Heritage Classic diary: Mark Scheifele

Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele is keeping a diary of his experiences at the 2016 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic at Investors Group Field in Winnipeg. The Jets lost 3-0 against the Edmonton Oilers Sunday in the 19th outdoor regular-season game, and the first of four this season.
In his final installment, Scheifele talks about the game, the celebration of hockey in Winnipeg and the two-hour delay before the start of the Heritage Classic.

WINNIPEG -- The delay at the start of the game today, well, obviously was not ideal, that's for sure, but we were aware that it possibly could have happened so we knew there was a chance. For the most part, we were given far enough notice that we were able to get back into our routine and restart. Once we got on the ice, got out there for warmup and saw the atmosphere, I'm sure all the guys' legs perked right up.
We had chances to score in the first period and we didn't. We needed to capitalize and get them on their heels but [Oilers goalie Cam] Talbot made some big saves. He kept them in there at the start of the game, but we have to be better knowing that there's going to be that adversity. We're not going to score on every chance we get. We have to continue to play that way if we want to beat teams like that.

We've been behind a lot in our first five games but I don't think it's bothering us. We want to get up in games. You saw in that first period [Sunday] that we had three or four Grade A chances down the slot and weren't able to capitalize, and that was something that cost us.
If we could have gotten up in that first period it could have changed the game, got them to start to press and then we could have capitalized. At the other end, they were able to score first and we had to try to come from behind again.

I've played in a few big-emotion, big-pressure games now in Winnipeg. I think about that very first game here in 2011. [I felt] some of that again [Sunday]. That kind of thing is pretty cool. It's a pretty big honor to be part of big games like that.
Obviously there's a lot of pressure, a lot of eyes watching, but we're all professionals here and we all know how to deal with that pressure. I take it more as an honor, being in games like that, and more for motivation.