My Penguin history goes back the whole way to December 18, 1971. It was the first game I ever attended and even though the Pens lost to the Boston Bruins, I was hooked. Getting to see Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito play live was an amazing experience. We went back to the Christmas Day game vs. Montreal which ended in a 4-2 Penguin victory thanks to Les Binkley’s stellar performance in goal. Guy LaFleur and Yvan Cournoyer added to the star power that was Montreal then. Back at that time, the average attendance per game was 10,000 and sellouts were few and far between.
The next year we bought partial season tickets and the highlight of that Fall was the November 22, 1972 game versus the hated St. Louis Blues. In this game the Pens trailed 4-3 going into the third period, and then scored 7 third period goals including the NHL record 5 goals in 2 minutes 7 seconds – a record that will probably never be broken. People were literally dancing in the aisles over the excitement that third period generated – final score 10-4 when we walked out of the Civic Arena. We started sitting in section C22 and our tickets were $5.50 per game.
By 1975, the balcony seats had been installed at the Arena so we moved there and became the only people to ever own the rights to section E11 row F of the Civic Arena seating. From that point on we kept our season tickets – the 1983-84 season attendance dropped to an average of 6800 per year.
Once Lemieux was drafted in 1984 attendance started to rise to its present day sellout levels at Consol. The All-Star game was hosted in 1990 and Lemieux scored four goals. We stayed at the Chatham Center hotel the night of the game and our son was able to get signatures from Gordie Howe, Wayne Gretsky, Paul Coffey, Rick Tocchet, and Joe Sakic to name a few.
1991 ushered in the year of our Stanley Cup win with a huge group of us heading for the airport to celebrate the Penguin victory. The remaining history from that Cup to the current team’s Cup win in 2009 and the end time of the Civic Arena in 2010 has been the start of a new epic Penguin era.
Our seats in Section 207 at the Consol Energy Center serve as our home in our new facility. It’s been an amazing journey being in love with the Pittsburgh Penguins and hockey, and I’m looking forward to our first Stanley Cup win at the Consol.
All
I hope that the Penguins management team had a close eye on the Flyer-Devils series. The Devils put on a clinic as to how to win a playoff…
Over the next week or so each of us here at PenguinPoop will be taking a hard look at whether or not the Pittsburgh Penguins organization needs to…
I have been a Penguin fan for 40 years. I have had season tickets for 37 years. Watching the performance of this team in game 3 has to be the low…
We have a saying here at PenguinPoop that “We have more hockey knowledge in our body than you have in your entire pinky“, that just being a…
It's the halfway point of the Penguins season and right now the Penguins are in the midst of one of their biggest downturns in recent history. They…
We thought we would post some of our emails that are going back and forth here at PenguinPoop about how we think the playoffs will go down. We are…
The PenguinPoop prediction debate is on. For the first time that I can remember one of our writers is saying they think the opposing team will…
The play of the Penguins over the next four games should give us a very good idea of how they might fare in the playoffs. Rangers and Devils at…
I am so glad that Dan Bylsma is the coach of the Penguins and not Pillsbury Dough Boy Bruce Boudreau. He doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut…
The Penguins have played 45 games this season. They have played two with their full lineup. They have still managed to hold a position near the…
When the horn sounded at the end of last nights game, it marked the end of the first half of the season for the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Penguins…
Sorry you haven't heard from any of us over the weekend. We said we were going to party like rock stars and here is a photo blog of the proof. We…
I just talked to a media relations director with the Penguins and you will never believe what he told me. He had a conversation with Malkin…
Is it time to consider trading 71? I never thought that I would be able to consider this as a possibility. After watching the winning streak,…
The Penguins enjoyed a fine Thanksgiving weekend picking up four points over two inferior opponents. It wasn't long ago that they were a…
As of November 4th, the Penguins are a .500 hockey team. With the way that they have played so far this season, they are lucky to be at .500. …
The Penguins are 6-5-1 through their first twelve games. They have been short of a completely healthy lineup by at least two players and as many as…
As we near the end of the first month of the season, let's take a look at the Eastern Conference. Fifteen teams, eight will make the playoffs and…
For just the fourth time in Penguin history, the Pens have started the season 0-3 at home. The other three times that happened, it was…
The day after the Penguins were eliminated from the playoffs by the Canadiens, I was disappointed and upset. Over the next few days, my mood…
Pittsburgh Penguins GM Ray Shero has a lot of work ahead of him in the NHL free agent market trying to put together a team that has the best chance…
The Montreal Canadiens have forced a Game Seven. You have to give them credit. Once they got behind, facing elimination, they played their best…
Game Six at the Bell Center. The Penguins have a chance to close out another series on the road. One thing we know for sure -- they've done it…
With a chance to take a stranglehold in this series and 20 minutes to play in Game 4, the Penguins lost their way. A stat that is often looked at…
The Penguins needed Gorges and Gill in the penalty box at the same time, a fresh sheet of ice, and a 5 on 4 man advantage to score a goal against…
Five home games into the 2010 playoffs and the Pens are 2-3 against inferior opponents. Hopefully this is a trend that will not continue. It took…
This has all happened before...
In 1998 the exact same group of teams from the Eastern Conference made it to the Stanley Cup playoffs. The exact…
Playoff success is often determined by the play of the special teams. The Penguins penalty killing, which was a strength all year, did not do well…
To win in the playoffs, all hands have to be on deck. With one series complete, the Pens have already used seven defensemen, 14 forwards, and one…
Many people, including myself, predicted that the Penguins would win this series in six games. So why should we be surprised when that is going to…
Ruslan Fedetenko, a career playoff overachiever, was benched after Game One. It was the right move by Coach Bylsma. He had a sub-par season, the…
I just finished watching the Boston-Buffalo game. Five series have two games completed and all five are 1-1. In two of the other three the…
The Stanley Cup Playoffs 2010 are underway. Four games were played on Wednesday night. The only road team to lose, the Red Wings, was the one…
The Mellon Arena/Civic Arena/Igloo has hosted its final regular season hockey game. The Penguin management did a tremendous job…
I want to give the Capitals their due as they are a very good hockey team. They have so much talent all through their line-up. The only…
If anyone believes that the Penguins were out-worked Wednesday night by the Lightining, think again. The Lightning did NOT have to work to win that…
In February of last year we had a very talented, under-achieving tenth place hockey team. A team that had been to the Stanley Cup Finals the…
Since October we have talked about lack of focus and lack of consistency. Two problems that have certainly plagued the Penguins. Giveaways and…
Even though the road trip wasn't a total success, at least it ended on a positive note. They needed to acquire a minimum of five points on the trip…
If we take a look at the first five meetings this season the answer is a resounding NO. An aggregate score of 17-3 tells the story of the total…
With the trade deadline acquisitions, Ray Shero has given Dan Bylsma and staff a good problem -- 7 NHL defensemen and 13 NHL forwards. Beyond the…
The final 20. How teams play over the last quarter of the season is usually a solid indicator of how they will play during the playoffs. The…
I really enjoy watching Olympic hockey. As a hockey fan, I don't know how you couldn't. The games are fast-paced, the skill level is awesome, the…
The Olympic break is here leaving 20 games in the regular season for the Penguins. Here's hoping it gives each player plenty of time to look in…
The Penguins are 6-10-0 in their last 16 games. They are giving up goals at an alarming rate. 58 in this span of games for a 3.63 goals…
Even though the powerplay was 0-5 against Buffalo, I like the new setup. The puck movement is much better. I've really felt all along that Crosby…
You have to wonder what made the Flyers think that they could beat the Penguins by intimidating them. Ashem, Cote and Carcillo "three very talented…
The Penguins have a record of 22-10-1. One point behind the Capitals, and even with the Devils in the East. When you look at all of the things…
Injuries or no injuries, the Pens need to play smarter hockey. Actually when you are short bodies, the simple approach is better. Clear the…
The hockey season is now three weeks old, and we have gotten a glimpse of how teams are shaping up for the 09-10 campaign. Some…
[caption id="attachment_1844" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Emperor 87 "][/caption]
First game of the pre-season. Three days…
[caption id="attachment_1668" align="aligncenter" width="340" caption="Sid and the Cup"][/caption]
What a fabulous finish to a fabulous hockey…
[caption id="attachment_1655" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="All the Marbles"][/caption]
Max Talbot flipped the puck to center ice as…
[caption id="attachment_1638" align="aligncenter" width="108" caption="The Now and the Future"][/caption]
As a 35+ years Penguin fan, there…
After three games of the Stanley Cup finals, Red Wings - Penguins II has the same results as last year. Game 4 is where the Penguins have to change…
In order to win the Stanley Cup, every player on the team has to contribute their fair share. Everyone must do what the team needs them to do and…
With the Penguins ready to roll into the Stanley Cup Finals we thought it was time we came together here at PenguinPoop and put down our predictions…
It appears that the Penguins have broken another goalie. First Varlamov. It took a few games. And now Ward. It took one game. I don't…
Heading into last night's game against the Hurricanes, Sidney Crosby held the playoff scoring lead by one point over teammate Evgeni Malkin. Crosby…
It's always nice to win a hockey game when you are not at your best. Especially if it is Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. As we have said…
With the Penguins ready to roll into round three of the playoffs in their third race for 4, we thought it was time we came together here at…
Before this epic battle took place, as we tried to find a potential difference-maker in this series, we looked to the goaltenders. Fleury would…
This series has been everything and more than it was hyped up to be. As a hockey fan, watching these games makes you see why you love the sport. …
At the start of the Pens-Caps match-up, I wrote a piece about the superstars playing in this series. As one might have expected, one man again has…
The Pens are back in the series. Many feel that they should be ahead in the series except for the play of one man. Apologies to 8 but Varlamov…
As soon as the game ended last night, I started to write my piece for PenguinPoop. I was going to write about all the bad things that happened. …
Back in late January, I asked Dave Molinari what qualified Mike Yeo as a power play coach. He said that it is hard to characterize a coach's…
There are four series left in the march to the Stanley Cup. It is safe to say that the spotlight will be on the Penguins vs. the Capitals. The…
The Penguins bags were packed and headed for Boston, but Eric Staal and the Hurricanes had other ideas. How would you like to be a New Jersey…
We said from the start that the Penguins were the better team. The better team won the series. Even though the Flyers don't think so. They say…
After the end of the first period, I thought if that is all the Flyers have to offer the series is over. Biron came up big and the period ended…
At 7:02 P.M. on Tuesday night, STH35 received a text message from Got Malkin. It simply read, "Fleury - Shutout". The result wasn't exact, but…
Win as a team, lose as a team. Hockey is very often a game of mistakes and today the Penguins made their fair share. Just as we want to praise…
What can you say about the job that Ray Shero did to make the Pens a playoff hockey team? Chris Kunitz. new daddy -- what a presence on the ice! This…
There is nothing better than watching the Flyers get beat and lower themselves to the thugs that they are. They took so many bad penalties that even… Penguins Should Learn From the Devils
STH35: Should There be Changes in the Penguins Future?
The Penguins Need a Quick Adjustment
Pittsburgh Penguins vs Philadelphia Flyers 2012 Playoff Predictions
Pittsburgh Penguins First Half of the 2011/2012 Season Report
2011 NHL Playoff Predictions
Pittsburgh Penguins vs Tampa Bay Lightning Playoff Predictions
Next Four Penguin Games – A Litmus Test
Pens Lucky to Have Bylsma – Not Boudreau
Penguins Need to Spend Less Time in the Penalty Box
Pittsburgh Penguins First Half of the Season Report
PenguinPoop Photos: The Winter Classic a Weekend to Remember…
Malkin is on Board for the Penguins
Is It Time to Consider Trading Malkin?
The Penguins Are Back Where They Belong
Are the Pittsburgh Penguins a .500 Hockey Team?
The Penguins Will Get Better
The NHL’s Eastern Conference
Penguins Cannot Afford Home Losses
The Stanley Cup Blues
Pittsburgh Penguins Contracts and the 2010 NHL Free Agent Market
Penguins/Canadiens – Game Seven
Penguins Win in Six
Penguins Need A Positive Push
Penguins’ American Coach Has Been Very Successful
Penguins Need To Be Better At Home
Pittsburgh Penguins vs Montreal Canadiens Playoff Predictions
Penguins Powerplay Improves While Yeo is Absent
Craig Adams is an Important Role Player for the Penguins
As Predicted, Penguins Defeat Ottawa in Six
Will Fedetenko Be Needed Again by the Penguins?
Penguins Are A Good Road Playoff Team
Penguins Have to Make Some Changes
Memories of the Mellon Arena
Are the Capitals That Much Better Than Everyone Else?
Penguins’ Warts Continue to Surface
Will the Penguins be Ready for the Playoffs?
How good are the Penguins?
Penguins Should Finish Strong
Can the Penguins Beat the Devils?
Which Penguin Forward Will Be First in the Pressbox?
Penguins Final 20 Regular Season Games
A Vote for Olympic Hockey
Penguins Must Use Olympic Break as Gut-Check Time
Penguins MUST Improve Defensive Play
Penguins Revamped Powerplay Will Produce
Fighting Flyers Fail Again
Penguins Winning Ways
Penguin Lineup Must Simplify Approach
NHL Eastern Conference Early Review
Emperor Penguin Crosby Leads the Way
Pittsburgh Penguins: A Championship Season
Penguins/Red Wings for ALL the Marbles
Penguins Big 3 are the Keys to Victory
The Penguins Must Change the Script
Every Penguin Must Answer the Bell
Stanley Cup Finals – Predictions – Pittsburgh Penguins vs Detroit Red Wings
The Penguins Have Broken Another Goalie
Star Power Takes Over – Penguins Are 2 Wins from Cup Finals
Penguins Win, But Can Play Better
NHL Conference Finals – Predictions
Fleury Made the Difference in Game 7
Varlamov Vs. Fleury – Crunching the Numbers
Crosby Deserving of the Title Superstar
Fleury – Pens Goalie Needs to be the Best Player on the Ice
Penguins to Turn Series Around Wednesday Night at Mellon Arena
Penguins Power Play: Yeo Can’t Make it Go
Superstars Crosby, Malkin, Ovechkin and Semin on the same sheet of ice
Bring on the Caps!!
The Better Team Won the Series
Back to Bylsma Hockey
Wrap It Up in 5
Win as a Team, Lose as a Team
The Trade Deadline Acquisitions
A great performance to start the Stanley Cup playoffs
Follow Us