What’s new with the Pittsburgh Penguins? That’s what this page is all about.
The Team Spirit Line Change website begins where the Team Spirit books end.
That’s because hockey never stands still … And I can never squeeze everything I want into 48 pages!
Take a look at some of the Penguins collectibles I have in my home.
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Updates
2022-23 Season
Season Preview: The Penguins look a little old on paper, but on the ice they should be just fine. Superstars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are still two of the best players in the NHL, as is winger Jake Guentzel. Bryan Rust isn’t far behind these three. Chris Letang leads an experienced defense, while goalie Tristan Jarry could be the team’s most important player.
2021-22 Season
Season Recap: The Penguins looked like a team on a mission after going up on the powerhouse New York Rangers 3 games to 1 in the playoffs. Pittsburgh fans were shocked when the club dropped the next three games in a row. A dozen Penguins scored in double-figures during the regular season, including Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel, who combined for 71 goals and tied for the team lead with 84 points. Defenseman Christ Letang dished out 58 assists to lead the club, while goalie Tristan Jarry was honored with a trip to the All-Star Game.
February 15, 2022: Sidney Crosby scored the 500th goal of his career in a 5–4 win over the Flyers.
Season Preview: The Penguins begin the year with plenty of talent but a lot of questions, too. Is goalie Tristan Jarry the real deal? Will Evgeni Malkin recover from a serious knee injury? Will Sidney Crosby be able to pick up the scoring slack, as he has in the past? Pittsburgh fans will be watching the Penguins’ other stars—including Chris Letang and young Jake Guentzel—to see if they can become important team leaders. And they will also be waiting to see if the club’s goaltending improves.
2020-21 Season
Season Recap: The Penguins won 37 games and finished atop the Eastern Division and made the playoffs for the 15th year in a row. Sidney Crosby led the team with 24 goals and tied with Kris Letang 38 assists apiece. Tristan Jarry led the Pens with 25 wins in goal—the most in his career. Pittsburgh had visions of another Stanley Cup but ran into the red-hot Islanders in the postseason and did not survive the first round.
May 6, 2021: Veteran Jeff Carter scored four goals in a game for the first time in his career. Carter joined the Pens in an April trade with the LA Kings.
February 20, 2021: Superstar Sidney Crosby played in his 1,000th regular-season game.
Season Preview: After years of being slowed by injuries, the Penguins enter 2020–21 fully healthy. Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby are still two of the top offensive players in the game, while Kasperi Kapanen could be ready for a breakout season. The pressure will be on defenders Chris Letang and Marcus Pettersson, who no longer have veteran Matt Murray stopping pucks behind them.
2019-20 Season
Season Recap: The Penguins had a good regular season, but were upset by the Canadiens in the opening round of the playoffs. Evgeni Malkin led the club with 49 assists, while Bryan Rust was the top goal-scorer with 27. Sidney Crosby was third on the club with 47 points and defenseman Chris Letang was fourth, with 44.
Season Preview: Pittsburgh is still recovering from the first-round sweep by the Islanders in the playoffs last year. They head into battle without Phil Kessel, traded away over the summer. His scoring load will fall to Jake Guentzel, Dominik Kahun, and Alex Galchenyuk. They will all play second fiddle to the power duo of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, who are still going strong in their 30s.
2018-19 Season
Season Recap: The Penguins won 44 games but were swept by the Islanders in the opening round of the playoffs. Sidney Crosby led the team with 100 points, but Jake Guentzel—in just his second full season—was Pittsburgh’s top goal scorer, with 40. Veterans Brian Dumoulin and Chris Letang were among the NHL’s best all-around defensemen, while goalie Matt Murray recovered from a concussion to win 29 games.
January 26, 2019: Sidney Crosby was named MVP of the NHL All-Star Game. He scored four goals and had four assists.
October 29, 2018: Sidney Crosby was named 1st Star of the Week after scoring 5 goals in 3 games.
Season Preview: A lot of fans were surprised that Pittsburgh didn’t make it three Stanley Cups in a row last spring. This season, the Penguins have as good a chance as anyone to hoist the big trophy. They have an amazing power play, led by Sidney Crosby, Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin, and a solid defense that could get even better. Matt Murray battled injuries in 2017–18 and should be more dependable this year.
2017-18 Season
Season Recap: The high-scoring trio of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Phil Kessel powered the Pens to 47 victories. However, the club could not defend its 2017 Stanley Cup title against the Capitals in the playoffs. Defenseman Kris Letang also had a great year, recovering from neck surgery to notch 42 assists.
October 26, 2017: Phil Kessel’s overtime goal gave Pittsburgh a 2–1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. The goal was the 300th of Kessel’s career. He is one of just 18 American-born players in history to reach 300.
Season Preview: Pittsburgh lost a lot of key players after winning their second Stanley Cup in a row in 2017. That means they will rely on superstars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin more than ever. Antti Niemi should make up for the loss of goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, but the Penguins need to play extra-hard and use their skill and experience to make it back to the finals.
2015-16 Season
Season Recap: The Penguins went into the season with lots of scoring punch but with big questions on defense. They pulled together at playoff time and made a remarkable run to win the Stanley Cup. Sidney Crosby, an elite player, dug down deep in the finals against San Jose and played the kind of relentless, gritty hockey that wins championships. Key goals in the series came from unheralded Nick Bonino, Conor Sheary, Eric Fehr and Kris Letang. It was a total team effort, with “Sid the Kid” taking home the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP.
Season Preview: Pittsburgh fans are still getting over their first-round playoff loss in the spring of 2015. Since then the team has added talent and depth, including Phil Kessel, who gives Sidney Crosby an exciting new partner on the #1 line. The Penguins wll be counting on a young group of defensemen to stand up to the bullies who go after Crosby and the other scorers.
2014-15 Season
Recap: he Penguins lacked their usual explosive scoring touch, but they still managed to earn a playoff berth with solid seasons from Sydney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Marc-Andre Fleury. The team had plenty of star power but not a lot of quality down the bench. It showed in the opening round of the playoffs, when they fell to the Rangers in five games.
November 11, 2014: Marc-Andre Fleury collected his 300th win in just his 547th NHL game. Only three other goalies in history reached 300 wins faster.
Season Preview: Will the Penguins make it to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2014–15? Pittsburgh fans certainly think so. They have the most star power in the East, thanks to Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Marc-Andre Fleury. They will no longer be playing for coach Dan Bylsma, who was fired after the team’s poor playoff performance last spring. The new coach is Mike Johnston.
2013-14 Season
April 13, 2014: Sidney Crosby won the NHL scoring championship, topping 100 points for the fifth time in his career. Crosby was the only player in the league to reach triple-digits in 2013–14.
Season Preview: Pittsburgh fans were disappointed with the team’s loss to the Bruins in the 2013 playoffs. Nothing short of a return trip to the Finals will satisfy them this year. As always, the players expected to lead the Penguins there will be Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Marc-Andre Fleury, who hopes to rebound from a poor postseason and win 30 games for the fifth time in six years.
More Go-To Guys
More Fun Facts
League Leaders
In the Stanley Cup Finals
SEASON | OPPONENT | RESULT |
---|---|---|
1990–91 | Minnesota North Stars | Won 4–2 |
1991–92 | Chicago Blackhawks | Won 4–0 |
2007–08 | Detroit Red Wings | Lost 2–4 |
2008–09 | Detroit Red Wings | Won 4–3 |
2015–16 | San Jose Sharks | Won 4–2 |
2016–17 | Nashville Predators | Won 4–2 |