DALLAS – Dallas Stars interim coach Rick Bowness had just seen a very similar comeback by his team, though the surroundings for this one were drastically different.
While pigs raced during timeouts next to the outdoor rink – built in the middle of a historic football stadium and framed to appear as if it was under an oversized ranch entry – the Stars scored four goals in a span of just less than eight minutes in a 4-2 win Wednesday over the Nashville Predators in an NHL Winter Classic that felt like a state fair.
Well, it was played at the site of the annual State Fair of Texas, with the rides and games on the midway open just outside Cotton Bowl Stadium, known for hosting big football games.
“Let’s look at it from two sets of eyes,” Bowness said. “From a coaching perspective, we won the game. We battled back. We survived those early penalties, and the guys kept battling and believing and doing what was necessary to get us back in the game.”
Then he added: “From a fan’s perspective, that was great hockey. If I was out there watching that game and I was watching us on television, that was an awesome game. The whole thing was awesome.”