NHL: Pittsburgh 2, Buffalo 1 (SO)

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y., Jan. 1 (UPI) -- Sidney Crosby scored on the final shootout opportunity Tuesday, lifting Pittsburgh to a 2-1 outdoors victory over Buffalo before an NHL-record crowd of 71,217.

It was the first NHL regular-season game played outdoors in the United States.

Buffalo's Ales Kotalik scored in the first round of the shootout and the Penguins tied it in the second round with a goal by Kristopher Letang.

Pittsburgh goaltender Ty Conklin stopped Maxim Afinogenov's backhander before Crosby skated in on Ryan Miller and slipped the puck in for the win.

Crosby had an assist on Colby Armstrong's first-period goal for the Penguins. Brian Campbell scored the lone goal for Buffalo.

Snow fell throughout much of the contest and the temperature fell to the high 20s late in the third period and in overtime.

The league last held an outdoor game Nov. 22, 2003, when Montreal played in Edmonton before a then-NHL-record crowd of 57,167.