A day ahead of a rare solar eclipse in the United States, the sun played havoc during the Washington Capitals and Ottawa Senators game at Capital One Arena, Sunday.
Yes. Sunlight. In an indoor arena.
Officials whistled play dead with 12:31 remaining in the first period as Senators goaltender Joonas Korpisalo was blinded by the sun in the goal crease.
Korpisalo could be seen raising his arms in exasperation as it appeared a spotlight was being shined on him. But it was not a spotlight. It was the life-providing star that our planet revolves around.
On the opposite side of Capital One Arena, the setting sun was shining through both windows and the entrance of section 425/426 in the upper deck.
Referee Chris Rooney immediately skated over to Korpisalo assessing the situation. Rooney held his hand up to block the sun and a huge shadow could be seen over his face. Players Brady Tkachuk, Alex Ovechkin, Thomas Chabot, Dylan Strome, Drake Batherson all skated over to see what was wrong and began looking up at the bright light, too.
Tsk, tsk, guys. Please put on your solar eclipse glasses first before doing this. You could seriously injure your eyes.
Eventually, the curtain was closed and play continued with a faceoff in the neutral zone.
The sun was partly an issue because of the early start tonight. Puck drop was shortly after 6 pm.
