Lemieux sets Pens single-season point mark, 1986

In only his second season, Mario Lemieux set a new Penguin mark for points in a season, scoring an incredible 141 and shattering the previous mark of 111 set by Pierre Larouche in 1975-76.

He pulled past "Lucky Pierre" on February 24, 1986 in a wild 6-5 comeback overtime win against the L.A. Kings at the Igloo. After a disastrous first period that saw them down 4-0 at the buzzer, the Pens stormed back to make it 4-3, with Mario collecting two assists. The first tied the record, the second broke it.

Rookie Craig Simpson must have been inspired by Mario's show. He came out and netted a pair in the third before the Kings' Joe Paterson tied it at five at 9:42. 

Things stayed scoreless the rest of the way until, with just over a minute left in overtime, Lemieux sent an innocent-looking pass in front of the Kings' net, which deflected off winger Doug Shedden's skate, sending the Igloo into delirium and sending Number 66 another point past Larouche's old mark, for good measure.

1991 Boxing Day Blowout: Pens crumple Leafs 12-1

On the day he became engaged, Mario Lemieux decided to celebrate by going on one of his finest offensive rampages ever. It was Boxing Day 1991 when the Pens welcomed the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Igloo. 

It was not a warm welcome. 

Having slipped a ring on the finger of his longtime girlfriend Nathalie Asselin earlier in the day, Lemieux slipped two goals by Toronto goalie Grant Fuhr and also tallied a whopping five assists en route to a 12-1 demolition of the shell-shocked Leafs. Overshadowed by Mario's feat were two other incredible offensive displays: Joey Mullen's four goals - his second four-goal game in a row - and a six-point night for left wing Kevin Stevens. 

"It was crazy out there," said Stevens in this game report from the Pittsburgh Press (article on previous page). "One of those nights where everything went into the net."

"It was embarrassing to say the least," commented Toronto GM Cliff Fletcher.

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.

Lemieux debut

Believe it or not, Penguins' season ticket sales fell during the summer after they drafted Mario Lemieux (1984), as this short piece from the Montreal Gazette relates. The article also reveals that 66's first game in Pittsburgh was in danger of not selling out. It's funny reading the comments of then-Pens PR man Paul Steigerwald, now the team's TV play-by-play voice, about the situation, basically heaping the blame on the visiting Canucks. It's doubtful that in today's tight-lipped, spic-and-span world of hockey PR you'd hear such bluntness. Would be nice, though.

18 years ago, Penguins win 1st Stanley Cup

Hard to believe, but anyone born on the day the Penguins won their first Cup would today be turning 18 and is now officially an adult! If that's making anyone out there feel old, well, just click on this link and browse the article it leads to and the rest of the pieces in this package from the May 27, 1991 Post-Gazette, celebrating the Penguins first Stanley Cup two nights earlier. They'll make you feel better. What a time...and hopefully we'll all have the same vibes again in a couple of weeks.

(You have to love that Penguins logo at the top of these pages with the skating penguin finally hoisting the Cup!)

Readers are welcome to write in their memories of that amazing day on a warm Saturday night in May...

Playoff injuries

So it looks like the Penguins will be without their best defenceman and power play quarterback, Sergei Gonchar, for quite some time. Thanks, Mr. Ovechkin. The ire Pens fans are now feeling toward the Caps #8 is similar to that they felt towards one Adam Graves back in the Stanley Cup run of 1992. Graves took a wicked two-hander to the wrist of Mario Lemieux in Game 2 of the Wales Conference final that year. The day after the game, it was unclear how long Le Magnifique would be out, and Pens fans feared the worst.

This article from the May 7, 1992 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette captures the anger brewing in the Penguin locker room. Also have a look at the story below this one, which captures sparkplug leader Rick Tocchet's thoughts on the matter.

Of course, Mario would come back earlier than expected and lead the Pens to a second-straight Cup victory. Here's hoping Sergei has a similarly quick recovery!

Penguins-Flyers - 1989 playoffs

The Penguins and Flyers are battling it out in the playoffs this year, just as they were 20 years ago, for the first time. This year, the Pens are up 2-0 and in control heading into Philly this afternoon. Back in '89, the two clubs headed into Game 3 tied, after the Flyers rebounded from a Game 1 loss with a 4-2 win in the second tilt. The Battle of Pennsylvania was finally living up to its title, after the Flyers had spent the 70s and 80s pretty much pummeling the Pittsburghers every chance they got.

This second-round series would ultimately go the full 7, with Philadelphia proving they had no interest in reversing their winning trend and taking the rubber match decisively 4-1. As a Pens fan, that was hard to take, seeing as Mario and Co. had built a 3-2 series lead and blew it - at home, to boot.

The day before Game 3, though, Pens coach Gene Ubriaco preached to his troops about the mindset required to win the Stanley Cup, as chronicled in this article from the Arpil 21, 1989 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The players were listening - at least for a little while. The Pens would take Game 3 by a 4-3 score.