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Afternoon hockey outdoors no more. With the ice failing the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights this afternoon, the start time for the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins game has been pushed back to 7:30 P.M.
We’ll have to wait a little bit longer until we can take on the Bruins.
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) February 20, 2021
: Sunday at 7:30PM ET
: @NHLonNBCSports #AnytimeAnywhere | #NHLOutdoors pic.twitter.com/473tQdUIvn
The visuals heading into today’s contest were stunning, but for the safety of everyone involved, the change was necessary. The ice deteriorated quickly today, and many players were getting caught in the slushy conditions.
Dangerous ice conditions in the first period at Lake Tahoe. pic.twitter.com/Z9P0HqFeLj
— Ryan Gilbert (@RGilbertSOP) February 20, 2021
Not only has the game’s start time been pushed back, but the game will also no longer be shown on NBC, getting pushed to NBCSN. The ice conditions are concerning, and there’s no guarantee that a later start will allow it to be played safely in full either.
The Colorado-Vegas game has been delayed, and they will attempt to restart the game at 12:00 a.m. EST. If they had finished two periods, the game would have been considered complete, with the two points being awarded. Instead, they hope that they can get in at least 20 more minutes tonight.
The two-period minimum is important to note, should any problems arise tomorrow night for the Flyers. Hopefully, the ice will hold up better with the later start and will be a non-issue.