The Penguins, how can I describe this franchise as a fan of their interstate rivals. I honestly don’t hate them as much as the Devils or Rangers like other Flyers fans. I respect their history and players that have come through their system. This document will be just like the one I did on the Eagles, except its 2 eras. Let us begin!
1984-85: Our tale begins when the Penguins win the rights to the #1 pick in the 1984 NHL Draft and select a generational talent in Mario Lemieux. He at least is a brightspot as the Penguins make progress from a few really, really bad years. As long as they keep developing outstanding talents they have a chance.
1985-86: The Pens make progress on their future plans but there are still a few weaknesses like goaltender and defensive help to go along with Lemieux, and Mike Bullard. They eventually end the season by missing the playoffs by 4 points. At least they surpassed expectations.
1986-87: Even if they expected to make the playoffs before the season the Penguins stall out as they can’t keep up with the Jones of their division and miss the playoffs by a good amount. When are they going to realize that they need excellent coaching to win huge games?
1987-88: Despite finishing with 81 points and only finishing behind the division champion Rangers by 7 points, Pittsburgh still misses the playoffs after getting outgunned by Ron Hexstall and the Flyers. At least the farm system is fresh as ever. Plus Kevin Stevens and Ronnie Francis look like studs too.
1988-89 Regular Season/1st 2 Rounds: The drought is over, Mario Lemieux has finally made the playoffs for the first time in his career. Even better news for the Yinzers was that they swept the Rangers in the 1st Round and have a 3-2 series lead against the Flyers. That is until Hexstall bails out Philly in front of a raucous crowd at the Spectrum. At least the Pens are coming home for Game 7.
1989 2nd Round Game 7: Despite scoring a bunch of early goals on Hexstall and a 6-4 lead for the Pens after 2 periods. The Flyers unleashed their speed and counter attack and scored 5 goals in the 3rd period. A hollow defeat, the real work is about to be done.
1989-90: Despite great expectations Pittsburgh falls into the booby trap of their division and misses the playoffs entirely. Turns out that getting swept by the Devils in the season series wasn’t a good idea. Why, because they finished 1 point behind those MSG Rags. As long as they don’t hire a clown as their coach they have a chance.
1990 Offseason: The Pens next head coach became Bob Johnson, a guy with tremendous upside and should bring a spark to a young hungry team. Would it be insane if they went as far as they did in 1989. Good luck surviving the division.
1990-91 Season: Even if Mario Lemieux suffered an early season injury, the Penguins under their new coach started off the year strong but hit a slide in January as they appeared to be all but finished. Then Super Mario returned and the team took off and finished the season by winning their division. They even sent a few prospects to the North Stars for a physical stud Larry Murphy. Minnesota is about to regret that trade BIG TIME!
1991 1st Round: Despite falling behind the upstart Devils 3-2 heading back to New Jersey the Pens led by 2 3rd Period goals overcame a 2-0 nothing deficit to win 4-3 and send the series back to YinzerLand for Game 7. There the Devils had no answers for the Pittsburgh defense as the Pens shut out New Jersey in Game 7. That was a close call and it is only getting harder since their next opponent is a Capitals team with just as much playoff experience as this hungry team. A majority of the country is picking Washington to win in 6. Oh they are going to be so wrong.
1991 2nd Round: “Gets out in front to Francis, Francis goes to Stevens, his shot, HEEEEEEEEEEE SHOOTS AND SCORES!” Well the doubters were silenced quickly weren’t they. Led by an overtime victory in Game 2 and shutting down the Caps potent offense throughout the series the Penguins crushed their archrivals in 5 games. You see that, that’s what we call a team with everything to play for!
1991 Eastern Conference Finals: Just like they did in the Capitals series Lemieux and his gang went right into the heart of Beantown and crushed the machine known as the Boston Bruins. This was no series, the Penguins dominated the Bs right from the Getgo. In just 7 years Pittsburgh has gone from the worst team in the NHL to the Stanley Cup Finals. Now Larry Murphy gets the chance to beat his old team for the championship. Yes the North Stars had a 68 point season but they crushed the Presidents Trophy Winner in the Blackhawks and beat up the Blues and Kings as well. But they haven’t faced a team like this yet.
1991 Stanley Cup Finals: “Lemieux goes right through the lane, cuts through the middle, SCORES! MARIO LEMIEUX JUST MADE THE NORTH STARS LOOK SILLY!” When Super Mario cut through the Minnesota defense just like Gretzky did against Philly in 1987 the momentum shifted from being a Cinderella moment for North Stars fans into a Penguins onslaught. In 6 games Pittsburgh dominated Mike Madano and company and won their 1st ever Stanley Cup. Time to party hard boys!
1991 Offseason: The Penguins may have won the Cup but their road to a repeat is going to get a bit harder this season. Bob Johnson was diagnosed with cancer a few months after the Cup Finals and the Pens needed someone to replace him. Their answer? SCOTTY BOWMAN! BOOM! The creator of another legendary dynasty with Le Canadiens. This team won’t skip a beat in no time with most of their players returning for a chance at a 2nd straight Cup!
1991-92 Season: The 92 team was more locked in than they were a year ago. This time Tom Barrasso was leading the charge in net while the 3 headed attack of Lemieux, Stevens, and Francis were up to their old tricks now with Bowman calling the shots. Despite fewer points than in 1991 the Penguins are still solid favorites to win the Cup thanks to their new coaches reputation. Good luck!
1992 1st Round Games 1-4: The mediocrity that the Pens had faced in the final few weeks has so far got them. In the 1st Round they have fallen flat and are down 3-1 against the Capitals. It looks like Washington is going to get payback for 91. But, you never know.
1992 1st Round Games 5-7: Despite going to DC for Game 5 the Pens led by Tom Barrasso shut down the Caps attack as Pittsburgh won 5-2. In Game 6, it was all Mario Lemieux! Despite the Caps taking a 4-2 lead into the 3rd period Lemieux scored 2 of the 4 goals in the frame to help send the series to a Game 7 in Washington. There Ronnie Francis and Larry Murphy overcame early penalties and scored 2 early goals to win the game and the series. The Bowman Magic has returned everyone!
1992 Rounds 2 and 3: Following their epic comeback against the Capitals, the Penguins overcame a 2-1 deficit against the President Trophy Winning Rangers to win 3 straight with offense scoring in bunches. Just like 1991 they were headed to the Eastern Conference Finals for a date with the Bruins. What happened, WASH, RINSE, REPEAT! Boston again stood no chance for Lemieux and Kevin Stevens in that series. Following an epic Game 1 win at the Pittsburgh Civic Center the Pens crushed the Bs in the final 3 games as Boston could only manage 3 goals in those games. Next up was a return trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. Thank goodness for their sake they don’t have to face the Oilers, instead they face an old foe from Philadelphia in Mike Keenan and the Chicago Blackhawks. They may have an outstanding team full of some 1980s Oilers but they don’t have the depth to keep up.
1992 Stanley Cup Finals: In 2 close games at home the Pens stood tall and overcame the strong play of Jeremy Roenick to win both games thanks to clutch scoring and timely stops. When the series went to Chicago the Blackhawks were buried by Tom Barrasso and Scotty Bowman getting revenge on Keenan for beating him in the 1985 playoffs. Pens win the Cup again, the Yinzers go crazy Wash, Rinse, Repeat! We might have a dynasty in the making.
1992 Offseason: Well you may think that they are going to have an easy path to a 3-peat. However that discussion took a tragic turn in the offseason. Mario Lemieux in the summer was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease which would put him out of action for 24 games. Even if he has to miss a total of 24 games. At least they have Larry Murphy, Ronnie Francis, and Kevin Stevens.
1992-93 Season: Even with Lemieux’s absence until February the Penguins still were a force in their division and once Super Mario came back they ran away with the Presidents Trophy. Not to mention Lemieux played half a season and still won the Art Ross and Hart Trophies. If they won the first 2 Cups with basically Cinderella runs this should be a done deal.
1993 Playoffs: Everything at the moment is going to plan, the Pens blew past Scott Stevens and Devils in 5 games thanks to the New Jersey offense being no match for Barrasso. In the 2nd Round they have a 3-2 series lead against the Islanders. Even if they lost Game 6 at Nassau at least they are coming home in Game 7.
1993 2nd Round Game 7: The Pens take a 3-1 lead going into the 3rd period thanks to 2 early goals and shutting down New York’s fierce attack. Then the Isles stormed back and tied the game to force overtime. As long as they don’t give up a softy they should be good. “Here they come, 2 on 1, Volek shoots, SCORES! DAVID VOLEK! ISLANDERS! AND THERE’LL BE A NEW STANLEY CUP CHAMPION!” And Lemieux’s feel good story ends in heartbreaking fashion. I will give them props for going as far as they did despite massive injuries to the depth and bottom 6. And Scotty Bowman took the head coaching job in Detroit to coach Steve Yzerman and the Red Wings. The ride never ends boys!
1993 Offseason: The Pens need some youth into the lineup to help their talented core. They know the prize, and his name is Jaromir Jagr. A man who should provide an instant spark to a team looking for a return trip to the Finals. The bad news for them is that the rest of the division got even better. Lets see what happens.
1993-94 Season: Just like in 1993 Lemieux missed over half of their games except this time it was because of numerous injuries. Led by Jagr and Ronnie Franchise the Pens still boast the best record in their division. Despite much of the media attention going to Mike Keenan and the New York Rangers, the Pens are still the favorites to reach the Cup Finals out of their division. How are they going to back it up now with a healthy Super Mario.
1994 Playoffs: The championship ambitions turned out to be yet another dud. The result of this tragic saga is losing in the 1st Round to the Capitals in 6 games. And not just any Caps team this is to Jim Schoenfeld’s Caps! You know the team that had to deal with his on ice antics and stubbornness. I think they would have lost to Mark Messier and those Rags anyways.
1994 Offseason: The task for a deep playoff run is going to be very hard this time. Lemieux will not be available for the season thanks to Hodgkin’s disease and Barrasso has to miss the entire season via injury. If there is anything that has to be said the road back to the Cup Finals will be harder than ever. Good news for the rest of the team’s sake is that Mike Keenan left the Rangers for the Blues.
1994-95 Season: The Pens can live without Super Mario and their former Vezina Trophy winning goaltender as they posted a strong season despite being mediocre following a 12-0-1 start. Jaromir Jagr looks as promising as ever by winning the Art Ross Trophy, and Ronnie Franchise led the NHL in assists. They need to overcome the misfortunes of the last 2 years quickly.
1995 1st Round: In the 1st Round Pittsburgh once again trailed 3-1 in the series against Washington. All I can say is someone needs to respond to Schoenfeld’s recent success in the playoffs. “Jagr gets in front of the net and Robitaille SCORES! THE PENGUINS WIN GAME 5 AND SEND THE SERIES BACK TO DC!” There Peter Bandra, Dale Hunter, and the rest of the high end talent blew out the Caps 7-1 to send the series back to YinzerLand. And on the 7th day the Penguins defeated the Capitals in a winner take all game AGAIN! How far will this take them?
1995 2nd Round: Not far enough thanks to the fact that they got smacked by Scott Stevens and Devils in 5 games. Despite being the favorites on paper Pittsburgh must be taken to the cellars by losing 4 straight after a Game 1 win. How did this happen you ask? Let the film explain this. “They get the puck to Stevens, he shoots in front of the net and SCORES! SCOTT STEVENS THE OVERTIME WINNER!”
1995-96 Season: The Penguins led by the return of Super Mario went from dark horse back to legit contender. Now that the gang’s back together they show no mercy in the regular season by claiming the 2nd Seed in the Eastern Conference with Lemieux back to full strength. (Fun fact he had 6 hat tricks that year) Even if Larry Murphy is gone, they once again are the favorites out of the East as well as their Keystone State Rivals. Just imagine what a Pens vs Flyers Eastern Conference Finals matchup would look like!
1996 1st Round: Once again the Pens dealt with an early 1st Round deficit to Jim Schoenfeld’s Washington Capitals. This time they trailed 2-1 with Game 4 being in DC. That game was an instant classic as both teams traded clutch saves and dramatic moments throughout the game. Now in the 4th OT period the Pens now have the man advantage and the chance to tie the series. “They get out in front of the net, fake a shot, he shoots it to the net HE SCOOOOORES! THE PENGUINS WIN IT!” Following that epic finish the Yinzer faithful was rewarded by the crushing of Washington’s hopes and dreams in Games 5 and 6. Looks like the Pens are going to have a return to glory.
1996 Round 2: See what I mean, after their epic win against the Capitals they stormed past the Rangers in 5 games in the 2nd Round thanks to Lemieux and Jagr destroying all things red and blue. So who are they playing in the Conference Finals? The FLORIDA PANTHERS! Come on they aren’t going to lose to an EXPANSION TEAM WITH A TRIP TO THE FINALS ON THE LINE!
1996 Eastern Conference Finals: All appears well as the Penguins have a 3-2 series lead with home ice in Game 7. Even if the Panthers won Game 6 in Miami there is still optimism in YinzerLand. In Game 7 both teams trade early goals and neither team can pull ahead. As long as Barrasso stops the wave of Florida skaters coming to destroy the base Pittsburgh should be headed for the Rocky Mountains. “We’re 1-1, shots 30-20 in favor of the Pens. SCORE!” Or give up a softy at the worst possible time. The Yinzers lose AGAIN! And worse, it’s to an EXPANSION TEAM! Let’s be real, they were going to lose in the Cup Finals to the Avs anyways.
1996-97: The Pens overcome a brutal start and make the playoffs again, they get smacked around in the 1st Round by Eric Lindros and the Flyers in 5 games. Unfortunately Mario Lemieux has decided to retire but does consider a potential comeback in the near future. At least you’ve got Jagr boys.
1997-98: The Penguins once again have Stanley Cup ambitions after winning their division in the regular season as a young hungry core. However there will be no deep playoff run since they lost in the 1st Round again, this time it’s to Le Canadiens. The death blow in this series is losing at home in overtime in Game 5. One upped by a team with declining stars oh boy that’s rough.
1998-99: Despite having severe flaws on the defense the Pens made the playoffs via tiebreaker, even better news they knocked off the Top Seeded Devils and have a 2-1 series lead against the Maple Leafs. That’s when the news stops, Toronto wins 3 straight and ends Ronnie Francis’ tenure with the Pens. At least they have Jagr and Larry Murphy is now in Detroit instead of those Leafs.
1999 Offseason: Mario Lemieux has bought a stake in the Penguins, he still is in game shape despite being part owner. Give him some time to get back on the ice. Now that “Ronnie Franchise” is gone, the Pens are going to need some of that good old toughness on the front lines to go along with Jagr and the youngsters. Good luck.
1999-2000 Regular Season & 1st Round: The Penguins once again struggled in the regular season thanks to not having much besides Jagr plus the rest of the Top 6. It doesn’t stop the fact they crushed their arch rivals in the Capitals in the 1st Round despite being 3-1 underdogs. Lets see what happens against Jeremy Roenick, Eric Lindros and the Flyers?
2000 2nd Round: Despite taking a 2-1 series lead with home ice advantage for Games 4 & 6 the Pens fall flat on their face. Remember how you guys beat Washington in 4OT in 1996. The Flyers 1-upped that and won in 5OT in Game 4 to tie the series, then Philly crushed Pittsburgh in Games 5 & 6 to win the series in 6 games. I would have liked to see how they would have done against New Jersey again?
December 9th 2000: “Here comes the odd man break, Jagr gets it into Lemieux, a shot, HE SCOOOORES! YOU’VE GOTTA LOVE! MARIO IS BACK!” After a 3 ½ year wait Super Mario is back on the ice, in his debut against the Maple Leafs he scores 2 goals in a 5-0 win. Now everyone is excited in YinzerLand!
2000-01 Regular Season: Despite setting a then NHL Record for most players on IR in a season the Penguins make the playoffs thanks to their old captain being back on the team and Jaramir Jagr enjoying a career year. Despite being an underdog against the Caps in the 1st Round again when will people realize that Pittsburgh has owned DC in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 1991.
2001 1st Round Game 6: “Puck heads to center ice, they take it away, here is Marty Straka, he heads to the net, HE SCORES!” HOLY COW THEY DID IT AGAIN! Another epic series against Washington with Lemieux, Straka, and the rest of their squad getting a massive victory in 6 games. Now they must face a playoff power in the Buffalo Sabres. This should be a great series!
2001 2nd Round Games 1-5: With the visiting teams trading wins in Games 1-4 the series is a chipping and intense grudge match just like it was hyped up to be. In Game 5, despite the Pens erasing a 2-0 3rd Period deficit and forcing OT, the Sabres walked it off in overtime to go up 3-2 heading back to the Civic Center. The drama has only begun!
2001 2nd Round Games 6-7: Just like Game 5, Game 6 is equally insane and overtime will decide who will prevail this time? “They swing it around, Straka shoots to the net AND SCOOOORES! MARTY STRAKA HAS DONE IT AGAIN! GAME 7 IN BUFFALO!” If you thought that was awesome, Game 7 went to YOU GUESSED IT ANOTHER OT! Will SabresMafia joyfully riot or angrily riot? “Here comes the counter, Kasparitis shoots it from the center, HEEEEEEEEEEE SHOOTS AND SCORES! THE PENGUINS ARE GOING TO NEW JERSEY AND THE EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS!” They have shocked everyone again! Nothing can stop the Pens now!
2001 Eastern Conference Finals: The Cinderella Story strikes midnight and they get smashed by Scott Stevens and the defending champions. In 5 games the Devils won 3 straight after losing Game 2 at home. Well at least it was a postseason to remember for all the Yinzers who had no hope.
2001-04: Before the season the Penguins had to do the one thing no one thought they would do. THEY BLEW IT UP! Jaramir Jagr was traded to Washington for several future draft picks and minor leaguers. Even with Lemieux all alone Pittsburgh falls out of the hunt early on and misses the playoffs for the first time since 1990. The next few years would get rough as the tickets would become cheap and the fans were starting to wonder if the Penguins would stay in Pittsburgh. The Civic Arena was near the end of its time and they needed a new home. The rumors of them moving to Kansas City kicked up a notch when KC built a new arena in 2004. In the meantime the Penguins struggles gave them the prizes of Sidney Crosby and Marc Andrei Fleury. But that will be a separate document for Part 2.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Bragging Rights Sports 