Tomorrow’s advance tonight …
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — No one will ever confuse ancient, historic Dodger Stadium with sparkling, new Levi’s Stadium. After all, one is the Dodgers’ iconic ballpark, the other is the new high-tech home field of football’s San Francisco 49ers.
The Kings experienced many of the same sights and sounds Friday in the Bay Area as they did more than a year ago in Chavez Ravine. Their practice in preparation for Saturday night’s Stadium Series game against the San Jose Sharks was similar, but hardly the same, though.
“I think last year was significantly different from this year,” Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. “We were playing in an historic building last year. This is a new building. Everything other than that was different. I thought it was pretty unique last year to be able to do it.”
To do it again, as the reigning Stanley Cup champions, is different, too.
“For a lot of guys, it’s never going to happen again,” Sutter said.
Last season, a roller rink, a beach volleyball court and kids on skateboards and wearing roller blades surrounded the ice at Dodger Stadium. This season, twin water features, plus fake green rolling hills and gray mountains adorned the area around the midfield rink.
Kiss played last season between periods. John Fogerty and Melissa Etheridge will headline tonight’s show. Temperatures on Jan. 25, 2014, were in the low 60s for the opening faceoff. The temperature is forecast to be an equally comfortable 57 degrees.
“I’d like to play a game in the snow, sure,” Sutter said. “Everybody thinks everybody has played outdoors. Not everybody has. Guys are too young. They might have skated outdoors, but very few have played outdoors other than last year.”
