BOSTON - DECEMBER 17: Workers prepare the ice rink in preparation for the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Fenway Park on December 17, 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
For the fourth time in the last 11 years, the Boston Bruins will be playing an NHL game outdoors. The Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers will play today at Lake Tahoe, Nevada in the NHL Outdoors at Lake Tahoe.
Playing the Flyers for the fifth time this season, the Bruins will be looking to win their fifth consecutive game over Philadelphia. With the game just a few hours away at 7:30 p.m., let’s take a look back at the three previous Bruins Outdoor games in the last 11 years.
Flyers at Bruins, Jan. 1, 2010
On Jan. 1, 2008, the NHL began their yearly Winter Classic game on New Years Day and the Bruins played in the event for the first time two years later at Fenway Park against the Flyers, winning 2-1 in overtime.
In front of 38,112 fans, the two teams played one of the most exciting games of the year. Philly scored the first goal of the game in the second period when Danny Syvret beat Boston goalie Tim Thomas early in the period. That ended up being the only Flyers goal of the game as Thomas made 25 saves.
Philadelphia goalie Michael Leighton was just as good down the other end against Boston. He stopped everything the Black and Gold threw at him until the final three minutes of regulation.
Mark Recchi tipped home a pass from defensemen Derek Morris to tie the game with 2:18 left, setting the stage for overtime.
Marco Sturm, who scored 22 goals in the 2009-20 season, scored his 14th goal of the season when he tipped in Patrice Bergeron’s pass 1:57 into the extra session.
Philadelphia ended up getting revenge on the Bruins five months later in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Trailing 3-0 in the Eastern Conference semifinal-round series, the Flyers pulled off the most improbable comebacks when they won the final four games, including Game 7 at the Garden to stun the Bruins and send them into a long offseason.
FOXBORO, MA – JANUARY 01: A general view as the Montreal Canadiens play the Boston Bruins during the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Gillette Stadium on January 1, 2016, in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images) /
Canadiens at Bruins, Jan. 1, 2016
Six years after playing the Flyers at Fenway Park, the Bruins traveled South to Foxborough, Massachusetts to play their hated rivals, the Montreal Candiens at Gillette Stadium. At the home of the New England Patriots and New England Revolution, 67,246 fans worked their way inside Gillette to witness the most lopsided loss of the Winter Classics.
Of course for Boston, it comes at the hands of the Habs. Montreal got two goals from Paul Byron and one each from David Desharnais, Brendan Gallagher, and Max Pacioretty. Matt Beleskey scored the Boston goal. Montreal goalie Mike Condon made 27 saves, while Tuukka Rask made 25 saves for the Bruins.
In what has become customary at the end of every NFL season, the Patriots would play their final two games, Week 16 and 17, at home. That year, the Pats played their final two regular-season games on the road so the Bruins could use the Stadium for the game.
It turned out to be a game that the Bruins would like to forget.
SOUTH BEND, INDIANA – JANUARY 01: Brandon Saad #20 of the Chicago Blackhawks attempts a shot past Tuukka Rask #40 of the Boston Bruins in the second period during the 2019 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Notre Dame Stadium on January 01, 2019, in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
Bruins at Blackhawks, Jan. 1, 2019
In the Bruins’ first road game for the Winter Classic, they traveled to the famed Notre Dame Stadium on the campus of Notre Dame to face the Chicago Blackhawks.
In one of the more exciting Winter Classics, the B’s and Blackhawks hooked up for a classic in front of 76,126 fans. Boston got goals from David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and Sean Kuraly in a 4-2 victory. Rask won his first outdoor making 36 saves.
Chicago’s goals were scored by Brendan Perlini and Dominik Kahun.
In the three previous seasons, including the Bruins/Canadiens game in 2016, ratings were down for the annual game on NBC. This game saw a big jump in viewership to nearly 3 million viewers. Last season’s game between the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators was the lowest-rated Winter Classic, dropping below 2 million viewers.
This season’s game at Lake Tahoe will mark the fourth outdoor game for Bergeron and Krejci, while Rask and Marchand will be playing in their third.
More. Bruins: Lake Tahoe preview of center for 2021-22?. light
The Bruins/Flyers game will be the second game played at Lake Tahoe. Saturday, the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Colorado Avalanche.
