The biggest game of the regular season was set in stone long before its start.
January 2, 2012. The New York Rangers were to face off against the Philadelphia Flyers at Citizens Bank Park in Philly.
Press conferences were held. Previews were plentiful. HBO was present.
The hype didn't shrink with the games arrival, as the Rangers had recently passed the Flyers in the Atlantic Division.
After the puck was dropped, Philadelphia struck first, taking a 2-0 lead. Mike Rupp answered quickly with a goal of his own for New York, making it 2-1 at the end of the two.
Rupp struck again in the third to tie it, then Brad Richards scored shortly thereafter to put the Rangers ahead for the first time. They would hold onto that lead going into the final minute of regulation.
Then, with the clock under 30 seconds, there's a pile up in the front of the net. The puck gets behind Lundqvist and is sliding toward the goal-line. Ryan McDonagh slides into the crease and knocks the puck out of harms way.
However, the referee calls for a penalty shot, stating that that McDonagh covered the puck with his glove.
A penalty shot.
With 19.6 seconds to go.
I was there. Sitting in the upper deck on the opposite side however, I had no clue that a penalty shot was called until I noticed the puck at center-ice with Danny Briere standing behind it. Before I even had time to ask "WHAT?!?!? WHY?!?" Briere was already crossing the blue line.
Lundqvist stayed calm and did what he has done all season long...win the game.
A pad save stopped Briere's attempt to go five-hole, and 20 seconds later, the Rangers had won the Winter Classic.
Whatever the outcome of this season for the Rangers, people will look back and say that this was the moment where they realized they were for real. There's a lot of time left, but I'm not sure there is a moment (in the the regular season) that could top this one.
It was truly a classic Classic.
So there you have it. Disagree with my number one? Disagree with my order in general? Agree? Let me know in the comments.