This was really fun! It was also last minute so I wasn’t prepared to take a lot of pictures, as this was our first time in their arena, and because it was such a great game. HBOs 24/7 Road to the Winter Classic was being filmed tonite for the closing episode so it was pretty surreal to be there and see everything that happened, and then see it when it aired and what was happening up close and personal!
We had planned for the New Years Even game in Tampa for months, but at the last minute, we decided that since we were going to be in Florida, why not push the envelope and make a full road trip of it, so, on Thursday nite, we took off, and drove as far as we could, the hit the road again Friday morning to get to Sunrise, Florida, get checked in, and get over to the game. What a beautiful city! And, an awesome arena, one of the best now, so we want to go again.
I didn’t take as many pictures tonite, I was all into the game, so I’m using the AP writeup of the game, and a few of my pictures and there ya go 🙂
When we entered, the gave us a cool Panthers towel, which you’ll see shortly too.
I’ll do better next time on photos and writeup.
Goalie Matchup: Clemmenson v Lundqvist
Theodore v Lundqvist
Rangers 4, Panthers 1
Associated Press
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) – The New York Rangers are glad the Winter Classic is finally upon them.
After a disappointing loss to Washington on Wednesday, the Rangers bounced back with a 4-1 win Friday against the Florida Panthers.
The Rangers, who have won six of seven, will play the Philadelphia Flyers in the Winter Classic on Monday in Citizens Bank Park.
The Rangers lead the Eastern Conference with 50 points. Philadelphia has 48.
Carl Hagelin had a goal and an assist to lead the Rangers’ offensive attack against the Panthers.
Brad Richards, Brandon Dubinsky, and Michael Del Zotto also scored for the Rangers.
It didn’t take long for the Rangers to score.
Callahan skated up the left side, stopped along the boards just outside the faceoff circle, and threaded a pass to Hagelin, who deflected a pass past Scott Clemmensen 35 seconds into the game.
Later in the first period, Richards beat Clemmensen with a wrist shot and Del Zotto scored from the blue line ending Clemmensen’s night. Clemmensen stopped 11 of 14 shots before being replaced by Jose Theodore.
“We weren’t ready for the game and there’s absolutely zero excuse for that,” said Matt Bradley, who scored for the Panthers.
Dubinsky gave the Rangers a 4-0 lead on an impressive goal as he weaved through traffic and fired a backhand by Theodore for his fourth of the season.
Lundqvist was sharp throughout, stopping seven shots in the first, 11 in the second and nine in the final period.
“He played really well for us,” Richards said. “You don’t want to rely on him like we did in the third, but it’s a good chance he’ll hold the fort.”
With 7.6 seconds left, Del Zotto delivered a cross-check to Tomas Kopecky in front of the net knocking Kopecky’s helmet off. Del Zotto was facing the opposite direction when Kopecky responded with a punch that knocked Del Zotto to the ice.
Rangers teammate Mike Rupp came to Del Zotto’s defense and received a fighting major in addition to a game misconduct.
Kopecky received a match penalty for the incident.
Theodore turned away 10 of 11 shots for the Panthers, who have lost four of five.
They were giving these great Panthers towels at the doors!
Taking care of their little ‘rat’ problem 🙂
Inside BankAtlantic Center. Really great arena and major crowd, over 19,000, on a regular basis
And, the Rangers strike early on and often, and Clemmenson was pulled for Theodore
Line changes and Coach Torchetti
RAMSEY! We miss Ramsey!
Rangers celebrate again
Clemmenson out, Theodore In
Rangers had Theodore scrambling too
Little Peeps
Yep, they call him The King, and, he is !
There ya go!
And finally, the brawl!
Game Highlights: http://nhl.cdn.neulion.net/u/videocenter/embed.swf
Published by What A Trip ~ Travel With Michelle
"Need a Vacation, I Can Help and its a Great Day In Paradise" is my philosophy! I am a native Georgia Girl and in October 2006, I joined the the travel industry full time after my retirement from 27 years of Federal Law Enforcement. For as long as I can remember, aside from my love of the justice system, I was a 'travel agent wannabe' and thru the years of my former career, I fell in love with all that the Caribbean has to offer because getaways were crucial to unwind and back to the everyday. I still try to schedule a "get-away-from-it-all" vacation 2-3 times a year by visiting various all-inclusive resorts and cruises to relax and dive (see below for an ever expanding list of resorts, cruise ships and destinations visited). I plan to eventually live near the ocean and would love to own a sailboat. I am a huge sports fan, and a seasons ticket holder to my favorite NHL team, the Atlanta Thrashers (until they were recently sold), and Atlanta Braves. I am PADI certified (with approximately 34 dives in Cancun, Cozumel, Belize, Bahamas, Caymans, Mobay, Florida Keys, Roatan, Honduras) and I try to get in 2 dives every other day during a 7-8 day Caribbean visit or cruise. I love sailing and I am a history buff, especially Naval/Military history, and I love to find and tour historic locations. I also speak basic Spanish.
As a Specialist, I am affiliated with approximately 40 major tour operators that allow me to give extremely competitive pricing to all of my guests on their vacation packages. Anything you see at a vacation store, I can 99.9% of the time, beat that, and provide you a live, human agent, 24/7/365, with no service fees to you!
I handle each and EVERY vacation as if it were my own and I am very excited about sharing my love of travel with you by making YOUR vacation an adventure that you will never forget, and one that will bring you back to me year after year for more fantastic adventures.
If I can help you, email me by pressing the "Email Me" button above.
What I do for "You"
I wanted to take a minute to let you know how my process works when you book a vacation with me. There is no fee on your part for working with me, you do not pay extra for my services.
So that you can see exactly who you are working with, you can click the the "About Me" tab here which will give you an idea who your Leisure Travel Specialist is, what I look like, what my hobbies are as well as my specialties and certifications.
Also, my facebook business page (feel free to "like" and keep in touch there as well): My Facebook Page
When you schedule a vacation with me at I will immediately send you the following:
An email that will reflect your confirmation information
A payment posted email reflecting the card type and amount of your payment
An invoice (usually takes about 2 days) reflecting all of your vacation details and payments, balance due, balance due date and any other information related to your vacation, including a vacation id number that our office uses to track your vacation as well
Once "final" payment is received, your travel documents will be generated and sent to your email address, all documents are electronic
Your payment will cover your airfare, your taxes, your resort and your ground transportation to and from the airport at your vacation destination.
Up until the week prior to your departure, I continuously watch for price drops, promotions and sales, in case I can get anything either deducted from your balance due, or refunded, if already paid in full.
Before you leave on your vacation, I will:
Contact you to make sure if you have any last minute questions that I can answer for you
Contact you a day or so before you depart to wish you a wonderful vacation
Contact you when you return to get any feedback you may or may not wish to provide regarding your vacation
I will also be on call for you up to, through and following your vacation and will try to make it such a wonderful and easy process that you will consider me for your future vacations.
And, if you refer your friends and family, for every booking referred by you, I will request a $25 credit to you towards future vacations booked with me.
I am a Certified Honeymoon Specialist, Destination Wedding Specialist, Caribbean Specialist, Alaska Specialist, Clothing Optional Specialist, Scuba Dive Specialist (54 dives to date, which is a LOT of dives to the diving community), and many more.
My Formal Specialties/Certifications
Alaska Specialist
Caribbean Specialist
Cruise Specialist (have been on 20 cruises to date)
Carnival Cruise Specialist
Disney/Orlando Specialist
Destination Wedding Specialist
Europe Specialist
Honeymoon Specialist
Bermuda Specialist
British Virgin Islands ( BVI ) Specialist
Caribbean Specialist
Cayman Islands - Master Specialist, Master Family Travel Specialist, Dive and Nature Master Specialist
CLIA Agent - Time Management Specialist
Costa Rica Specialist
Couples Resorts Specialist
Cozumel Specialist
Cunard Cruises Specialist - Queen Victoria World Expert
Dominican Republic Specialist
Excellence Resorts Specialist
Funjet Vacations Specialist - Multiple Destination Expert, Scheduled Air Expert, Air Only Expert
Grenada Specialist
Honduras Specialist
Iberostar Resorts Specialist
Islands of the Bahamas Specialist
Las Vegas Specialist
Las Vegas/Fremont Street Experience Specialist
Norwegian Cruise Specialist
RIU Resorts Specialist
Riviera Nayarit Specialist
Royal Caribbean Cruise Specialist
Certified SANDALS Specialist (CSS)
SPORTS Travel Specialist
Western Hemisphere Cruise Specialist
Princess Cruises Specialist
My Partial Travel Log
Alaska (3 Alaska cruises)
Bahamas (Great Stirrup Cay, Nassau, Freeport)
Canada (Prince Rupert, Victoria)
Canada and the New England States(Cruises and Land)
Roatan, Honduras
Tortola, British Virgin Islands
Roatan, Honduras
Belize
Dominican Republic (Punta Cana, Samana and Puerto Plata)
Mexico (Cozumel, Cancun, Riviera Maya, Isla Mujeres)
Cancun/Riviera Multiple VIsits
Grand Cayman
Jamaica (MoBay, Negril, Ocho Rios)
St. Thomas
St. John
St. Maartin
San Juan
Florida (Keys, Miami/South Beach, Panama City, Destin, Fort Lauderdale, Pensacola Beach, Perdido Key, Orlando, Jacksonville/St. Augustine, West Palm Beach, Daytona Beach, Tampa, Sunrise/Plantation, Everglades)
Myrtle Beach
Georgia (All over Georgia, being a Native; including St. Simons Island, Savannah, Kings Bay, North Georgia Mountains)
Las Vegas (including Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam)
California (Pacific Coast Highway from San Francisco to Venice Beach via Palm Springs, Monterey, Carmel, Hollywood; San Diego/Coronado, etc.; San Fran multiple visits)
Boston and The New England States (Boston, New Hampshire, Vermont, Cape Cod, Hyannisport, Martha's Vinyard, Nantucket); Extensive time in and around Boston, Cape Cod and Hyannis, as well, multiple visits
11 Norwegian Cruises
1 Celebrity Cruise
1 Royal Caribbean Cruise
6 Carnival Cruises
My Partial and Evolving List of Resorts Visited
Riu Caribe
El Dorado Seaside Suites
Temptation
The Royal In Cancun
Grand Solaris Cancun
Royal Solaris Cancun
Riu Cancun
Riu Palace Peninsula
El Dorado SeaSide Suites
Le Blanc
Grand Lido
Desire
Hedo
Hidden Beach
Caliente Tampa
Caliente Caribe, D.R.
Terra Cotta Inn (Palm Springs, CA)
Aura Cozumel
My Cruise Ships Sailed on (some more than once):
Carnival Triumph (5 sailings)
Carnival Imagination
Carnival Inspiration
Norwegian Sun
Norwegian Dawn
Norwegian Sky
Norwegian Pearl
Celebrity Summit
Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas
My Las Vegas Hotels Visited
Planet Hollywood
Bellagio
The Mirage
The Venetian
The Luxor
Excalibur
New York, New York
MGM Grande
Balley's
The Flamingo
Caesars Palace
Paris
Guest Comments:
Michelle is awesome at what she does. We have booked many trips with her from a couples trip to a large family trip. She gets us great prices which is extremely important. Michelle handles every aspect of the trip. Working with Michelle is like working with a family member and friend. Robyn H.
Michelle, we all had a great time at the Decameron, We've been there several times,we have made many friends there over the years and we meet up there each year. Mostly Canadians. This was our 25th trip to PV. Your service was excellent, I don't know that you could have done anything better. Our flights there and back were also perfect. Thank You. My son will be contacting you in the near future for a trip. Thanks, Rich and Mary B.
Michelle's expertise and professional service are beyond the vocabulary of a ‘Travel Agent’. Thanks for being there for us! - Marcel and Nancy S.
Michelle is very polite and professional. She listens to exactly what you are requesting and caters to that desire with a few small suggestions. I am a relations manager for a Fortune 500 company and I would hire her any day. - Aaron W.
Michelle is unbelievable with her communication and making sure that every one of our concerns were addressed and that all our questions were answered, always staying one step ahead of us - we didn't have to do a thing! She makes it so easy to travel! I have recommended Michelle to all my friends that are planning a trip, and we are sure to use her services again in the (hopefully near) future! She makes traveling a breeze - this was our second trip scheduled with Michelle, and I knew that once we signed up, everything was in great hands. You've got a great agent working with you - be sure to take good care of her, because she goes above and beyond for her clients! Thanks again! - Whitney P
I wanted to speak to the awesome service that we received from Michelle while booking our trip. I had the horrible task of trying to get together a large traveling party. I was constantly having to change dates, hotels, destinations etc in order to make everyone happy. Michelle was with me every step of the way to help. I always felt like I was inconveniencing her by constantly changing back and forth but she was quick to respond and reassure me that this was her job and was willing to help. Her customer service was WAY above and beyond. I manage salespeople in the software industry and I am constantly trying to teach them this kind of customer service! I would hire her in a minute and want to recognize her for her work and willingness to help. - Clayton M.
Michelle is the best! She will bend over backwards and sideways to help in any way that she can. She is always available, her emails are answered almost as soon as you hit the "send" button. She goes out of her way to answer your questions (and I asked a LOT of them) some that were probably not even vacation related, and she answered those too! This was my second trip planned with Michelle and I'm sure not the last. She makes your vacation planning a breeze. I will miss almost daily emails with Michelle. LOVE HER !!! - Chris P.
Michelle has been fantastic! Been so helpful and polite through it all. I didn't think it was possible but we have gotten to know each other which is great especially when the internet can be so dangerous these days. She made me feel safe knowing my information is safe. Thank you! - Luke S. (Sandals honeymoon)
If there was a rating higher than excellent, I've would choose it!! Michelle was the best. Extremely attentive and gave the very best service. Love her!!! - Aramis and Tyron
The quality of the service given by Michelle is exemplary. all too often people will take the time to speak of negative experiences, yet rarely take the opportunity to commend good customer service. I have been in the hospitality industry since 1975, so I believe I am qualified to make such statements. I would welcome her as an employee. but, don't worry, I live in ABQ, NM! GREAT JOB, MICHELLE! - Marian B.
Michelle answered every question I had VERY promptly...sometimes within a matter of minutes. We felt very prepared and knew exactly what we were getting throughout our honeymoon vacation. Michelle did everything and more than we thought we'd get from a travel agent. I told her what we were looking for in a resort, and she found it exactly. She was fast in responding and set everything up for us. We had zero worries and we would certainly use her again for a trip like this. - Adam A.
Michelle has been there for us for the second time. We ask a lot of questions and she is always helpful in finding us the information in a timely manner. She seems to be genuinely concerned about our happiness and satisfaction with our vacation plans. - Lee W.
Once again, Michelle Rivers went out of her way to answer all of questions. She found the perfect vacation for us. It's always a pleasure working with her! - Danielle and Scott
I don't usually use a travel agent for vacations, but I will definitely use Michelle again if I should ever need an agent. She was WONDERFUL. She usually answered my questions before I ever asked them, she kept me up to date with information. This could not have been a better vacation! ~ Chris P
Michelle did a great job of finding a park-n-fly for us in addition to putting together our perfect vacation. She made our trip worry free. We we aware of everything we encountered. She was the finest agent we have ever used. She was always available to me at almost any time or hour. I really don't know how she never sleeps. - Lee P.
Michelle was extremely helpful in planning this vacation and was always readily available. i will definitely use her again and recommend her to friends : ) - Kate R.
My agent, Michelle Rivers, was excellent in planning out our trip. Michelle picked the right location and beach for our trip. I would recommend Michelle Rivers to all my friends and family. She is marvelous! - Gloria H.
We had a great time in Punta Cana and I am so grateful that our travel agent, Michelle Rivers, was such a great help in getting our vacation together so quickly for us!! thank you sooo much Michelle for all of your help and assistance in booking our vacation!! you are truly a gem!! - Carly P.
Michelle got us everything on time and we were well prepared for our trip thanks to her. After talking with others we certainly had one of the better deals for our vacation.
Michelle is always on top of every trip I have taken and would never think of using anyone else but her to book my trips. I never have to worry that I wont have what I need and I can always get hold of her immediately in most cases which is spectacular!!! - Paul C.
Michelle Rivers is absolutely a delight to deal with. Her customer service skills are superb; she's courteous, responsive and extremely intuitive. Kudos to you for having a true professional representing your company. ~ Thanks, Tino G
Michelle always does a wonderful job in our travel arrangements. She is also very helpful in helping us choose a resort when undecided. I recommend her highly! - Kim and Randy P.
Michelle was outstanding. If the trip is as good as her help to set it up this will be the best vacation of my life. - Nathan R.
Michelle is wonderful. You can tell she really takes pride in her work and in making sure her clients have everything they need and want in a vacation. I can assure you that I will be calling her again for our next trip! Thank you! - Kimberly R.
Our vacation was terrific. Michelle did a terrific job for us, and when we had a minor problem with transportation, all it took was an email for her to take care of the problem for us...... She is an excellent communicator, answers emails promptly, finds the answers quickly, and treated our vacation like it was her own. - Leigh Ann R.
LOVE Michelle. She is the best - I feel like I've found a great agent and friend! - Sis P.
Michelle Rivers did a terrific job at making our vacation stress-free! - Virginia K.
I talked to her about a quote I had gotten from those vacation package search engines on the Internet. She not only matched the price but made sure that the time I wanted (which the other company did not offer) would come true and it did! She actually made my dream vacation happen! - Maria C.
Repeat traveler with Michelle - Excellent service. - Danielle M.
Michelle Rivers is a great agent... we will book all future trips through her... excellent customer service. - Randy P.
Michelle was awesome. Frontier canceled our return flight and Michelle was on it. She also helped us narrow down our resort choices. She did an excellent job. We are very pleased. - Michelle A.
Michelle Rivers is awesome! I wouldn't use any other Agent. - Kim K.
I wanted to congratulate you on your excellent customer service from a representative that works there by the name of Michelle Rivers. She actually made my dream vacation happen! She she is very professional and intellectual in what she does. She is willing to go those extra mile to help her customer get what they want. I would tell everyone who wants to make a reservation for the Caribbean to do it with Michelle. Thank you for having someone so capable, willing and determined to help in your company. - Maria Fe
Michelle got us the perfect room just tens of feet from the ocean. Documents were provided on time and we received timely reminders regarding the booking and travel process. - Wade C
Michelle got us FABULOUS ACCOMMODATIONS! i have to say that this was one of the best vacations i have taken all the way around! from the first conversation with Michelle to the second we landed home it couldn't get much better! - Joann C
Michelle was amazing, as was our trip...thanks! - Kelly W
Michelle is the best! I totally trust her with all my travel arrangements. - Suzanne S
Michelle answered all my questions and helped me every step of the way. Would definitely book with her again. - Tina C
We would not even CONSIDER using anybody else......Michelle has made this the greatest experience I've had with travel! - Kelly Y
Michelle was extremely helpful in planning and finding our perfect vacation package. Michelle has answered all of my vacation questions/inquires promptly and in a professional manner. She has also made several valuable suggestions which made our vacation experience even more enjoyable. I will definitely work with Michelle in the future and I will recommend Michelle's services to my friends and family (I have already recommended Michelle to my sister and her husband and they are going to Jamaica in August. - Aga C
Michelle helped us to get an excellent vacation at a great price. We have been using her as our travel agent for 7 years. I consider her a friend and enjoy booking a vacation with her. Robin H - May 13, 2016 at 3:51 AM
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