PITTSBURGH – The National Hockey League hosts its Stadium Series game in Pittsburgh Saturday evening with the Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers squaring off for one of their regular grudge matches.
Some notes on the Stadium Series 
NHL Regular-Season Outdoor Games
* The 2017 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series will be the 22nd regular-season outdoor NHL game, following nine Winter Classics, seven Stadium Series, four Heritage Classics and the Centennial Classic.
* Eleven outdoor games have taken place at football venues, nine have been hosted by baseball stadiums and the 2017 Scotiabank NHL Centennial Classic, played Jan. 1 in Toronto, was the first staged in a soccer stadium.
* Launched in 2013-14, the Coors Light NHL Stadium Series has featured seven games. The series has gone to Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles with the NHL’s first regular-season outdoor game played in California, showcased the first two hockey games ever played at Yankee Stadium in New York, ventured to Northern California for a game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, staged the first NHL games at Soldier Field in Chicago and Coors Field in Denver, and traveled to the State of Hockey for a contest at TCF Bank Stadium on the campus of the University of Minnesota.
* Previously the home of the 2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic between the Penguins and Capitals, Heinz Field will become the second venue to play host to two regular-season outdoor NHL games. The other is Yankee Stadium in New York, where two Coors Light NHL Stadium Series games were staged in 2014.
* The NHL’s 21 regular-season outdoor games have drawn total attendance of 1,140,999 – an average of 54,333 per game. NHL outdoor attendance surpassed the 1-million mark at the 2016 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series between the Avalanche and Red Wings at Coors Field in Denver on Feb. 27, 2016.
* A total of 633 players and head coaches have participated in the NHL’s 21 regular-season outdoor games to date.
* Road teams have picked up at least one point in 16 of the NHL’s 21 regular-season outdoor games (14-5-2).
* The first regular-season outdoor game in NHL history took place on Nov. 22, 2003, when the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton in the 2003 NHL Heritage Classic.
* The 2003 Oilers-Canadiens clash also rates as the coldest regular-season outdoor NHL game. The temperature at puck drop was 0°F/-18°C, with severe wind chill.
* According to the National Weather Service, the average high temperature for Pittsburgh on Feb. 25 is 42°F/5°C.
Penguins vs. Flyers
* Tonight’s game marks the 279th regular-season meeting between the Penguins and Flyers, who entered the NHL together in 1967-68 as part of the League’s Second Six. The Flyers lead the all-time series, earning 340 points (151-89-38) in the 278 contests. Pittsburgh has countered with 231 points (97-144-37).
* In the teams’ only meeting to date this season, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin tallied two goals each as the Penguins rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Flyers 5-4 on Oct. 29. It marked Pittsburgh’s first road win of the season. After tonight’s game the teams will meet twice more this season: March 15 at Philadelphia and March 26 at Pittsburgh.
* The Flyers have won 13 of their 18 visits to Pittsburgh (regular season and playoffs) since the opening of PPG Paints Arena for the 2010-11 season. That includes a 3-2 victory in the building’s first regular-season game on Oct. 7, 2010.
* Seventy-eight skaters and goaltenders have competed for both the Penguins and Flyers (no head coaches have). Of those 78, only 14 have appeared in at least 100 games with each franchise: Arron Asham, Tom Bladon, Mike Bullard, Ruslan Fedotenko, Orest Kindrachuk, Ross Lonsberry, Lew Morrison, Dan Quinn, Mark Recchi, Kjell Samuelsson, Dave Schultz, Max Talbot, Rick Tocchet and Ken Wregget.
* Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are the only Penguins players who have appeared in all three outdoor games for Pittsburgh, while Claude Giroux is the only player who has skated for the Flyers in both of their contests.
* Penguins forward Eric Fehr has scored three goals in regular-season outdoor NHL games, the most among all players. Fehr notched a pair of goals for the Capitals against the Penguins in the 2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Heinz Field (3-1 W) and tallied another for the Capitals in a 3-2 victory ove
r the Blackhawks in the 2015 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Nationals Park.
* Penguins forwards Nick Bonino and Carl Hagelin skated in the 2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series for other teams and were victorious in each contest. Bonino’s Anaheim Ducks defeated the Los Angeles Kings at Dodger Stadium while Hagelin’s New York Rangers swept games over the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders at Yankee Stadium.
* The Penguins and Flyers have faced off six times during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with Philadelphia holding a 4-2 series edge and 19-16 games advantage. Although the teams entered the NHL together in 1967-68, they did not meet in the postseason until 1989. Four of their six playoff series have come since the turn of the century, including consecutive meetings in 2008 and 2009 – both won by the Penguins en route to the Stanley Cup Final.
* The last Stanley Cup Playoff meeting between the Penguins and Flyers occurred in 2012, with the Flyers winning the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series 4-2. The Flyers clinched the series in Game 6 after the Penguins had rallied from a 0-3 series deficit with a pair of wins.
* The Penguins and Flyers will be meeting outdoors for the first time. Pittsburgh is 1-2-0 in regular-season outdoor play, defeating Buffalo in 2008 and dropping decisions to Washington in 2011 and Chicago in 2014. Philadelphia is 0-1-1 outdoors, losing in overtime at Boston in 2010 and in regulation to the New York Rangers in 2012.
Penguins Outdoor Summary
2008 NHL Winter Classic – Penguins 2, Sabres 1 (shootout)
A crowd of 71,217 fans packed Buffalo’s Ralph Wilson Stadium for the first regular-season outdoor NHL game in the U.S. Played through a steady afternoon snowfall, the game was decided in a shootout when Pittsburgh’s 20-year-old captain Sidney Crosby scored the game-winning goal against Buffalo goaltender Ryan Miller.
2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic – Capitals 3, Penguins 1
The Capitals defeated the Penguins in front of a sold-out crowd of more than 68,000. The game, originally scheduled for the afternoon, was played at night under the lights at Heinz Field after a storm brought rain and forced the delayed start time.
2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series – Blackhawks 5, Penguins 1
Snow fell throughout the game, providing a winter wonderland at Soldier Field. More than 60,000 fans braved the elements as Chicago captain Jonathan Toews recorded 2-1–3, matching the records for goals and points in a regular-season outdoor NHL game.
Flyers Outdoor Summary
2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic – Bruins 2, Flyers 1 (overtime)
The third installment of the Winter Classic was a runaway hit at Boston’s famed Fenway Park as demand for tickets exceeded 307,000 requests for the 38,112-capacity venue. Marco Sturm’s goal at the 1:57 mark of overtime capped a furious rally by the Bruins.
2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic – Rangers 3, Flyers 2
Flyers forwards Brayden Schenn and Claude Giroux gave the home side a 2-0 lead at Citizens Bank Park, the Rangers rallied to take the lead and the game hung in the balance with 19.6 seconds remaining in regulation as the Flyers’ Danny Briere attempted the first penalty shot in Winter Classic history. When Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist proved to be up to the task, the road team escaped with a narrow victory.
With NHL Stadium Series Review
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