The Penguins’ Friday matchup with the Nashville Predators at Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden will mark the fifth time the franchise has headed overseas for a regular-season game.
The game will also mark the third time Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang are taking the ice for NHL action in Sweden.
Here’s a look back at the last time the Penguins played overseas during an October 2008 trip to Stockholm.
Oct. 4, 2008: Penguins 4, Ottawa Senators 3 (OT)
The most exciting matchup of the Penguins’ international history started when Tyler Kennedy scored just 40 seconds in to the 2008 international series opener.
After the Sens tied things up, Malkin put the Penguins back in front with a shorthanded goal early in the second period.
Dany Heatley and Penguins assistant GM Jason Spezza scored twice in a six-minute span of the second period to get the Senators back in front, only to watch as Crosby fed Rob Scuderi to tie the game in the third.
Marc-Andre Fleury helped the Pens push the game to overtime, where Kennedy scored 4:35 in to the extra frame.
Oct. 5, 2008: Senators 3, Penguins 1
The second game of this international series wasn’t quite as exciting. After a scoreless first, Dany Heatly put the Senators in front with a pair of power-play goals.
Senators goaltender Alex Auld went on to keep the Pens off the board until the final two seconds, when Alex Goligoski spoiled his shutout with a last-second power-play goal assisted by Crosby and Malkin.
Pittsburgh previously made its international regular-season debut when Jaromir Jagr and the Pens traveled to Japan for a two-game series against the Predators.
Crosby, Malkin and Letang aren’t the only skaters heading into the matchup with previous international NHL experience.
Erik Karlsson was playing with the Senators against the Colorado Avalanche during the 2017 Global Series in Stockholm. He recorded four total assists as the Sens swept the Avs in the two-game international series.
After a hot start to the season cooled into a 1-3-1 stretch, the Pens will look to get back on track when the first game of the upcoming Global Series begins Friday at 2 p.m. ET. T
The earliest East Coast puck drop of the season takes place two days later with a 9 a.m. ET Sunday start.
The games will be aired on NHL Network as well as Sportsnet, Fanduel Sports Network South and SportsNetPittsburgh.
