The puck is set to drop outdoors on two California rivals when the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks collide in the fifth ever Stadium Series game live from Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. Saturday night.
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The Kings and Sharks are no strangers to each other, having numerous battles throughout the years and there is no loved lost between the two clubs.
These two teams faced-off in the first round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, which saw L.A. make a historic comeback from a 3-0 deficit and win the series in seven games en route to their second Stanley Cup in three years.
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Los Angeles now has two Stanley Cups in franchise history since it broke into the league in the 1967-68 campaign while San Jose -- which has only been in the NHL since 1991-92 -- has had a rough postseason resume and is still looking for its first Cup in its history.
Thus far this season, San Jose notched a small measure of revenge on Los Angeles as it has taken two of three prior meetings from them, including a 4-2 win last time these teams met on Jan. 21.
This game should have huge implications with both teams battling it out for a wild-card spot in the Western Conference. The Sharks (30-22-8, 68 points) hold the final wild-card spot while the Kings (27-18-12, 66 points) are nipping at their heels.
The teams are also chasing the third palce Calgary Flames (68 points) and second place Vancouver Canucks (69 points) for an automatic playoff berth within the Pacific Division.
With this contest being the fifth Stadium Series game in history and second outdoor match this season next to the Winter Classic, Sports World News will rank the last four Stadium Series games before the Sharks and Kings go head-to-head under the California sky..
4) Chicago Blackhawks 5, Pittsburgh Penguins 1: This contest emanated from Soldier Field in Chicago on March 1, 2014, and saw the Blackhawks' relentless effort payoff to the tune of a dominant win.
Chicago lit the lamp first with Patrick Sharp scoring the lone goal of the first period and netted two more goals in the second and third respectively.
The Blackhawks held Pittsburgh off the board until the third frame, when James Neal found the back of the net to pull the team within 3-1.
Jonathan Toews had two goals in the contest and the Blackhawks marched on to a pretty easy 5-1 victory.
3) New York Rangers 7, New Jersey Devils 3: This game took place at Yankee Stadium on Jan. 26, 2014, and the Blueshirts ended up making a huge comeback to dominate their rivals from across the Hudson River.
After falling behind 3-1 in the first period, New York scored six straight goals -- including four in the second period -- to take the game 7-3.
Two of the goals came from Mats Zuccarello, who notched the game-tying and go-ahead tallies.
2) Anaheim Ducks 3, Los Angeles Kings 0: This game took place from Dodger Stadium on January 25, 2014, and it saw the Ducks notch the first -- and so far only -- shutout in Stadium Series history.
Corey Perry and Matt Beleskey each scored in the first period and the Ducks' strong effort on defense and in the crease carried the team the rest of the way.
Andrew Cogliano then scored an empty-netter to ice the game in the third period.
Jonas Hiller was a rock, notching 36 saves in net en route to the shutout.
The Kings would regroup from this, eventually winning the second Stanley Cup in franchise history four months later.
1) New York Rangers 2, New York Islanders 1: The most highly contested Stadium Series game to date thus far was between two New York hockey rivals as the Rangers and Islanders played the second outdoor game at Yankee Stadium on Jan. 29, 2014.
Brock Nelson notched his 10th goal of the season late in the second period to break the scoreless tie in a tight contest between two hard-nosed rivals.
The Rangers' Benoit Pouliot responded less than a minute later to tie the game at one apiece heading into the second intermission.
An unlikely source, Daniel Carcillo, provided the decider at 4:36 of the third period and the Rangers held on the rest of the way en route to their second Stadium Series win in four days.
The Stadium Series has provided many memories already in its first year of existence, and the Kings and Sharks are the next two teams to experience the magic of outdoor action this Saturday night at Levi's Stadium.
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