to make plays. I think it's going to be a great event with two teams right now in playoff positions that you expect to see come springtime."
This Winter Classic will be the NHL's 36th regular-season outdoor game and the first to feature as many as three 1,000-point scorers.
Penguins centers Sidney Crosby (1,452 points) and Evgeni Malkin (1,180 points) will each be playing in his sixth outdoor game. Both were with the Penguins in the first Winter Classic in 2008, when Crosby authored the first signature moment in NHL outdoor-game history by scoring the shootout winner in a blizzard.
"When we played the first one in 2008, you didn't know if you'd ever play another one," Crosby said. "I didn't know if it would be a one-off or if it would become a yearly thing. To see how they've grown and to be at a venue like this, it's definitely something that everybody has really gotten excited for.
"Obviously, with the two teams playing each other, there's a lot of history, too, and some guys who have been around for a while. All those things combined, hopefully it makes for a good product out there."
Boston center Patrice Bergeron (1,012 points) will be playing in his fifth outdoor game with the Bruins, the first of which took place right here at Fenway Park, a 2-1 overtime win for Boston against the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2010 Winter Classic.
"The last few days, knowing that we're going back to Fenway, it's definitely something that I've thought about," Bergeron said. "I had some memories of the whole thing, but today some things felt different, so it's cool to be back."
Bergeron and center David Krejci are the only Bruins who remain from that game. Pittsburgh forward Jeff Carter played for the Flyers on that cold day in Boston.
"These guys you just named have a huge impact on both organizations and their success," Bruins forward David Pastrnak said, speaking specifically of Crosby, Malkin and Bergeron. "For us and the young players in Pittsburgh, they are great players to look up to and learn from."
Pastrnak certainly adds to the star power of the game. He has the most goals in NHL outdoor-game history, four in two games, and is tied for fifth this season with 25 goals.
Don't forget about Bruins forward Brad Marchand, who has 825 points in 902 games.
Penguins defenseman Kris Letang is not expected to play because of a lower-body injury, but if he were available, he too would have been on that list.
"You look up and down both rosters and there's future Hall of Famers up and down them," Carter said. "I think it'll be a special day for the League, for us and our families, and everybody here supporting us. Really looking forward to it."
It'll be a special day for Nick Foligno, too. The Boston forward has appeared in 1,057 NHL regular-season games, but the Winter Classic will be his first outdoors.
Bruins forward Taylor Hall (797 games) will also play in his first outdoor game. Same for Pittsburgh forward Rickard Rakell (605 games).
"It's the biggest stage and everybody is watching," Foligno said. "You're outdoors playing hockey in its purest form, and I finally get to do it. It took me this long, I'm going to enjoy and embrace every part of it."
Foligno said getting this opportunity reminds him of how he felt representing the Columbus Blue Jackets when they hosted the 2015 NHL All-Star Game. He was one of the captains along with Chicago Blackhawks forward Jonathan Toews.
"I'm a guy who loves the game, but this really brings it back to another level, and that's what was so neat about the All-Star Game," Foligno said. "First of all, to show off my city that I was so proud of at the time, but to play with some of the best players in the world at the time, too. This is how that feels."
That it's at Fenway Park, the rink in the shadow of the Green Monster, history wherever you step, makes it all the more special.
"There's just so many things to get excited about," said Penguins coach Mike Sullivan, who grew up a Red Sox fan from the Boston suburb of Marshfield. "I think from a pure hockey fan standpoint it would be hard not to be excited about an event like this.
"As coaches we get the privilege to watch this up-close and personal, and I don't take one second of it for granted. We appreciate it for what it is. We're going to compete hard to do our best to win, but we also understand and appreciate everything that goes along with an event like this."
