When the Flyers take the ice on Saturday night at MetLife Stadium, it will mark the sixth outdoor game in franchise history. The sixth appearance will tie for the most of any NHL team since the first Heritage Classic in 2003.
Before the current team rewrites the next chapter of outdoor game memories, let’s take a look back at the previous five experiences.
January 1, 2010 – Bruins 2, Flyers 1 (F/OT) – Fenway Park, Boston, MA
The Flyers first experience with outdoor games came on New Year’s Day in 2010. With Fenway Park as the backdrop, the Flyers scored the only goal of the game for the majority of play – Danny Syvret’s first NHL goal at 4:42 of the second period.
On a power play with 2:18 remaining in regulation, newest Flyers Hall of Famer Mark Recchi scored the equalizer for the Bruins, forcing overtime.
At 1:57 of overtime, Marco Sturm scored the game-winning goal.
January 2, 2012 – Rangers 3, Flyers 2 – Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
After a scoreless first period, the Flyers struck for two goals separated by 1:55. Brayden Schenn’s first NHL goal broke the ice at 12:26. Then Claude Giroux followed with a goal at 14:21 to make it 2-0 Flyers.
The Rangers got on the board just 30 seconds after Giroux’s goal, with Michael Rupp cutting the lead to one.
At 2:41 of the third, Rupp scored his second goal of the game to tie it at two. Brad Richards gave the Rangers the lead at 5:21.
Henrik Lundqvist held down the fort from there, including making a save on a penalty shot for Danny Briere with 20 seconds remaining in the third.
February 25, 2017 – Penguins 4, Flyers 2 – Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA
In their first two outdoor appearances, the Flyers had opened the scoring. In this game, the Penguins scored the lone first-period goal, with Sidney Crosby getting the Penguins on the board at 11:18.
Nick Bonino scored a power-play goal at 6:44 of the second, but Jake Voracek answered at 11:14 to cut the Penguins lead to one.
At 1:50 of the third, Matt Cullen scored to restore the two-goal lead. Shayne Gostisbehere scored a power-play goal at 6:48 to make it a one-goal game again. But Chad Ruhwedel added insurance at 14:06 to cap the scoring, and hand the Flyers their third straight loss in outdoor games.
February 23, 2019 – Flyers 4, Penguins 3 (F/OT) – Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
The second half of an outdoor series between the Flyers and Penguins concluded in 2019 at Lincoln Financial Field. The game started very similar to the 2017 version.
Sidney Crosby opened the scoring at 7:59. This time, the Flyers tied the game before the end of the first, with Sean Couturier scoring at 12:06.
Just one second beyond the midpoint of regulation, Justin Schultz scored to put the Penguins back in front. Evgeni Malkin added a goal at 6:29 of the third to make it a two-goal game.
That’s when the Flyers mounted an impressive comeback. James van Riemsdyk scored on a power play with 3:04 remaining in the third to cut the lead to one. Jake Voracek tied the game with 19 seconds remaining to force overtime.
That set the stage for captain Claude Giroux to play hero, scoring the overtime winner at 1:59 to give the Flyers their first, and only, outdoor win.
February 21, 2021 – Bruins 7, Flyers 3 – Edgewood Tahoe Resort, Stateline, Nevada
Due to COVID, the NHL was not able to hold outdoor games in the traditional sense for the 2020-21 NHL season. The Flyers faced the Boston Bruins in Lake Tahoe, providing a made-for-TV outdoor spectacle.
The Flyers, however, were going through a COVID outbreak within the locker room at the time of the game, forcing players like Travis Konecny, Scott Laughton, Jake Voracek, and Claude Giroux from the lineup.
It took just 34 seconds for David Pastrnak to open the scoring. The Flyers tied the game with a goal by Joel Farabee at 6:41, then took the lead on a goal by Sean Couturier at 14:48. The Bruins tied the game back up at 15:27 on a goal by Charlie McAvoy.
Pastrnak scored 46 seconds into the second period to put the Bruins back in the lead, starting a four-goal period for Boston. Charlie Coyle, Trent Frederic, and Nick Ritchie scored in a 1:39 span to break the game open at 6-2.
James van Riemsdyk scored at 12:45 of the third to make it 6-3 before Pastrnak completed the hat trick at 17:04.
The 2024 NHL Stadium Series game between the Flyers and New Jersey Devils from MetLife Stadium takes place on Saturday night at 8 p.m. The Devils have played in just one prior outdoor game in 2014, part of the Stadium Series at Yankee Stadium, falling to the New York Rangers, 7-3.
