What A Season By The Pens...

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The Penguins season ended Wednesday night in the 'burgh when the Detroit Red Wings hung on to win 3-2 in a dramatic game 6. Originally I was planning on writing a blog about the finals, critiquing the Pens and what not... but I have had a change of heart. I have come to realize that in order to win a great team may have to lose first. The Wings were the better team, and they justly deserve to win, no matter how much that hurts to say. We didn't have the better team, but we had one hell of a good one. Who knows what players will be back next year, if we may never see WWGRD? again, or if this was Marian Hossa's last hoorah in his short stint this season with the Pens.

All I know is that no matter how many Stanley Cups the Pens may win over the next few years, I will never forget this run. This run has brought back hockey to Pittsburgh and has united thousands of people. As much as I love the Steelers, I have to say I was more concerned with winning this Cup than I was 3 seasons ago in our Super Bowl run. It's safe to say that WE are the best fans in hockey. At least in this country. This is now a football and hockey city.
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So, I wanted to create some list.. of the best moments from this season... I wanted it to be a 5 point list... but I can't narrow it down. There were too many memories, too many hardships overcome, too many victories to number down to 5, or even 10. Instead I will give you 14 moments from this season which I feel were phenomenal.

14. The trade for Hossa, Dupuis and Gill- Even though there was controversy in this... it was hard to hear anyone saying the name Colby Armstrong in the playoffs. I love Colby and his game... but Hossa is a superstar... and Dupuis is just as good as Colby. But this moves to #14 because losing a guy like Colby was a sad day... but an exciting one nonetheless. And Hal Gill has been great!

13. November 22 vs. Senators- Fleury goes down with a high ankle sprain. Danny Sabourin comes in the game. Jarkko Ruutu wins it in a shootout 6-5.

12. March 16 vs Flyers- The Pens blast the Flyers 7-1 without Crosby in the lineup and score 7 goals for the second game in a row.

11. December 8 vs. Canucks- The Pens go 3-0 against Western Canada, winning 2-1 in a shootout, Newcomer Kris Letang wins the game in the shootout, his second in a row. Letang would come to be known as Mr. Shootout. (see video below)



10. January 19 vs Canadiens- The Penguins hit the road after losing their captain Sidney Crosby to a serious leg injury (another high ankle sprain). They end up shutting out Montreal 2-0, showing that there is life without Sid.

9. April 16 vs. Senators- The Penguins get revenge on the team that eliminated them one year ago by sweeping the Senators.

8. June 4 vs. Red Wings- We watched the season end. We agonized, some may have cried... but we knew one thing. We knew that this would not be the end. We watched our boys almost come back to tie the game. They never quit. A team overmatched, being outplayed, being dominated almost forced a game 7 in the Stanley Cup Finals. As the Conn Smythe MVP trophy was presented, the fans chanted "Fleury" and "Crosby." People knew that this team is going to go all the way eventually, just not this season.

7. May 13 vs. Flyers- The Penguins, with a 2-0 lead already in the series, all but wrap it up by dominating the Flyers in front of a hostel crowd in a 4-1 win to give the Pens a 3-0 lead in the State Championship Series.

6. April 25 vs Rangers- The first "whiteout of the Penguins season." The Rangers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the game. But, the Pens would battle back, scoring 2 pairs of goals less than 20 seconds apart from each other. The Rangers would tie it up but Evgeni would redirect a Crosby slapshot into the net late in the game to give the Pens a 5-4 win and a 1-0 series lead.

5. May 4 vs. Rangers- A tough battle all game leads both teams into overtime, the first time the Pens would see overtime in the playoffs. Malkin would score a fantastic goal during regulation on the backhand. In the overtime, Marian Hossa would score his second goal of the game to win the game 3-2 and the series 4-1.



4. May 18 vs. Flyers- Game 5 of the Eastern Finals would not be much of a contest. The Pens would rip the rival Flyers to pieces in a 6-0 win, propelling them to their first Cup Finals in 16 years.

3. May 28 vs. Red Wings- Game 3 was back in Pittsburgh. The Penguins were down 2-0 and had not scored a goal all series. The Penguins, led by Sidney Crosby's 2 goals and a jam in by an unlikely hero Adam Hall to win the game 3-2, to cut the series to 2-1.

2. January 1 vs. Sabres- New Years Day. The Winter Classic. And a classic it was. One of the most dramatic games in regular season NHL history. It was outside, in Buffalo and snowing. 70,000+ filled the Ralph Wilson Stadium, making it the largest hockey game in history. The Penguins would jump out to an early lead with a goal by Colby Armstrong. But the Sabres would tie it up, sending it to overtime. The overtime produced no winner, so a shootout was called upon. With "the game on his stick" and a 1-1 tie in the shootout, the last shooter Sidney Crosby stood at center ice. The snow was falling, the players were freezing. And the Kid took off. He moved slower than usual towards the net. He deeked, and shot the puck. Time stood still. No call. Then, as if it was sent down by the hockey gods, the referee pointed. Crosby wins it. Fantastic game... unique and traditional. Unforgettable.



1. June 2 vs. Red Wings- The Pens would face elimination for the first time, and would overcome. It will be forever known as the game that Petr Sykora called his shot. With 34 seconds left in the game, the champagne on ice, the Champion T-Shirts in the locker room, the crowd smelling victory an the Cup itself getting a last second shine, Max Talbot would end all of that. Talbot jammed the puck into the net, to tie the game and send it to overtime. The overtime will always be remembered by the performance by Marc Andre Fleury. It was Fleury's coming out party. He would stop 55 shots, including an incredible toe save to keep the Pens alive. Half way through the second OT, Petr Sykora looked at NBC announcer Pierre McGuire and said that he would score the winner. Mid way through the third OT, Sykora did just that, giving the Pens a 4-3 win and sending the series back to Pittsburgh stunning the Detroit crowd.





Never forget what this season meant to the city and to it's people. Hockey is back in the 'burgh... and it's going to be here for a long time.