Penguin History

Under new Coach Bob Johnson the Penguins would face adversity right away as a back injury limited Mario Lemieux to just 26 games. However, the Penguins managed to stay competitive as Mark Recchi notched 113 points as defenseman Paul Coffey, a proven winner added 93. Also contributing was rookie Jaromir Jagr who scored 27 goals while adding 30 assists. Lemieux would return and the Penguins would finish the season on a roll as they obtained Ron Francis, Ulf Samuelsson and Grant Jennings from the Hartford Whalers for John Cullen, Zarley Zalapski and Jeff Parker. The now reinforced Penguins would win their first division title with a record of 41-33-6. In the playoffs the Penguins would be tested right away as they fell behind the New Jersey Devils 3 games to 2. However, the Pens would rally to win Game 6 on the road 4-3, and advanced to the division finals with a 4-0 win at The Igloo.

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After losing Game in the Patrick Division Finals to the Washington Capitals the Penguins would begin to grab a little momentum as they beat the Capitals 7-6 in overtime on a goal by Kevin Stevens to even the series. After winning the next 2 in Washington 3-1 the Penguins closed out the series at home in Game 5 to advance to the Conference Finals. In the Wales Conference Finals the Penguins had their backs to the wall as they dropped the first 2 games on the road to the Boston Bruins. However, upon arriving back in Pittsburgh the Penguins evened the series with two straight 4-1 wins. After blowing the Bruins out 7-2 in Game 5 in Boston the Penguins made it to their first Stanley Cup Finals with a 5-3 win at the Igloo in Game 6. In the first Stanley Cup match up involving 2 teams that have never won the Stanley Cup in over 50 years the Penguins got off to a shaky start losing Game 1 to the Minnesota North Stars at The Igloo 5-4. After rebounding to win Game 2 at home the Penguins would fall in Game 3 on the road 3-1. Facing the prospect of falling behind 3 games to 1 the Penguins exploded for 3 goals in the first 2:58 in Game to take even the series 2 games apiece with a 5-3 win. The Penguins would take control of the series with a 6-4win at the Igloo in Game 5. In Game 6 in Minnesota the Penguins would end all doubt as the walloped the North Stars 8-0 to win their first ever Stanley Cup, as Mario Lemieux who had 12 points in the Finals earned the Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP. Following the season the Penguins would be sold to an ownership group headed by Howard Baldwin, Morris Belzberg and Thomas Ruta.

Pittsburgh was one of the six teams added when the NHL doubled in size in 1967. The new teams were hampered by restrictive rules that kept all major talent with the "original 6". The Penguins finished just six points out of first place in the closely fought West Division, but finished out of the playoffs.

Tragedy struck the Penguins in 1970 when rookie center Michel Briere, who finished third in scoring on the team during his only season in the league, was injured in a car crash. He died in 1971 after spending a year in hospital.

The Penguins would never be a force in the league until they drafted Mario Lemieux in 1984. After four more years out of the playoffs, Lemieux led the league in scoring in 1988-1989 and the Penguins would advance to the playoffs, where they lost to the Philadelphia Flyers.

In 1990-1991, the Penguins reached the top. They drafted star Czech right winger Jaromir Jagr, and through the 1990s, Jagr and Lemieux were two of the league's biggest scoring threats. Add that to up-and-coming Mark Recchi and Kevin Stevens, stalwart defenseman Paul Coffey, and the goaltending of Tom Barasso, and the Penguins became the league's best team, defeating the Minnesota North Stars (since relocated to Dallas) in the Stanley Cup finals. They repeated the feat by defeating the Chicago Blackhawks the following season, despite losing coach Bob Johnson to cancer.

Cancer nearly dealt the Penguins a double whammy in 1993. Not only were they reeling from Johnson's death, Mario Lemieux was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease. His comeback only two months after the diagnosis was one of the league's greatest "feel-good" stories of all time. The Penguins, however, would be stunned in the second round of the playoffs by the New York Islanders.

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The Penguins continued to be a formidable team through the rest of the 1990s, but it came with a price. They had paid so much for their talent, they almost went bankrupt, and it took Lemieux (who retired in 1997) to take over the team in bankruptcy court and prevent it from moving to Portland, Oregon. Lemieux shocked the hockey world by deciding to come back in late 2000 and lead the Penguins into the 2001 playoffs, where they lost to the New Jersey Devils in the second round.