A grand slam

With Wrigley as the setting, outdoor hockey a big hit again

CHICAGO - True enough, the sample size remains about the size of a puck, but the NHL picked up a little more "big event" steam yesterday with a third successful staging of its outdoor game, and pulled it off without the need of snowflakes to dress it up like some Hallmarkian hockey moment.

The level of play was top notch (final score: Red Wings 6, Blackhawks 4), both Western Conference squads flashing significant speed and skill, as well as a Gloucester fisherman's resistance to temperatures in the low 30s - a chill given extra bite on an afternoon of steely-gray skies and strong, steady winds.

The setting, the much-cherished Wrigley Field, was simply superb, the poor sight lines of the lower box seats notwithstanding. Roughly half the crowd of 40,818 watched from seats that were great for baseball, which meant fans in the lower boxes would have been far better served if the Tigers had been the team visiting from Detroit, even if the calendar hadn't been rolled ahead to June or July. The North Side joint is a gem, for all the well-chronicled reasons, including the neighborhood setting cluttered with bars, bake shops, elevated subway tracks, and triple deckers.

If Boston ever gets the nod for the Winter Classic, Harvard Stadium probably would have it all over Fenway Park for better sight lines and number of good seats. But with the Wrigley Wrink having made its NHL bones, it's far more likely Yawkey Way would be the preferred landing spot for the 85 x 200-foot sheet of ice. Boston give an inch to Chicago in the battle of the best ballyards? Zdeno Chara probably has a better shot at hitting cleanup this year for John Henry's Nine.

"I have no idea where we are going next . . . we haven't given it any thought," said NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, pleased with the quality and overall execution of the event. "I never like to look ahead. I like to get through these one at a time, debrief, look at what we can improve . . . it won't be a perfect science but hopefully, like this, it will end up being a good decision."

NBC, for a second New Year's Day in a row, also put in a strong performance, the broadcast bosses mercifully resisting any temptation to fill an intermission again with a trip down "Slap Shot" memory lane. No need to treat the American viewing audience to another romanticized look at Ogie Ogilthorpe.

The Bob Costas-led broadcast crew stayed on theme, focusing on the unique setting and the high quality of the opponents. (Note: The Blackhawks are still a deep cut below the defending Cup champion Red Wings.)

"It's tough for us to sit up here and talk about how good the Wings are," said ex-University of Vermont star Patrick Sharp, one of the Blackhawks' top forwards. "At the same time, they are the best team in the league." Albeit with one significant caveat: If the Wings are slow to get their "A" game on track, Ty Conklin and Chris Osgood might not be enough to back the sons of Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay to a second straight Cup.

NESN's Mike Milbury maintained a fairly low profile, aiding in NBC's pregame setup from rinkside and joining Costas between periods. The former Bruins defenseman is best when he has some running room with that microphone, but the network's quick ins and outs barely allowed him to advance his thoughts to his own blue line. Make a little room for Microphone Mike and a few bodies are sure to fly.

Even the ice was able to take a well-deserved bow. Last year, amid the magical snowfall in Orchard Park, N.Y., the playing surface fell apart faster than a Fred Thompson run to the White House. The constant snow (definition of way too much of a good thing) in Western New York gummed up the play, but the bigger issue became the endless array of fissures, potholes, and Tranquillity Base-like craters that threatened to swallow the Penguins and Sabres and drag them down to a hockey netherworld.

"The ice was really good," said Bettman, a statement echoed by players and coaches on both sides. "It was probably better than it is in some of our rinks."

Bad ice in many of the Original 30's rinks, Causeway Street included, remains a touchy subject from the Bay State to the Bay Area. Most arenas have to contend with too many events - typically NBA games and concerts - for the ice to be kept in prime condition. Unlike the last Jan. 1 game, play here was delayed only once, and only for some 30 seconds, while a small divot in front of one of the nets was repaired by linesmen. That's about as good as it gets.

The hometown crowd was feeling pretty good when the Blackhawks moved to a 3-1 lead by 19:18 of the first, strikes by Kris Versteeg, Martin Havlat, and Ben Eager putting the Michiganders on the wrong side of 2009. But when the Wings rattled off five straight goals, including a pair by Jiri Hudler, it all added up to a Cubs kind of day in the 93-year-old ballyard.

In the final minutes, the Wings' win a fait accompli, Chicago icons Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, Denis Savard, Billy Williams, and Ryne Sandberg belted out a rousing rendition of "Take Me Out to the Hockey Game." Perhaps a different score would have made it easier on the ears for local fans. Perhaps not.

Meanwhile, same time next year for the Winter Classic? It's a good bet. Even though NHLers will be going to Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics, that's no reason, according to Players Association boss Paul Kelly, to keep Jan. 1 from being a great day for hockey.

The determining factor will be whatever ratings number NBC was able to post. Because, after all, no matter how great the game is outdoors, or how engaging the competition, the Winter Classic is first and foremost a made-for-television event. The NHL has proven it can deliver. But were they watching in Biloxi, in Des Moines, and in Paris, Texas, too, on New Year's Day?

If so, it's Game On!

If not, it's Game Gone.

Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at dupont@globe.com.