Montreal Canadiens 2016 Winter Classic champs

"And the better team, all afternoon, was the Canadiens." — Ed Olczyk, NBC Sports

The Montréal Canadiens had a rather easy time in the 2016 Winter Classic with a 5-1 win over the Boston Bruins in Foxborough, MA.

Paul Byron had 2 goals. Brendan Gallagher made a big splash in his return with a goal and an assist, Max Pacioretty had a goal and an assist. David Desharnais added the first goal. Mike Condon had 27 saves and was fantastic in goal for Les Habs. Pacioretty spoke about starting off the new year fresh and the team delivered on that message.

There were quite a few baseball swings, which would have been even more awesome in Fenway Park, for the Habs as they got inside traction. Tuukka Rask was the losing goalie, but was incredible in goal. The Canadiens scored 5 goals in an outdoor game (only 2 teams have scored more in a NHL outdoor game) but Rask's play prevent several Habs goals.

Speaking of those baseball swings, Keith Jones made reference to the Montréal Expos during the intermission. The logical point to mention Les Expos would have been during the game commentary. If they mentioned the Expos, I missed it.

What you need to know for the 2016 Winter Classic

Toronto Maple Leafs 2014 Winter Classic champs

What you need to know for the 2014 Winter Classic

NHL Network, NBCSN, CBC cover the 2014 Winter Classic

P.K. Subban was the subject of a profile in the first intermission. We saw Subban off the ice, including speaking French to children in a hospital. Subban said he was trying to work on his French as part of living in the province of Quebec. Mike Milbury and Jones talked about Subban has matured on and off the ice.

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Canadian-based teams are now 2-0 in Winter Classic games. The Toronto Maple Leafs won 3-2 with a shootout win in the 2014 Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, MI. The Montréal Canadiens are now 2-1 in outdoor games. The only other win was in the 2003 Heritage Classic in Edmonton with a 4-3 win over the Oilers. The winning coach that day was Claude Julien, the current Boston coach.

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The NHL Network ran the NBC feed for a rebroadcast of the Winter Classic on New Year's night. We were hoping for the CBC, er, Rogers Sportsnet feed for the rebroadcast. There is another rebroadcast Sunday at noon on the NHL Network. Maybe we'll be more fortunate on Sunday.

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2 things we know about Gary Bettman: nothing gets leaked without his knowledge, and yet, nothing is certain until it is. After all, we saw similar headlines for a 2015 Heritage Classic in Winnipeg that never happened.

The relative good news for Toronto is the debate is reportedly over a Winter Classic versus a Heritage Classic game to be played at BMO Field. The tight Toronto sports schedule is reportedly a concern with a World Cup of Hockey, Grey Cup, and World Juniors all happening in a few months in Toronto. Then again, Toronto hosts the 2015 Pan Am Games, a more highly organized spectacle. The football stadium holds more than the Air Canada Centre and BMO Field combined (2016 Winter Classic attendance of 67,246), and Toronto has more hockey fans than Boston, given the size of the cities.

The New York Rangers would be the leading contenders to play in a Toronto-based Winter Classic. If the game switches to a Heritage Classic status, we could see the Canadiens or another Canadian-based team in the mix. We won't see 2 Canadian teams in a "Winter Classic."

Bettman mentioned in an interview that Winnipeg is owed a game. We don't know if that will be later this year. The idea of 2 outdoor games in Canada, and 3 if Ottawa is included, in a year's time would be rather special … and surprising.

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photo credit: NHL/NBC Sports
headline credits: ESPN.com/TSN.ca

Comments

[Tyler]

I would expect three outdoor games next year based on all of this. One in December in Winnipeg. Winter Classic, Rangers-Maple Leafs. And a Stadium Series game somewhere in the U.S.

Not sure who would be a logical opponent for Winnipeg to make it a Heritage Classic game, especially if Toronto would be hosting its own game.

[Chad]

You raise a fine question about the Winnipeg opponent. We never saw speculation. Minnesota, Chicago, Edmonton, and Calgary leap to mind.

With that much "Canada," there will be a Stadium Series of all-American teams. I could see Buffalo in that mix.

[Tyler]

Or, the Winter Classic simply doesn't happen in Toronto given the World Cup of Hockey, the Grey Cup and World Junior Championship are all happening there in the winter of 2016/17.

[Chad]

This is why some Canadians hate Gary Bettman. We have a leak where he "wants to give Toronto the game" but there are leaked reasons why it likely won't happen. The only direct conflict is the World Juniors. Toronto can handle both.

Same crap with Winnipeg. U.S. cities don't have to go through this.