What a difference a win makes. The second sellout crowd of the season at KeyBank Center erupted into the wave and sang along in unison throughout a jubilant third period. And there wasn’t an inflatable palm tree or frown-faced paper bag in sight.

The Chicago Blackhawks and the Buffalo Sabres met for the second time this season, and both teams are in the bottom three of the standings, so it wasn’t meant to be a barn burner… or so people thought.

As a chilly mist hovered over Wrigley Field on Friday afternoon, construction workers moved boxes across a large graphic of ivy where the third-base line normally would be. Four days before a Tuesday afternoon puck drop for the NHL Winter Classic,

Wrigley Field will be the site of an epic New Year’s celebration as part of the Discover NHL Winter Classic outdoor hockey game featuring the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues, featuring musical performances by hometown artists Chance The Rapper and The Smashing Pumpkins,