The Winter Classic is a made-for-TV event, and sometimes we forget that there's an actual hockey game going on amidst the fireworks and the fancy vintage jerseys and the atmosphere in the outdoor stadium. The New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers are trying to remind us that they're on the ice battling for first place, however.
Winter Classic 2012: Flyers, Rangers Don’t Like Each Other Too Much
Boom.
There haven’t been many penalties -- just two minor stick infractions in the first period -- as the teams have stayed relatively disciplined. Part of that has to do with the importance of the game and the need to stay out of the penalty box, and some of it is because both teams are still feeling their way around the outdoor rink at Citizens Bank Park.
But if one thing is for certain, these teams still hate each other, and man, that makes this whole thing so much more fun.
For more on this year’s Winter Classic, head over to SB Nation’s Rangers blog Blueshirt Banter and Flyers blog Broad Street Hockey. For everything Winter Classic in the build-up to the game, head over to our NHL Winter Classic StoryStream.
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