1991 Wales Final Game 2: Bruins 5, Pens 4 (OT)

The Penguins entered the third period trailing 3-2 but goals less than two minutes apart midway through the period by Mark Recchi and Mario Lemieux gave Pittsburgh their first lead of the night. With only 3:11 left, however, Craig Janney converted a pass from Vladimir Ruzicka during a 5-on-3 man advantage to send it to overtime.

It was Ruzicka’s fourth assist of the night. But “Rosie” wasn’t done yet. At 8:14 of the extra period he found himself alone with the puck in the Penguins crease and fired it over a fallen Tom Barrasso to give the Bruins the win and a 2-0 series lead.

"I'll say it right now, we'll beat them."

In the dressing room, the Penguins weren’t disheartened. If anything, the loss hardened their resolve to take the series back.

“We all have our highs and our lows, and right now the Bruins are living a high,” defenseman Gordie Roberts told Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Press. “But hopefully we’ll bring them back down to earth the next game.”

Left wing Kevin Stevens went even further, issuing his famous guarantee.

“We’re confident we can beat this team,” he said. “And we will beat this team...We’ll beat this team. I’ll say it right now, we’ll beat them.”

Stevens and the rest of the Penguins would have to start making that promise a reality in Game 3 back in Pittsburgh two nights later.

You can see highlights of this game here.

1991 Wales Final Game 1: Bruins 6, Pens 3

Sloppy turnovers cost the Penguins in Game One at Boston Garden, their first semi-final game since 1970. The Pens were as close as 4-3 in the third period but goals by Dave Christian and Ray Bourque put the game out of reach.

Defenseman Gordie Roberts sounded a note of optimism after the game, however.

“You can’t give Boston’s key players a chance to make big plays. But we’ll get better as the series goes on. We’ll get used to this building.”

It was a building that had not been kind to the Penguins historically. Heading into the game, they sported a woeful 7-42-6 record, regular season and playoff games combined.

What would develop into an rather intense coaches war throughout the series got rolling right off the bat. Pens bench boss Badger Bob Johnson was none too pleased with the Bruins’ delay tactics aimed at – in Johnson’s view – allowing star defenseman Bourque to get sufficient rest between whistles.

“They want Bourque out there all the time,” he said. “They’re talking to the referee, sending six guys out all the time. Watch ‘em. When Bourque gets tired they have a delay. The job of the referee is to keep the game moving.” 

1991 Patrick Final Game 4: Pens 3, Caps 1

Through the first five months of the Penguins’ 1990-91 regular season, the “Option Line” of John Cullen, Kevin Stevens and Mark Recchi provided a huge offensive spark that helped the team win its first division championship. The line had clearly clicked, but when Cullen was traded to the Hartford Whalers in March, it had lost its centreman.

 

Fortunately for the Penguins, they had a pretty fair replacement as they finished the season and moved into the playoffs: a guy named Mario Lemieux.

 

The Pens superstar captain returned at the end of January after sitting out the entire season to that point with back problems. After the Hartford trade, Number 66 frequently moved into the spot vacated by Cullen, often with magical results.

 

Case in point: Game 4 of the Patrick Division Final against the Washington Capitals, in which the three linemates combined for seven points in a 3-1 victory that gave the Pens a 3-1 stranglehold on the series.

 

Tom Barrasso turned in a superlative performance, stopping 38 of the 39 Capital shots. Washington outshot the Pens overall, 39-19.

 

“Barrasso played extremely well. He was the difference,” said Caps defenseman Rod Langway. “They kept the puck on the outside and let Barrasso see it.”

Pat Boutette's first hat trick nets Pens first win

Pat Boutette

Pat Boutette broke in with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1975 and after four seasons was traded to Hartford. It was with the Whalers that the classy forward began making his mark as a highly dependable, if not somewhat under-the-radar, point-getter.

Boutette averaged nearly a point a game in a season and a half for the Whale. In the summer of 1981 he went to Pittsburgh with Kevin McClelland as compensation for the Whalers' signing of goalie Greg Millen.

He didn't miss a beat after joining the Penguins, scoring 74 points in 1981-82 and adding a goal and three assists in the Pens' thrilling five-game near upset of the Islanders in the first round of the playoffs. 

Boutette then suffered through the two leanest seasons in Penguins history as the team tumbled to the bottom of the NHL standings in 1983 and 1984. There were still some shining moments for Boutette, however, including his first career hat trick on October 12, 1982. 

With the Pens trailing the Vancouver Canucks by a goal with less than two minutes to play, Doug Shedden tied it with a slap shot. With the crowd of 6,566 going delirious, the Penguins kept coming. With 1:04 left, Boutette, who had scored two goals in the second period, deflected a Greg Hotham slap shot past goalie Richard Brodeur. He had his first hat trick and the Penguins had their first win of the season.

Early in the 1984-85 season, with his production tailing off, the Pens dealt Boutette back to Hartford for the rights to defenseman Ville Siren, who became a regular on the Pittsburgh blue line in the 80s. Unlike the Leafs, the Pens seemed to know when to part ways with Boutette; he had but 33 games left in him with the Whalers and a few more with their farm team before calling it a career.

Pens blast Atlanta Flames with 50 shots in January 1975

The Penguins were riding an 11-game home unbeaten streak when the Atlanta Flames paid a visit to the Igloo on January 15, 1975. The Pens firepower was on full display for the 7,554 fans who made it out for the Wednesday night tilt, with a whopping 50 shots flying at goalie Phil Myre. Five of them made their way into the net and Pittsburgh skated off with a 5-3 victory.

“The puck was in Atlanta’s end all night because the forwards were forechecking like mad,” said Pens D-man Barry Wilkins in this game report from the Pittsburgh Press (article on next page). “That takes a lot of pressure off a defense.”

Despite the barrage of rubber at the Flame cage, the two teams were tied midway through the third before Jean Pronovost netted the winner at 11:36, his 21^st of the season.

Pens halt Islanders' record winning streak at 15 in 1982

On February 20, 1982 the New York Islanders beat the Colorado Rockies to earn their 15th straight win, breaking the mark held for 52 years by the Boston Bruins.

The next night they visited the Igloo to take on the Penguins, who had but one win in their last 10 games. Seemed like a mismatch, but lo and behold, the Pens ended up stunning the Isles 4-3 behind the stellar goaltending of Michel Dion to put a kibosh on the rival Islansers' streak. It was just the kind of boost the Pittsburghers needed heading into the season's home stretch.

"Everybody in the league is going to know that it was the Pittsburgh Penguins who stopped their winning streak," said a proud Dion in this game report. "We're back on the map again."

The Isles' record would stand for 11 years when it was broken by - you guessed it - the Penguins, whose mark of 17 straight wins in 1993 still stands.

Leafs oust Pens from 1976 playoffs with easy 4-0 win

The Penguins were given an early opportunity to take charge of the third and deciding game of their 1976 Preliminary Round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs when Toronto’s Dave “Tiger” Williams was sent to the sin bin for a five-minute major penalty less than two minutes in. But the Pens power play stayed dormant, as it had been all series long, and the Leafs fed off the mammoth penalty kill to grab the momentum and hold it until the final buzzer.

“Killing that penalty was the key point of the game,” said Leaf coach Red Kelly in this game report. “After that we took charge of everything.”

Pittsburgh's Vic Hadfield regretted the missed opportunity. “We knew we had five minutes so we took our time, but pretty soon time ran out on us.”

Toronto goalie Wayne Thomas had another great game but long-time Penguin Jean Pronovost saw another reason for his club’s demise. “Thomas robbed us and was a big factor, but as a whole their team worked harder than ours.”

Pens battle back to even 1976 series vs. Leafs

After getting beaten up like a collective rag doll in Game One of their 1976 Preliminary Round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Penguins realized they too were going to have to play it tough if they were to advance out of the short best-of-three series.

This was only one of four career
playoff games for Michel Plasse. 

Back home on Igloo ice for Game Two, coach Ken Schinkel was able to get the line matchups he wanted thanks to having the last change on each shift. That meant that every time Toronto's dangerous Darryl Sittler came out, so too did Ron Schock, who shut the all-star centre down. The toughness was infectious and the entire team played like the mean-looking Penguin on the front of their jerseys, en route to a 2-0 win.

"We did intimidate them a little," coach Schinkel told the Pittsburgh Post in this article. "There were several of their guys backing up."

Goalie Michel Plasse had to stop only 21 Leaf shots to gain the shutout - which would turn out to be the only playoff one of his NHL career. "We played a helluva game as a team," he said. "We simply deserved to win."

The Pens would have to turn in another team effort the very next night back in Maple Leaf Gardens where one team would be moving on to the Quarter-Finals and the other would be heading to the golf course.

Pens try to regroup ahead of Game 2 in 1976 playoffs

Larouche: "Things will be different. You'll see."

After dropping Game One of their 1976 Preliminary Round series to the Maple Leafs, the Penguins had a day off before the series was scheduled to resume at the Igloo on April 8. The Pittsburgh Press ran this profile of the man who stoned the Penguins in that first game, Toronto goaltender Wayne Thomas (go to the following page for the article - and enjoy the Bad Company profile too, if you wish...)

In the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, writer Bob Whitley held out little hope for the Pens in his article, "End is Near For Tender Pens." Pierre Larouche, however, seemed to think otherwise. "We get a few goals and things will be a lot different. You'll see," he told Whitley.

Pens bow to Habs, March 1979

The Penguins were riding a 10-game unbeaten streak when they headed into the Montreal Forum to take on the Canadiens on March 31, 1979. The last time Pittsburgh had played in that building they'd suffered the worst defeat in franchise history, getting blown out by a score of 12-0. On this night, the team was intent on showing the Habs and the hockey world that they were better than that.

Guy Lafleur scored his 50th goal of the season
March 31, 1979 against the Penguins.

Despite outshooting the mighty Montrealers 32-31, however, the Penguins once again came out on the short end of the scoreboard, losing this time by the much more respectable score of 5-3, as this game report from the Pittsburgh Press explains.

Canadiens superstar Guy Lafleur notched his 50th goal of the season in the game, the fifth consecutive year he had reached that lofty level. He scored it on Denis Herron, who had also surrendered Lafleur's 50th goal in two of the other seasons. "I think he was waiting for me to get number 50," Herron told the Montreal Gazette after the game. "At least I'll have my name in the record book again."

Dion backstops Pens to New Year's Day 1983 win

A look at the NHL standings on January 1, 1983 would reveal that the Penguins and Islanders were in different hockey universes, what with the three-time reigning Stanley Cup Champion Isles once again sitting near the top and the Pens languishing near the basement, nine games below .500. But for some reason Pittsburgh always played New York tough at this time in their history. Heading into a contest that day at the Civic Arena, the Pens had won the last four meetings between the two teams at the Igloo. And, of course, Pittsburgh had pushed the Isles to the brink in the first round of the playoffs the year before, losing in overtime of the fifth and deciding game.

One of the biggest reasons for the Penguins success was goalie Michel Dion's appetite for playing against New York. "I feel pretty comfortable against the Islanders," he told the Pittsburgh Press in this article. "I just like to play against them."

Dion foiled four breakaways from the star-studded Islanders while Andre St. Laurent and Mike Bullard, with the winner, provided the scoring. "It was nice to get two points now to start the year off right," said St. Laurent.

Pens celebrate New Year's Eve 1969 by beating Habs

The Penguins rang in 1970 with a bang, knocking off the Stanley Cup Champion Montreal Canadiens 4-2 at the Igloo on New Year's Eve, 1969. Led by Keith McCreary's pair of goals, the Pens won for only the second time against the Canadiens in their then short history. It was, in fact, perhaps the Penguins finest performance of the season, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Jimmy Jordan in this game recap (the article (along with a fairly grainy picture) is on the next page).

"They played together as a unit, skated their own lanes and, in general provided the style of play Coach Red Kelly had insisted they were capable of since the start of the season," Jordan wrote.

You can also see the Montreal Gazette's take on the game here, which featured a clearer picture of McCreary scoring on Rogie Vachon (scroll to the left for the article.)

Unfortunately, only 5,202 fans turned up to see the Penguins fine effort. Guess there were some good parties happening elsewhere around Pittsburgh that night.

Pens beat Barons in Sanderson's last NHL game

Derek Sanderson as a Pittsburgh Penguin in 1978.

Derek Sanderson's colourful NHL career came to an end at the Richfield Coliseum just outside Cleveland on April 9, 1978. He was wearing the uniform of the Pittsburgh Penguins, a team playing its last game of the 1977-78 campaign, a meaningless meeting in a lost season. The Pens won 3-2, but there was little to celebrate. When Sanderson had joined the team less than a month earlier, they were tied for the NHL's final playoff spot. The team faded down the stretch, however, and ended up five points short.

Sanderson scored three goals and one assist in 13 games during his time with Pittsburgh. After a solid start, by his own admission his body "broke down" on him. He even missed a team curfew one night and was held out of a game because of it. As this article about the final game in Cleveland details, Sanderson's status for the following season was up in the air, but the centreman claimed to have "very substantial offers" from five other clubs.

Derek Sanderson today.

In the end, none of them panned out and the Pens decided to part ways. After his playing days, Sanderson cleaned up his act and has spoken to thousands of school kids about his experiences and how to avoid the mistakes he made. He served as a commentator on Bruins broadcasts and has also worked as an investment professional, serving as a financial advisor for athletes.

Sanderson nets 200th goal in Pens loss

Derek Sanderson enjoyed his finest moment in a Penguins uniform during his second game with the team in Vancouver. He was granted a significant amount of ice time by coach Johnny Wilson and responded with a goal and an assist. "I had no idea I'd be playing this much," Sanderson told the Pittsburgh Press in this article. "It makes me feel welcome."

The tally was the 200th of his career. "I really wanted that goal," he wrote years later in his autobiography Crossing the Line. "I didn't want to end my career with 199. I kept the puck as a souvenir."

Unfortunately, Sanderson's spark wasn't enough to help the fading Pens lose to the Canucks 7-4 and fall further behind in the race for the NHL's final playoff spot.

Ted Lindsay rips Pens for aleged tampering

Detroit Red Wings legend "Terrible" Ted Lindsay was a tough customer on the ice during his Hall of Fame career, and he was no different while serving as the team's General Manager in the late 1970s. His temper was on full display in March 1978 when the Penguins signed Derek Sanderson, who had been playing with the Wings' Kansas City team in the Central Hockey League after the Wings had decided to give the broken down former star player a look. Without any signed contract, however, Sanderson was officially a free agent, free to sign with any team he wished.

When Sanderson's agent contacted Pens GM Baz Bastien about his client's availability, Bastien jumped at the opportunity. That did not sit well with Terrible Ted, as this article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette shows. Lindsay took his grievance to the NHL's head office, but there was no evidence of any kind of contract that could have been used as evidence to void the Penguins move.

"It was a verbal thing," admitted Lindsay.

This brief piece includes Bastien speaking in his own defense.

Derek Sanderson, Pittsburgh Penguin: Part 1

I was surprised to learn a little while ago that Derek Sanderson at one point in his colourful career played for the Penguins. I'll be looking at his brief stop in the Steel City over the next few posts.

In a desperate attempt to push his team into a playoff spot in the waning weeks of the 1977-78 season, Penguins General Manager Baz Bastien decided to sign aging centre Derek Sanderson as a free agent. Sanderson had been on a wild ride throughout the 70s, reaching the summit of the hockey world when he hoisted the Stanley Cup as a Boston Bruin, only to end up battling the bottle and landing on skid row a few years later. His tale is chronicled nicely in his autobiography Crossing the Line.

After winning his second Cup with Boston in 1972, Sanderson became the highest paid athlete in the world by signing with the World Hockey Association's Philadelphia Blazers for a contract worth $2.65 million. He played only eight games for the Blazers before coming back to Boston and then bouncing around the NHL with stops in New York with the Rangers in 1974, and later St. Louis and Vancouver. Having hit rock bottom in his personal life by 1978, "The Turk" was attempting a comeback in the Detroit organization, playing with the Wings' Central Hockey League affiliate in Kansas City. That's when the Pens entered the picture.

"All I can tell you about Derek is that he's cleaned up his act," said Bastien.

Coach Johnny Wilson welcomed the idea of having another veteran centreman. "I need to be able to spell Peter Mahovlich. "I hate using Pete as much as I do, but when you don't have anybody else you don't have much choice."

The Red Wings weren't happy about the move, appealing to NHL President John Ziegler, who refused to interfere.

Read the full report of Sanderson's signing in this March 15, 1978 report in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Oct. 18/67: Pens 3, North Stars 3

Only 3,885 show up at the Igloo to see Andy Bathgate score a hat trick to get the tie. Coach Red Sullivan: "Some of these guys feel all they got to do is throw their stick on the ice. And I'm talking about the guys who I figure should be leading the club." Read the game report.

1979 Playoffs: Sauve helps Sabres even things up

Denis Herron thwarts a Sabre attack as
defenseman Tom Bladon arrives to help.

After their impressive road win in Game 1 of their 1979 preliminary round series against the Buffalo Sabres, the Penguins returned to the Igloo for Game 2 in front of the largest playoff crowd in the team's history - 16,033 cheering, stomping fans. Unfortunately for them and the team, Buffalo's young goaltender Bob Sauve turned in a 30-save performance to help his team come away with a 3-1 win and even the series. Sauve rebounded from a performance in the opener that he confessed was not his best.

"I was really uptight in that first game," he told the Pittsburgh Press in this game recap. "I don't think I ever relaxed in it. Tonight I was loose all the way."

His counterpart at the other end of the rink was impressed. "He came up with some fantastic saves," said Denis Herron. "I guess you could say the first game was my hot game and this one was his. Now it's my turn again."

The series would be decided the next day, a Saturday, in an afternoon game at Buffalo's venerable  Memorial Auditorium.

Garry Swain

Garry Swain was the Penguins' Number One draft pick in the 1968 amateur Draft, but only ended up playing nine games for the team, registering one goal. It came on March 29, 1969 in Philadelphia during the second-last game of a lost season. Swain made "a fine move on (Bernie) Parent in the goalmouth," according to this Pittsburgh Press game report.

Swain went on to play three seasons with the New England Whalers of the WHA.

Lonsberry breaks drought, gives Pens win - 1980

The Colorado Rockies entered the Igloo on November 22, 1980 riding the best start in franchise history, sitting one game above the .500 mark - truly a lofty plateau for the perennial league doormat. They looked every bit the powerhouse in the first period, outshooting the Pens 13-4. It was Pittsburgh, however, that built a 2-0 lead by the midway point of the second.

Hardy Astrom surrendered
Ross Lonsberry's winning goal
November 22, 1980 at the Igloo.

A "familiar Penguin malady" - the inability to protect a two-goal lead, as described by game report writer Pete Wevurski in this piece the next day - then reared its ugly head. Colorado goals by Paul Gagne and Joel Quenneville tied things up before the frame was done.

The score stayed that way until Penguin left winger Ross Lonsberry scored his first goal in 12 games with less than five minutes to play. The veteran took a pass from George Ferguson from behind the net and slipped a backhand through the legs of Rockies goaltender Hardy Astrom. He then added an empty-netter with one second left for good measure. The win snapped Pittsburgh's five-game winless skid. The Rockies, meanwhile, would win only two of their next 10.