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.

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Gameday Poop: Penguins vs Islanders – Igloo History & Giveaway Night

Well it’s the final regular season game at the Igloo tonight and there are 50 some plus players from Pittsburgh hockey lore that will be at the arena for a very special presentation and it’s fan appreciation night so on top of the many giveaways, at the end of the game the Penguin players will be giving fans the jersey’s right off their backs. I’ve listed all of the ex-Pittsburgh Penguins I’ve heard that will be at the game tonight below.

There is also rumor going around that they are planning to play a hockey game in between all the hoopla. The New York Islanders are going to be in town and I have too much to cover so here is everything in rapid fire style, I hope you can keep up.

Fortunately or unfortunately, the “jersey of their back” is not the smelly one the players wore during the game. They go to the locker room after the game and throw on clean jerseys, probably to a few fans dismay.

Wouldn’t this be the ultimate for the final regular season game at the Mellon Arena… 3 more points and Sidney Crosby has 500 for his career, how about he does it tonight with a hat trick. It would give him over 50 goals for the year and over 500 career points in front of many of the greatest Pittsburgh Penguins to skate at Mellon Arena.

Will Evgeni Malkin be playing? He is expected to play yet he’s a game time decision. Haven’t heard a word about Kunitz.

Some of the best laid plans… The Penguins on Monday and Tuesday worked extra long perfecting their powerplay. What didn’t work out so well was that Evgeni Malkin was one of the ones in on all those drills and he called off ill moments before Tuesdays game.

Can the Penguins flip a playoff switch? All you hear about these days is whether the Pens can flip a magic switch and be in playoff mode. If Ruslan Fedotenko could be a prime example, I think they can. He played an incredible game last game and looked playoff ready after going MIA most of the season.  Fedotenko has the teams worst plus minus by far at -15.

Something to consider. Is it possible there is an illness going around the Penguins locker room that’s hindering their play on the ice.

The Penguins want us in our seats early for tonight’s game. They are saying the festivities will be starting at 7:20PM, but I recommend being seated a little after 7PM. My guess is that the actual game will start around 7:45PM.

Goligoski if your reading this… Stop over thinking everything and ...

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.

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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.