Dunc blows one in Vancouver

The Penguins headed west in late November 1977 to face the Vancouver Canucks, and had everything going their way - until disaster struck with eight seconds left. With the Pens ahead by one, Canucks forward Don Lever sent a hail mary shot toward the Penguins goal, which should have been an easy stop for goalkeeper Dunc Wilson. In his own words, Wilson had drifted too far out of his net and allowed the shot to go in on his short side.

Frustrated Penguins coach Johnny Wilson's view of the clunker was obscured by his players getting to their feet, ready to celebrate a win. In the dressing room afterward, he offered his best Yogi Berra-ism: "I've never seen anything like it in my life...And I didn't even see it."

The Captain looks back

The Pens captain for the 1977-78 season was Jean Pronovost, as classy a hockey player as you'd ever meet. "Prony" was the shining beacon of dignity and respect for a franchise that had, to this point in its history, mostly been lost in the dark.

In this November 23, 1977 article, the typically straight-shooting Pronovost looks back on his time in Pittsburgh. He suggests why the team had never moved up to the NHL's elite level and also names names as to who he thought was responsible for the team's lack of progress.

Ted Nolan, Pittsburgh Penguin

I was perusing some of the Penguins old media guides (all available on the Pens website, BTW) when I came across none other than current Sabres coach Ted Nolan in the 1985-86 publication. I had no idea Nolan had once skated for the Pens.

Before he went on to fame as the inspirational Buffalo bench boss during some of the team's most successful years in the late nineties, Nolan played a handful of games with Pittsburgh - 19 to be exact - totaling one goal, one assist and 34 penalty minutes.

Nolan's lone lamp-lighter came on December 2, 1985 during a Penguins 6-0 whitewashing of the Rangers in New York. This game report is unfortunately a grainy one, but does give a good description of Nolan's tally:

"Ranger defenseman James Patrick blocked Terry Ruskowski's shot, leaving a loose puck in the slot. Nolan rushed the net and pushed the puck by Scott."

This more recent piece has some nice reflections from Ted on his time in Pittsburgh.

The colorful Dunc Wilson

He may not have been the greatest goaltender in Penguins history, but he definitely had one of the best names: Dunc Wilson was one of the two main guardians of the Pittsburgh cage during the 1977-78 campaign, often starting a number of games in a row and then riding the bench for an equally long stretch while colleague Dennis Herron took the helm.

In this profile of Dunc from the November 16, 1977 Post-Gazette, we see a veteran goalie resigned to his fate as a journeyman puckstopper "in the twilight of a mediocre career." Definitely one of the most colorful characters to don a Pens uniform.

Behind the scenes at the 1984 draft

Yesterday marked the 30th anniversary of the Penguins choosing Mario Lemieux first overall in the 1984 Entry Draft. This piece from the Pittsburgh Press appearing on draft day details the Penguins' escalating contract offer to the still-unsigned Lemieux.

It was painful for Pens fans to see their new saviour
not donning the skating Penguin at the 1984 draft.
How much more humiliation could we take?!?

Even better is this lengthy look into the intrigue that surrounded Pens GM Eddie Johnston in the days leading up to the draft. The writer goes behind the scenes into the Montreal hotel rooms and onto the draft day floor at the Forum and reminds us of some of the near-trades that almost took place before and after Johnston called Mario's name (and sat there waiting in vain for a visit from the future superstar). Believe it or not, the Pens came within an extra throw-in player of acquiring future Capitals nemesis Dale Hunter.

Quiet crowd at the Igloo

A note from the report on the Cleveland game reveals the tenuous financial situation the Penguins faced at this time in their history. The Igloo attendance for the Barons contest was a paltry 7,516. That was below the season's average of 9,600, and well below the average of 12,000 required to make the operation a profitable one for the first time ever.

In a related story from the Post-Gazette's Sports Editor, the crowd that came out for the Barons game was not exactly raucous. He also paints a nice picture of bedraggled but relieved head coach Johnny Wilson after the game.