1991–92 Pittsburgh Penguins | |
---|---|
Stanley Cup champions | |
Wales Conference champions | |
Division | 3rd Patrick |
Conference | 4th Wales |
1991–92 record | 39–32–9 |
Home record | 21–13–6 |
Road record | 18–19–3 |
Goals for | 343 (1st) |
Goals against | 308 (20th) |
Team information | |
General manager | Craig Patrick |
Coach | Scotty Bowman |
Captain | Mario Lemieux |
Alternate captains | Bob Errey Kevin Stevens Bryan Trottier |
Arena | Civic Arena |
Average attendance | 15,993 |
Team leaders | |
Goals | Kevin Stevens (54) |
Assists | Mario Lemieux (87) |
Points | Mario Lemieux (131) |
Penalty minutes | Kevin Stevens (252) |
Plus/minus | Larry Murphy (+33) |
Wins | Tom Barrasso (25) |
Goals against average | Tom Barrasso (3.53) |
The 1991–92 Pittsburgh Penguins season was the Penguins' 25th season in the National Hockey League (NHL). The team was coming off of its first-ever Stanley Cup victory in 1990–91, as they defeated the Minnesota North Stars in the Finals in six games. The Penguins, along with the Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers, had five 30-goal scorers. Seven players and three off-ice staff members from the 1991-92 team's year-end roster have been elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Off-season
[edit]In the off-season, Head Coach Bob Johnson was diagnosed with brain cancer, forcing him to step down, where the Penguins brought in former St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, and Buffalo Sabres head coach Scotty Bowman to replace Johnson. Bowman had previously led the Canadiens to five Stanley Cup championships in the 1970s. Johnson lost his battle to cancer on November 26, 1991, and the Penguins honored him by wearing a patch on the left sleeve of their jersey with his nickname "Badger" written on it along with his birth year and death year.
Regular season
[edit]Pittsburgh started the season off very well, and through their first 38 games, they had a record of 22–12–4, earning 48 points and fighting with the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers for first in the Division. The team, along with Mario Lemieux, who missed time due to a back injury, would slump in their next 24 games, going 5–15–4 to slide down to .500 and battling with the New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers for the final playoff position in the Division. The Penguins, facing losing defenseman Paul Coffey as a free agent after the season, would deal him to the Los Angeles Kings in a move that looked like they were giving up for the season, however, they would make a move to bring some more grit to the team, acquiring Rick Tocchet, Kjell Samuelsson, and Ken Wregget from Philadelphia for Mark Recchi, and the club would have a 12–5–1 record to close out the season, finishing in third place in the Division and making the playoffs for the second-straight season.
Mario Lemieux led the club offensively, despite missing 16 games to injuries, as he earned an NHL-high 131 points from 44 goals and 87 assists to win the Art Ross Trophy. Kevin Stevens led the team with 54 goals and finished second in League scoring behind Lemieux with 123 points. Joe Mullen also had a solid season, as he scored 42 goals and earned 87 points, while Jaromír Jágr continued to develop, as he recorded 69 points in 70 games. Larry Murphy put up a defense-high 77 points in his first full season with the Penguins.
In goal, Tom Barrasso played the majority of the games, earning a team high 25 victories, along with a team best 3.53 goals against average (GAA), while earning a shutout for the club.
Offensively, the Penguins led the NHL in scoring, with 343 goals for.[1]
On October 29, 1991, the Penguins were shut out at home 8–0 by the Washington Capitals. It was the first time the Penguins had been shut-out in a regular season game since January 2, 1989, when they coincidentally lost 8–0 on the road also to the Capitals. Prior to their home loss against the Caps, the Penguins had gone 211 consecutive regular season games without being shut-out.[2][3][4][5]
Sale to Baldwin and Belzberg
[edit]Although owner Edward DeBartolo, Sr. had enjoyed his team winning the Stanley Cup, the elder DeBartolo sought to sell the Penguins, but did not have a deal in place prior to the start of the season. Minnesota North Stars co-owners Howard Baldwin and Morris Belzberg had sold their stakes in that team to fellow co-owner Norman Green following a dispute between the owners, with Baldwin having sold his interest in August and Belzberg selling off in October. Baldwin and Belzberg partnered together to purchase the Penguins, and the NHL approved the deal on November 18, 1991.[6]
Season standings
[edit]GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
New York Rangers | 80 | 50 | 25 | 5 | 321 | 246 | 105 |
Washington Capitals | 80 | 45 | 27 | 8 | 330 | 257 | 98 |
Pittsburgh Penguins | 80 | 39 | 32 | 9 | 343 | 308 | 87 |
New Jersey Devils | 80 | 38 | 31 | 11 | 289 | 259 | 87 |
New York Islanders | 80 | 34 | 35 | 11 | 291 | 299 | 79 |
Philadelphia Flyers | 80 | 32 | 37 | 11 | 252 | 273 | 75 |
R | Div | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | p – New York Rangers | PAT | 80 | 50 | 25 | 5 | 321 | 246 | 105 |
2 | Washington Capitals | PAT | 80 | 45 | 27 | 8 | 330 | 257 | 98 |
3 | Montreal Canadiens | ADM | 80 | 41 | 28 | 11 | 267 | 207 | 93 |
4 | Pittsburgh Penguins | PAT | 80 | 39 | 32 | 9 | 343 | 308 | 87 |
5 | New Jersey Devils | PAT | 80 | 38 | 31 | 11 | 289 | 259 | 87 |
6 | Boston Bruins | ADM | 80 | 36 | 32 | 12 | 270 | 275 | 84 |
7 | New York Islanders | PAT | 80 | 34 | 35 | 11 | 291 | 299 | 79 |
8 | Philadelphia Flyers | PAT | 80 | 32 | 37 | 11 | 252 | 273 | 75 |
9 | Buffalo Sabres | ADM | 80 | 31 | 37 | 12 | 289 | 299 | 74 |
10 | Hartford Whalers | ADM | 80 | 26 | 41 | 13 | 247 | 283 | 65 |
11 | Quebec Nordiques | ADM | 80 | 20 | 48 | 12 | 255 | 318 | 52 |
Divisions: ADM – Adams, PAT – Patrick
p – Clinched Presidents' Trophy
bold – Qualified for playoffs
Schedule and results
[edit]1991–92 Schedule | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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October: 5–5–2 (home: 2–3–2 ; road: 3–2–0), 12 Points
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November: 8–3–2 (home: 4–1–2 ; road: 4–2–0), 18 Points
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December: 9–5–0 (home: 3–3–0 ; road: 6–2–0), 18 Points
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January: 3–7–1 (home: 1–4–0 ; road: 2–3–0), 7 Points
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February: 3–7–3 (home: 3–2–2 ; road: 0–5–1), 9 Points
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March: 10–3–1 (home: 7–0–0 ; road: 3–3–1), 21 Points
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April: 1–2–0 (home: 1–0–0 ; road: 0–2–0), 2 Points
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Legend: = Win = Loss = Tie |
Playoffs
[edit]Division Semifinals
[edit]In the playoffs, the Penguins would open up against the Washington Capitals, who they defeated in the second round in the previous season en route to the Stanley Cup championship. The Capitals finished the season 11 points ahead of Pittsburgh, and had home ice for the series. Washington would open the series up with two solid victories at home, however, Pittsburgh responded with a Game 3 victory to cut the Caps series lead in half. Washington would demolish the Penguins in the fourth game, going up 3–1 in the series, and returning home in hopes of closing it out. Pittsburgh had no trouble beating the Capitals in Game 5, winning 5–2, and evened the series up at home in Game 6 with a 6–4 win. In the seventh and deciding game of the series, Tom Barrasso would step up, allowing only one goal as Pittsburgh won the final game by a 3–1 scoreline to upset the favored Capitals and complete the series comeback.
Division Finals
[edit]Up next was the Patrick Division-winning New York Rangers, who had 18 more points than Pittsburgh during the regular season. Pittsburgh would surprise the Rangers with a 4–2 victory in the opening game, however, New York tied the series up in the second game. The Rangers took a 2–1 series lead with 6–5 overtime victory. The Penguins would tie the series up with their own overtime win in the fourth game, as the series returned to New York for the fifth game. Pittsburgh would hang on for a 3–2 victory in the fifth game, and close out the series at home with a 5–1 win, to upset the Rangers, and return to the Conference Finals.
Conference Finals
[edit]The Penguins next opponent was the Boston Bruins, who they defeated in the playoffs the previous year in six games. The Bruins had 84 points during the regular season, three less than the Penguins, giving Pittsburgh home ice advantage. The Pens opened up the series with a 4–3 overtime win, then went up 2–0 in the series with a 5–2 win, as the series would shift to Boston. The Penguins stayed hot, winning Games 3 and 4 by identical 5–1 scorelines, to sweep the Bruins, and reach the Stanley Cup finals for the second-straight season.
Stanley Cup Finals
[edit]Pittsburgh had to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks in hopes of a second-straight Stanley Cup. The Hawks finished the season with 87 points, the same amount as the Penguins, but since the Pens had more wins than the Hawks (39 to 36), Pittsburgh would have home ice in the Finals. Chicago had defeated the St. Louis Blues, Detroit Red Wings and Edmonton Oilers en route to the Finals, entering the series with an NHL playoff record 11-game winning streak. The Penguins, however, were on their own seven-game winning streak, as they won the last three games of the Rangers series and four in the Boston series. Pittsburgh stayed hot, with a 5–4 victory in Game 1, and then defeated Chicago 3–1 in Game 2 to go up 2–0 as the series would move to Chicago Stadium. The Penguins would then shut-out Chicago 1–0 in the third game to win their tenth in a row, with Pittsburgh finishing off the sweep after a 6–5 Game 4 win, tying the Blackhawks' NHL playoff record with their own 11th-straight win as they would become the first team since the 1986–87 and 1987–88 Edmonton Oilers to win back-to-back Stanley Cups. Mario Lemieux won the Conn Smythe Trophy for the second straight year, as he recorded a League-high 34 points in just 15 playoff games.
Playoff log
[edit]1992 Stanley Cup playoffs | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Patrick Division semi-finals vs No. 2 Washington Capitals: 4–3 (home: 2–1; road: 2–2)
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Patrick Division finals vs No. 1 New York Rangers: 4–2 (home: 2–1; road: 2–1)
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Wales Conference finals vs No. 2 Boston Bruins: 4–0 (home: 2–0; road: 2–0)
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Stanley Cup Finals vs No. 2 Chicago Blackhawks: 4–0 (home: 2–0; road: 2–0)
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Legend: = Win = Loss = Playoff series win |
- Scorer of game-winning goal in italics
Player statistics
[edit]- Skaters
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|
- Goaltenders
Player | GP | TOI | W | L | T | GA | GAA | SA | SV% | SO | G | A | PIM |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tom Barrasso | 57 | 3329:29 | 25 | 22 | 9 | 196 | 3.53 | 1702 | 0.885 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 30 |
Wendell Young | 18 | 837:40 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 53 | 3.80 | 476 | 0.889 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Ken Wregget† | 9 | 448:10 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 31 | 4.15 | 202 | 0.847 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Frank Pietrangelo‡ | 5 | 225:19 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 5.33 | 130 | 0.846 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 4840:38 | 39 | 32 | 9 | 300 | 3.72 | 2510 | 0.880 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 32 |
Player | GP | TOI | W | L | T | GA | GAA | SA | SV% | SO | G | A | PIM |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tom Barrasso | 21 | 1232:59 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 58 | 3.00 | 622 | 0.907 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
Ken Wregget | 1 | 40:00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1.55 | 16 | 0.750 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 1272:59 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 62 | 2.92 | 638 | 0.903 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining the Penguins. Stats reflect time with the Penguins only.
‡Denotes player was traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with the Penguins only.
Awards and records
[edit]- Mario Lemieux became the first person to score 900 points for the Penguins. He did so in a 5–6 loss to Hartford on November 2.
- Mario Lemieux became the first person to score 400 goals for the Penguins. He did so in a 3–6 loss to Toronto on March 14.
- Mario Lemieux became the first person to score 1000 points for the Penguins. He did so in a 3–4 loss to Detroit on March 24.
- Mario Lemieux became the first person to score 600 assists for the Penguins. He did so in a 7–3 win over Vancouver on March 26.
- Paul Coffey established franchise records for goals (108) assists (332) and points (440) by a defenseman. He had set record for each category within the previous two seasons.
Awards
[edit]Player | Award |
---|---|
Phil Bourque | Edward J. DeBartolo Community Service Award |
Mario Lemieux | Bowser Pontiac Leading Point Scorer Award Booster Club Award Foodland Most Valuable Player Award Art Ross Trophy NHL Second All-Star Team Conn Smythe Trophy |
Troy Loney | Edward J. DeBartolo Community Service Award |
Joe Mullen | Unsung Hero Award Pittsburgh Penguins Masterton Nominee Murray Hill Jewelers Player's Player Award |
Larry Murphy | Baz Bastien Memorial "Good Guy" Award |
Jim Paek | Michel Briere Memorial Rookie of the Year Award |
Kevin Stevens | NHL First All-Star Team |
Transactions
[edit]The Penguins were involved in the following transactions during the 1991–92 season:[13]
Trades
[edit]February 19, 1992 | To Los Angeles Kings
Paul Coffey |
To Pittsburgh Penguins
Brian Benning |
February 19, 1992 | To Philadelphia Flyers
Brian Benning |
To Pittsburgh Penguins
Kjell Samuelsson |
March 10, 1992 | To Quebec Nordiques
rights to Scott Young |
To Pittsburgh Penguins
Bryan Fogarty |
March 10, 1992 | To Hartford Whalers
Frank Pietrangelo |
To Pittsburgh Penguins
1994 3rd round pick |
Free agents
[edit]Player | Acquired from | Lost to | Date |
---|---|---|---|
Kim Issel | Vancouver Canucks | August 1, 1991 | |
Barry Pederson | Hartford Whalers | September 5, 1991 |
Signings
[edit]Player | Date | Contract terms |
---|---|---|
Bryan Trottier | August 19, 1991 | 1-year contract |
Ron Francis | October 25, 1991 | Multi-year contract |
Other
[edit]Name | Date | Details |
---|---|---|
Bob Johnson | October 1, 1991 | Replaced as head coach due to medical condition |
Pierre McGuire | October 1, 1991 | Hired as assistant coach |
Scotty Bowman | October 1, 1991 | Hired as interim head coach |
Howard Baldwin | November 19, 1991 | Transfer of ownership |
Morris Belzberg | ||
Tom Ruta | ||
Craig Patrick | January 30, 1992 | Re-signed as GM and VP to a 5-year contract |
Peter Taglianetti | June 18, 1992 | Lost in expansion draft to Tampa Bay Lightning |
Wendell Young | June 18, 1992 | Lost in expansion draft to Tampa Bay Lightning |
Draft picks
[edit]Pittsburgh's draft picks at the 1991 NHL Entry Draft.[14]
Round | # | Player | Pos | Nationality | College/Junior/Club team (League) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 16 | Markus Naslund | Left wing | ![]() |
Modo Hockey Ornskoldsvik (SEL) |
2 | 38 | Rusty Fitzgerald | Center | ![]() |
Duluth East H.S. (Minn.) |
3 | 60 | Shane Peacock | Defense | ![]() |
Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL) |
4 | 82 | Joe Tamminen | Center | ![]() |
Virginia H.S. (Minn.) |
5 | 104 | Robert Melanson | Defense | ![]() |
Hull Olympiques (QMJHL) |
6 | 126 | Brian Clifford | Center | ![]() |
Nichols (N.Y. H.S.) |
7 | 148 | Ed Patterson | Right wing | ![]() |
Kamloops Blazers (WHL) |
8 | 170 | Peter McLaughlin | Defense | ![]() |
Belmont Hill H.S. (Massachusetts) |
9 | 192 | Jeff Lembke | Goaltender | ![]() |
Omaha Lancers (USHL) |
10 | 214 | Chris Tok | Defense | ![]() |
Greenway (Minn H.S.) |
11 | 236 | Paul Dyck | Defense | ![]() |
Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL) |
12 | 258 | Pasi Huura | Defense | ![]() |
Ilves Tampere (FNL) |
S | 22 | Greg Carvel | Center | ![]() |
St. Lawrence University (ECAC) |
Farm teams
[edit]The IHL's Muskegon Lumberjacks finished second in the East Division with a 41-28-13 record. They defeated the Milwaukee Admirals and Kalamazoo Wings before being swept by the Kansas City Blades in the Turner Cup Finals. This finals loss came as a result of the Penguins recalling Jock Callander, Mike Needham, and Dave Michayluk to fill open spots left by injuries to both Mario Lemieux and Joe Mullen. Michayluk still won the Ironman Award by the IHL for playing in all of his team's games while displaying outstanding offensive and defensive abilities.
The East Coast Hockey League's Knoxville Cherokees finished last overall in the standings with a record of 20-36-8.
Media affiliates
[edit]Radio
Flagship station | Play-by-play | Color commentator | Studio host |
---|---|---|---|
KDKA-AM 1020 (main) WDVE-FM 102.5 (backup) |
Mike Lange | Paul Steigerwald |
Some of the games broadcast on WDVE because of KDKA-AM's broadcast conflict with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Television
Local TV | Play-by-play | Color commentator |
---|---|---|
KDKA-TV 2 KBL |
Mike Lange | Paul Steigerwald |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "1991-92 NHL Summary".
- ^ "1988-89 Pittsburgh Penguins Schedule and Results".
- ^ "1989-90 Pittsburgh Penguins Schedule and Results".
- ^ "1990-91 Pittsburgh Penguins Schedule and Results".
- ^ "1991-92 Pittsburgh Penguins Schedule and Results".
- ^ "NHL OKs sale of Penguins". UPI. November 18, 1991. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
- ^ "1991-1992 Division Standings". National Hockey League. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
- ^ "1991-1992 Conference Standings". National Hockey League. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
- ^ "1991–1992 – Regular Season – Pittsburgh Penguins – All Skaters – Summary – Points – NHL.com – Stats". NHL.
- ^ "1991–1992 – Playoffs – Pittsburgh Penguins – All Skaters – Summary – Points – NHL.com – Stats". NHL.
- ^ "1991–1992 – Regular Season – Pittsburgh Penguins – Goalie – Summary – Wins – NHL.com – Stats". NHL.
- ^ "1991–1992 – Playoffs – Pittsburgh Penguins – Goalie – Summary – Wins – NHL.com – Stats". NHL.
- ^ "Hockey Transactions Search Results". ProSportsTransactions.
- ^ "NHL.com – NHL Entry Draft Year by Year Results". National Hockey League. Retrieved March 6, 2012.
- SHRP Sports
- The Internet Hockey Database
- National Hockey League Guide & Record Book 2007