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The Penguins' most memorable moments In the Pittsburgh Penguins' early years, starting in the late 1960s, it wasn't uncommon to buy a $5 ticket for a seat at the top of the Civic Arena (the "Igloo") and at the end of the first period move to a seat in the first row behind the glass. Except for a few winning moments scattered through their first three decades, the idea of a full season sold-out arena was too farfetched, never mind the thought of a Stanley Cup. The only constant was that the Penguins were always in financial trouble and often threatening to move out of the Steel City.The 1983-84 campaign proved to be the season that turned everything around. The Penguins' prize was Mario Lemieux, an 18-year-old center from Montreal, Quebec, who would lift the Pens out of the canyon of last-place finishes to the lofty heights of backto- back Stanley Cup championships in 1991 and 1992. Lemieux went on to become one of the greatest players the game had ever seen. He and teammates such as Jaromir Jagr, Tom Barrasso, Ron Francis, Joe Mullen, Kevin Stevens, Larry Murphy, and Paul Coffey soon made the Civic Arena the place to be.Though the Penguins' front office tried to keep the star-studded team together, the franchise experienced financial troubles again, leading to threats that the Penguins would be sold and leave town. In 1999 Mario Lemieux, now in his 30s, headed a group that purchased the club. The new ownership began a renaissance in which players like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Marc-Andre Fleury, Kris Letang, and Jordan Staal again made the Pens a powerhouse on the ice, led them to a third Stanley Cup championship in 2009, and secured one of the best new buildings in the NHL: the Consol Energy Center.In Classic Pens, author David Finoli's tour of the best moments in the Penguins' long history will evoke special memories from longtime fans and delight those who currently follow the team.

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Publié par	The Kent State University Press
Date de parution	01 octobre 2015
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781631011764
Langue	English

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Classic Pens
CLASSIC SPORTS
J ONATHAN K NIGHT , Series Editor
Classic Bucs: The 50 Greatest Games in Pittsburgh Pirates History
D AVID F INOLI
Classic Steelers: The 50 Greatest Games in Pittsburgh Steelers History
D AVID F INOLI
Classic Pens: The 50 Greatest Games in Pittsburgh Penguins History
D AVID F INOLI
Classic Pens
THE 50 GREATEST GAMES IN PITTSBURGH PENGUINS HISTORY
David Finoli
Black Squirrel Books ™ Kent, Ohio
To those loyal fans—including my wife, Viv, and my brother, Jamie—who sat with me through all those torturous 1980s seasons from our perch in section E-31 at the Igloo
Also to Tom Aikens; his passion for hockey was secondary to the passion he had for helping people. Rest In Peace.
Black Squirrel Books ™
Frisky, industrious black squirrels are a familiar sight on the Kent State University campus and the inspiration for Black Squirrel Books ™ , a trade imprint of The Kent State University Press. www.KentStateUniversityPress.com .
© 2015 by The Kent State University Press, Kent, Ohio 44242
All rights reserved
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 2014048971
ISBN 978-1-60635-244-1
Manufactured in the United States of America
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Finoli, David, 1961–
Classic pens : the 50 greatest games in Pittsburgh Penguins history / David Finoli. pages cm
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-1-60635-244-1 (pbk. : alk. paper) ∞
1. Pittsburgh Penguins (Hockey team)—History. I. Title.
GV848.P58F56 2015
796.962′0974886—dc23
2014048971
19 18 17 16 15 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
#50: The Glorious Steam Bath Penguins vs. Minnesota North Stars, May 23, 1991
#49: Hat Trick Penguins vs. Minnesota North Stars, October 18, 1967
#48: The Perfect Month Penguins vs. New York Islanders, March 30, 2013
#47: The Second Renaissance Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers, October 5, 2006
#46: It’s a Great Day for Hockey Penguins vs. New Jersey Devils, November 27, 1991
#45: Contenders Penguins vs. St. Louis Blues, April 10, 1975
#44: The Win Column Penguins vs. St. Louis Blues, October 13, 1967
#43: Milestones Penguins vs. Boston Bruins, March 24, 1976
#42: The Greatest Penguins vs. St. Louis Blues, October 15, 1988
#41: The Postseason Waters Penguins vs. Oakland Seals, April 8, 1970
#40: A Christmas Treat Penguins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, December 26, 1991
#39: Backs Against the Wall Penguins vs. Washington Capitals, May 14, 1995
#38: Twenty Minutes Penguins vs. San Jose Sharks, December 17, 1991
#37: The Concussion Penguins vs. New York Islanders, November 21, 2011
#36: Le Magnifique Penguins vs. Montreal Canadiens, January 26, 1997
#35: Muting the Fat Lady Penguins vs. Washington Capitals, May 18, 1995
#34: Wales Squared Penguins vs. Boston Bruins, May 23, 1992
#33: Long Odds Penguins vs. St. Louis Blues, April 2, 1972
#32: No Comparison Penguins vs. Washington Capitals, May 13, 2009
#31: The ’62 Mets Revisited Penguins vs. Washington Capitals, March 15, 1975
#30: Breaking the Islanders’ Jinx Penguins vs. New York Islanders, May 11, 2013
#29: Cowher Karma Penguins vs. Carolina Hurricanes, May 26, 2009
#28: First Game, First Shift Penguins vs. Boston Bruins, October 11, 1984
#27: The Igloo Penguins vs. New York Islanders, April 8, 2010
#26: Shhhhh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers, April 25, 2009
#25: Banners Penguins vs. Detroit Red Wings, March 27, 1991
#24: Where No Team Has Gone Before Penguins vs. New Jersey Devils, April 22, 1993
#23: Two Minutes to Remember Penguins vs. St. Louis Blues, November 22, 1972
#22: The Keystone Champions Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers, May 18, 2008
#21: Put Stanley Back in the Case Penguins vs. Detroit Red Wings, June 2, 2008
#20: The Great Outdoors Penguins vs. Buffalo Sabres, January 1, 2008
#19: Mario 2.0 Penguins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, December 27, 2000
#18: What Could Have Been Penguins vs. Oakland Seals, April 12, 1970
#17: Survival of the Fittest Penguins vs. Washington Capitals, April 24, 1996
#16: The Goal That Saved Pittsburgh Penguins vs. New Jersey Devils, May 2, 1999
#15: The Streak Penguins vs. New York Rangers, April 9, 1993
#14: Cancel the Parade Penguins vs. Minnesota North Stars, May 21, 1991
#13: The 15-Year Nightmare Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers, February 2, 1989
#12: Never Say Die Penguins vs. Washington Capitals, May 1, 1992
#11: The Rented Mule Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers, April 25, 1989
#10: The Fergie Flyer Penguins vs. Buffalo Sabres, April 14, 1979
#9: The Kasparaitis Slide Penguins vs. Buffalo Sabres, May 10, 2001
#8: The Save Penguins vs. New Jersey Devils, April 13, 1991
#7: When It Seems All Hope Is Gone Penguins vs. New York Rangers, May 9, 1992
#6: Never Let Him Out of Your Sight Penguins vs. Chicago Black Hawks, May 26, 1992
#5: Five Goals, Five Ways Penguins vs. New Jersey Devils, December 31, 1988
#4: Sweeter the Second Time Around Penguins vs. Chicago Black Hawks, June 1, 1992
#3: Spit Shine Your Shoes Penguins vs. Boston Bruins, May 11, 1991
#2: A Dream Come True Penguins vs. Minnesota North Stars, May 25, 1991
#1: Max Penguins vs. Detroit Red Wings, June 12, 2009
Notes
Acknowledgments
There are many people who were instrumental in the completion of this book and who deserve my appreciation. First is my supportive family: my wife, Viv, and our three children, Tony, Matt, and Cara.
Then there’s my extended family, which has been there through the highs and lows of my life throughout the years. My father Domenic, the memory of my mother Eleanor, my brother Jamie, his wife Cindy, and his daughters Marissa and Brianna, my sister Mary, her husband Matthew, and all my loving aunts, uncles, and cousins as well as Vivian and Salvatore Pansino, my in-laws who have always been very supportive.
A big thank-you also has to go to Joyce Harrison of the Kent State University Press, Rebekah Cotton, the outstanding copy editor, and Jonathan Knight, the editor of the “Classic” series who made writing this book a wonderful experience.
Finally, I offer a huge thank-you to my partners in crime: Sam Christian, Bill Ranier, Chris Fletcher, Bob O’Brien, Dan Russell, Ray Stefanacci, Rich Boyer, and Matt O’Brotka, who not only help out with these projects when needed, but with whom I’ve had the pleasure of discussing the trials and tribulation of the Penguins since the thoughts of the team landing a Stanley Cup were considered foolish.
Introduction
It wasn’t an uncommon practice in the 1970s and 1980s to buy a five-dollar ticket to sit at the top of Civic Arena to watch the local professional hockey team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and then at the end of the first period move to an empty seat in the first row behind the glass. After all, except for a few scattered moments in their first three decades, the thought of a Stanley Cup was hardly imaginable, never mind the vision of the home arena sold out for entire seasons. The only constant with the Penguins was that they were always in financial trouble and often threatening to move out of the Steel City.
While the actual turning point is debatable, many believe the 1983–84 season proved to be the most important campaign in the history of the franchise, becoming the year when everything changed. Head coach Lou Angotti led the Pens to a miserable 16–58–6 season for a franchise-low 38 points. Many accused the Penguins of purposely losing several games so they could finish with the NHL’s worst record and earn the prize for such ineptitude: a raw 18-year-old center from the hockey hotbed of Montreal who would ultimately lead them out of the doldrums of last place to the lofty heights of back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 1991 and 1992. The name of this young prospect, who would become Pittsburgh’s hockey savior, was Mario Lemieux.
Lemieux went on to become one of the greatest players the game had ever seen, and with teammates such as Jaromir Jagr, Tom Barrasso, Ron Francis, Joe Mullen, Kevin Stevens, Larry Murphy, and Paul Coffey by his side, hockey at the Civic Arena became the place to be. Not only did the five-dollar tickets eventually become much more expensive, but once-empty seats at the iconic arena became some of the hottest tickets in sports.
Unfortunately, as is usually the case in sports, what goes around comes around. Though the Penguins’ front office tried to keep this star-studded team together, large contracts led to financial decay, which led to the selling off of the star players, which led to last-place finishes, which led to threats the team would be sold and leave town. The prize for such ineptitude: a raw 30-something investor from the hockey hotbed of Montreal who would lead the franchise out of last place to a third Stanley Cup championship in 2009. Once again, Mario Lemieux was the hockey savior of Pittsburgh, as he headed a group that purchased the club to transform and save the franchise.
The new ownership began a renaissance that led to the drafting of players like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Marc-Andre Fleury, Kris Letang, and Jordan Staal, which helped make the team an NHL power once again. More importantly, off the ice, Lemieux and his ownership group oversaw the creation of one of the best new arenas in the NHL, the Consol Energy Center, and built a stable, financially successful franchise. Since the arena opened, the Pens have never failed to sell out, and with a waiting list for season tickets that numbers several thousand fans, sellouts appear to be the norm for the foreseeable future.
Through it all, the franchise has had its share of memorable moments and unforgettable characters in its long history, both of which grace the pages of t‘his book. Hopefully, these tales will evoke memories not only for those lucky fans who currently have season tickets but for those long-suffering diehards who doled out five dollars to watch bad hockey in the E-section o