Simmer wins it at the Forum

In their first 20 seasons, the Penguins managed to win a grand total of 2 games at the Montreal Forum. No, that isn't a misprint: 2 wins. But in January 1988, the Penguins managed to pull out their third victory at the hallowed hall of hockey when Charlie Simmer banged in a Mario Lemieux rebound at the side of the Canadiens' cage in overtime for a 4-3 win. Here's a wrap-up of that game from a Toledo newspaper. Goalie Frank Pietrangelo was spectacular, making 40-plus saves.

I remember that OT goal like it was yesterday because I watched the whole game on Hockey Night in Canada with my brother, a Habs fan. Winning in Montreal signified a bit of a turning point to me; Pittsburgh now had Mario and Paul Coffey, recently arrived from Edmonton, and some other up-and-coming prospects. It seemed that good times were finally ahead, and despite missing the playoffs again that year (the sixth season in row), those good times certainly weren't far off...