What We Learned: Bruins down Blackhawks in a Winter Classic

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The venue was historic. The setting was immaculate. The jerseys were pristine throwbacks. The weather cooperated just enough to bring together two sectors from opposite corners of the sports universe.

On Tuesday, the capacity crowd of 76,162 passionate spectators at Notre Dame Stadium weren’t treated to the traditional ebbs and flows of a Fighting Irish game day. They were treated to something entirely different: an outdoor hockey game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Boston Bruins.

And what a game it was.

With Touchdown Jesus bearing witness, the two sides put on a spectacle worthy of such pomp and circumstance that most kids only dream of when skating on a local pond…