March FREEstyle

March 2020 FREEstyle - PUZ | PDF | PDF (Grayscale) | Solution

Got the March FREEstyle this week, but first let's recap the Cryptic contest from last month, "Treasure Hunt." There were 84 correct entries this time around, and the randomly-selected winner is Tim Tebbe. Tim has chosen a two-month Bundle subscription as his prize - congrats Tim! Thanks for all who solved. Here's the solution including the meta explanation:

Aries Cryptic #23 "Treasure Hunt" - Solution (PDF)

Back to the FREEstyle for this month, which is a 70-word, 29-block puzzle. This one started with the entry at 20-Across. With the 40th anniversary of the Miracle on Ice recently commemorated, I had a chance to watch the full game for the first time in many years. It was instructive to watch just how much the US was outmatched in that game, and how terrible first-period Soviet goaltending in particular was the key for the Americans to have any shot of competing. The broadcast certainly is a memorable one, and Al Michaels' play-by-play throughout the game was stellar, not just the famous call at the end of the game. Underappreciated is the color work by the then recently-retired Ken Dryden, whose voice-cracking "Unbelievable!" after Michaels' famous call punctuates the moment. Good stuff!