Penguins-Flyers Rivalry Part 4: Super Mario and “the Streak” (1984-1994)

The Penguins were on life support when they drafted Mario Lemieux with the first overall pick in the 1984 Entry Draft. Although No. 66 would eventually lead the team to two Stanley Cups, it didn’t alter the nature of the Pens-Flyers rivalry—at least not right away. Paced by burly 50-goal man Tim Kerr, Hall-of-Fame defenseman Mark Howe, truculent Rick Tocchet, and All-Star goalie Ron Hextall (the son of former Pen Bryan Hextall), the Flyers kept on winning.

When the two teams met, talk invariably turned to “the Streak.” As incredible as it seemed, the Pens had not won a game in “the City of Brotherly Shove” since January 20, 1974.

“I graduated from high school, graduated from college, got a job, got married, got divorced, moved to San Diego, moved back to Pittsburgh, and the Penguins still hadn’t beaten the Flyers in Philadelphia,” Penguins vice president Tom McMillan said.

...

The Stanley Cup Finals

Well, here we are…the first day of the Stanley Cup Finals.  It doesn’t matter what team you’re a fan of, there’s some excitement that comes as a hockey fan at this point in the playoffs.  I think it has to do with a month and a half of waiting and anticipation finally coming down to the final two teams.  I think it has to do with playing for the most cherished and revered trophy in all of sports, one with so much history and so many stories to tell.  Let’s be honest, if you don’t get a little emotional when you see Lord Stanley’s Cup, well then I just don’t know what to say.  But mostly, it has to do with the best teams playing the best sport on earth before we all go into full summer withdrawal mode.

First, I’ll beat myself up over my conference finals predictions.  Well, the East finally played along as the Bruins beat Tampa.  I truly think this was the Lightning’s first real test in the playoffs and they learned what they have to do night after night to compete at the top level.  An excellent measuring stick and experience for them given they faced a Pens ...

Gameday Poop: Pittsburgh Penguins vs Toronto Maple Leafs

The Penguins are taking on the red hot Toronto Maple Leafs this afternoon or this evening which ever one of those 5pm falls under and nothing is really at stake. If the Pens win it could mathematically eliminate the Leafs that are in last place, a place that they were so entrenched in that going 8-2 in the last 10 games hasn’t removed them from it.

The big news is the cool stuff the Penguins are doing for the final regular season game at the Civic Arena. They will have have a commemorative ticket and at least 50 players from Civic Arena’s ghosts of hockey past there. This is include Paul Coffey, Mario Lemieux, Larry Murphy and many others, mainly Penguins but maybe some Pittsburgh Hornets also. I would love to see one of my all-time favorite players Mike Bullard. 

Pittsburgh has won more Art Ross Trophy’s than any other NHL city and for sure Mario Lemieux, Sidney Crosby & Evgeni Malkin will be there but a giant coo would be if they can land 5 time winner Jaromir Jagr. Two other top players in NHL history that may be missing is Ron Francis and Mark Recchi as they both have games that night with their respective teams. 

The Pens have also had more of the top 15 all time top scorers play for them than any other NHL team. 

04 Ron Francis        1798
07 Mario Lemieux    1723
09 Jaromir Jagr       1599 
12 Paul Coffey        1531
14 Mark Recchi       1442
15 Bryan Trottier    1425

Pittsburgh has an incredible hockey history including one of the earliest NHL teams and quite possibly the first professional players. I usually don’t have a lot of required reading, but if you want to truly enjoy the final game and all the hoopla you must read today’s required reading.

This is on of the best Pittsburgh Penguins Hockey sites: “Pittsburgh Hockey History”

Gametime is 5PM and can be seen in HD at the Igloo or on FSN Pittsburgh

* The “Gameday Poop” is provided to give you enough information to sound intelligent while talking about hockey for 10 minutes. Anything after that and your on your own.

.

Gameday Poop: Penguins vs Bruins: Recchi’s Last Game in Pittsburgh?

The Penguins take on the Boston Bruins at 3PM this afternoon in a black and gold battle that pits the number one Atlantic division Penguins against a Boston team that is struggling to hold onto a playoff spot. The Penguins have won 3 games in a row and have had to come from behind in the last two to win. Hopefully today they’ll make it a little easier on themselves and come out firing on all cylinders.

Mark Recchi said that he is retiring after this year, if the Penguins do not meet the Bruins in the playoffs, this will be his last time playing in Pittsburgh.

It’s funny how this stuff works. Malkin finally gets a quality winger that can score on his line, that wingers scores, yet Malkin’s 15 game scoring streak ends because Malkin didn’t score. Let’s hope he starts another streak today.

With his two goals yesterday Sidney Crosby is now the leagues #1 goal scorer, I don’t believe he’s ever led the league in goal scoring this late in the season.

Sorry this is a short Gameday Poop for me, I have a hockey game this morning then I’m off to the Igloo – Go Pens!

Gametime is 3PM and can be seen in HD at the igloo or on FSN Pittsburgh.

Shero Don’t Be A Hero

With all of the trades around the NHL right now, most by two “Old School” GM’s Brian Burke & Darryl Sutter, it would be easy for Ray Shero to get caught up in the madness and trade away the Penguins future for another shot at winning the Cup. A little Pittsburgh Penguins history lesson might cure him of that and hopefully he will keep together what could be an incredible Pittsburgh future. These young players should be deemed Untouchable: Crosby, Malkin, Fleury, Letang, Goligoski, Staal

 

In 1991 Craig Patrick made arguably the best trade in Pittsburgh Penguins history getting Ron Francis, defensemen Ulf Samuelsson and Grant Jennings for John Cullen, winger Jeff Parker and defenseman Zarley Zalapski. Whether or not this was what enabled the Penguins to win the cup in 1991 is open for speculation, but most around the league deemed it to be the reason. As a matter of fact Hartford Whaler play by play announcer Chuck Kaiton had heard all the talk about how Eddie Johnson was going to put together a Stanley Cup team “He didn’t tell us it was going to be in Pittsburgh.” Chuck Said. 

At the time of winning the Cup in Pittsburgh the Penguins had on their team what would be an unprecedented 6 players that would finish in the top 15 All Time Scorers in NHL history. Five of them in or before their prime. Ron Francis, Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Paul Coffey, Mark Recchi and Brian Trottier. The only team anywhere close to this was the Edmonton Oilers dynasty with Gretzky, Messier and Coffey. 

GameDay Poop: Game 3 – Pittsburgh Penguins vs Carolina Hurricanes – preview

The Penguins are up 2 games to none and are heading into the eye of the hurricane at the RBC Center and unfortunately for the Canes the eye is the calm part of the storm. The Hurricanes are 4-2 on home ice in the playoffs and lost their last game at home 4-2 to the Bruins. How calm is Carolina home ice? So calm that that they haven’t sold out all of their playoff games.

Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby are providing the one-two punch for which Carolina has no counter. Carolina should have stayed down for the 10 count instead got up and tried some old schoolyard kindergarten variety bullying which was more like Semin’s slap fest than what we faced in our first two series. The Cardiac in “Cardiac Canes” was diagnosed as a mild case of indigestion and all they have to show for it is the $2500 fine Ray Bayda received for cross checking Chris Letang in the face at 18:41 of the third period and Patrick Eaves getting the tar beat out of him by Miroslav Satan who is garnering a cult following here in the ‘burgh this post season.

Do I even need to mention the ...