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
2021-22 Season
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
Les Binkley — Goalie
Born: 6/6/1934
Played for Team: 1967–68 to 1971–72
Les Binkley was one of many fine minor-leaguers to get a shot at the NHL when the league expanded from six teams to 12. In two of his five seasons with Pittsburgh, he allowed fewer than three goals per game. Binkley stayed with the team as a scout after his playing days, and helped develop several players who were members of the 1991 and 1992 championship teams.Ron Schock — Center
Born: 12/19/1943
Played for Team: 1969–70 to 1976–77
Ron Schock was a good passer and shooter who became an important team leader. In 1974–75, he was named captain of the Penguins and had his finest seasons, with 63 assists—good for seventh in the league. All six players ahead of him ended up in the Hall of Fame.Dave Burrows — Defenseman
Born: 1/11/1949
Played for Team: 1971–72 to 1980–81
Dave Burrows had his boyhood dream come true when he got to play alongside Hall of Famer Tim Horton during Horton’s one year with the Penguins. Horton and coach Red Kelly helped Burrows become a three-time All-Star.Paul Coffey — Defenseman
Born: 6/1/1961
Played for Team: 1987–88 to 1991–92
Paul Coffey was a key part of Pittsburgh’s 1991 Stanley Cup championship. In 1990, he became just the second defenseman to reach 1,000 points, and he did so in just 770 games. In his final season as a Penguin, he passed Denis Potvin as the all-time leader in career goals and assists by a defenseman.Joe Mullen — Forward
Born:2/26/1957
Played for Team: 1990–91 to 1994–95 & 1996–97
Joe Mullen and his brothers learned the game playing roller hockey on the streets of New York City. He joined the Penguins at age 33 and went on to score more than 150 goals for Pittsburgh. Mullen was the first American-born player to reach 500 goals and 1,000 assists in his career.Marc-Andre Fleury — Goalie
Born: 11/28/1984
Played for Team: 2005–06 to 2016–17
Marc-Andre Fleury was the first overall pick in the 2003 draft. Two years later, he won the starting job in Pittsburgh. His save with 1.5 seconds left in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals made him a hero for the ages among Penguins fans.James Neal — Left Wing
Born: 9/3/1987
Played for Team: 2010–11 to 2013–14
James Neal brought one of the league’s best slapshots to Pittsburgh after a trade with the Dallas Stars. He scored 40 goals in his first full year with the Penguins.Chris Letang — Defenseman
Born: 4/24/1987
First Season with Team: 2006–07
On a team full of superstars and Hall of Famers, Chris Letang slowly and quietly became one of the Penguins’ most dependable players. He played a key part in Pittsburgh’s 2016 and 2017 Stanley Cups.
More Fun Facts
NOW YOU SEE HIM
When Les Binkley opened the season for the Penguins in 1967–68, he became the first NHL goalie to play with contact lenses.SCHOCK VALUE
During a sports dinner in 1969, Ron Schock was asked where he’d least like to be traded. One of the places he named was Pittsburgh. Two days later, Schock was a member of the Penguins!STREET WISE
Joe Mullen grew up in the shadow of Madison Square Garden, where his father worked on the Rangers’ ice crew. He and his brothers used the team’s old hockey sticks and in schoolyard roller hockey games. Coach Emile Francis saw the boys playing and decided to create a junior hockey program in the city. Mullen learned to skate in the program and went on to become a three-time Stanley Cup champion.
League Leaders
GOALS
1987–88 — Mario Lemieux — 70
1988–89 — Mario Lemieux — 85
1995–96 — Mario Lemieux — 69
2009–10 — Sidney Crosby — 51*
2016–17 — Sidney Crosby — 44* Tied with another player
ASSISTS
1988–89 — Mario Lemieux — 114
1994–95 — Ron Francis — 48
1995–96 — Ron Francis — 92, Mario Lemieux — 92
1996–97 — Mario Lemieux — 72*
1997–98 — Jaromir Jagr — 67*
1998–99 — Jaromir Jagr — 83
2000–01 — Jaromir Jagr — 69*
2008–09 — Evgeni Malkin — 78
2013–14 — Sidney Crosby — 68* Tied with another player
POINTS
1987–88 — Mario Lemieux — 168
1988–89 — Mario Lemieux — 199
1991–92 — Mario Lemieux — 131
1992–93 — Mario Lemieux — 160
1994–95 — Jaromir Jagr — 70
1995–96 — Mario Lemieux — 161
1996–97 — Mario Lemieux — 122
1997–98 — Jaromir Jagr — 102
1998–99 — Jaromir Jagr — 127
1999–00 — Jaromir Jagr — 96
2000–01 — Jaromir jagr — 121
2008–09 — Evgeni Malkin — 113
2011–12 — Evgeni Malkin — 109
2013–14 — Sidney Crosby — 104GOALS-AGAINST
No Penguin has led the NHL in this statisticPLUS/MINUS
1992–93 — Mario Lemieux — + 55
1994–95 — Ron Francis — + 30
2012–13 — Pascal Dupuis — + 31
2012–13 — Pascal Dupuis — +31
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 |