‘Road to the NHL Winter Classic’ Episode 3 goes into kitchen

Matty Beniers and Will Borgen of the Seattle Kraken try their hands at baking.

Vegas Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy tries to figure out how to cope without injured goalies Adin Hill and Logan Thompson.

It’s all part of the peaks and valleys in the third episode of “Road to the Discover NHL Winter Classic presented by Enterprise,” which airs on TNT and Max in the United States on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. ET (available for streaming on Max beginning Jan. 1), premieres in Canada on Thursday at 6 p.m. ET on Sportsnet One, and airs Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sportsnet in Canada.

The four-part docuseries follows the Golden Knights and Kraken as they prepare for the 2024 Discover NHL Winter Classic at T-Mobile Park in Seattle on Jan. 1 (3 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS).

The latest episode takes viewers behind the scenes on the road and in the kitchen at home as Beniers and Borgen, two of Seattle’s younger players, wage a cookie bake-off.

“He might have won,” Borgen says after sampling Beniers’ work, based on his grandmother’s recipe. “I bet his grandmother makes them better.”

The cook-off gives the roommates time to mull playing in the Winter Classic.

“Playing on outdoor rinks is so fun,” says Beniers, a 21-year-old forward who won the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year last season. “You’re obviously a kid doing it, but now you get to be an adult and go play in an actual game.”

Borgen, a 27-year-old defenseman in his fifth NHL season, says, “I’ve never played in an outdoor game, so I think it’s pretty cool. I’m kind of lucky where we’re having it.”

Meanwhile, Cassidy is trying to find a recipe in goal for the Golden Knights.

With Hill and Thompson unavailable, he turns to rookie Jiri Petera to face the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena on Dec. 21. Patera makes 31 saves in a 5-4 loss, Vegas’ second straight on the road.

“The puck has eyes on the last one,” Cassidy says. “I feel bad for Patera. I think he battles. He played hard for us.”

While the Golden Knights try to find their game, the Kraken learn that it does indeed rain in Southern California when they travel to face the Los Angeles Kings.

The showers don’t dampen the business-like approach of coach Dave Hakstol and his staff in looking for payback after the Kings’ 3-2 shootout win against the Kraken in Seattle on Dec. 16.

“We had just played L.A. a couple of games ago, so we had a lot of information and a blueprint we wanted to try to follow,” Hakstol says. “‘Let’s go out and work a little bit harder than out opponent, let’s do the things that are necessary, although maybe not pretty, to go and get a win.’”