The 1991 Season
The First Title

First, GM Craig Patrick brougth in Bob "Badger" Johnson, and he lead the team to its first ever Patrick division title. The team finished with the 7th best record of the league, which had 21 teams by that time, and its best recors ever, with a mark of 41-33-6.

Then, came the playoffs, and in the first round the Penguins suffered to overcome the NJ Devils in a 4-3 Divisional Semifinal series. In the Division Finals, against the Wasington Capitals, the Pens had it a little easier, beating the Caps 4-1.

In the Pens first Wales Conference series, they met the defending conference champs Boston Bruins. And in 6 games, the Pens grabbed the Wales Conference trophy for the very first time, then qualifying for the Stanley Cup Finals.

The 1991 Stanley Cup finals featured 2 newcomers, as the Penguins faced the Minnesota North Stars. After splitting the first 4 games, the Penguins won the 5th and 6th games, being the last a memorable 8-0 win, and reached the top of the hockey world by becoming Stanley Cup champions for the first time in 24 years.

Some of the best moments in the Cup run :

• April 5 - Jaromir Jagr, then a promising rookie, scored an 8:52 overtime goal, against the Devils, after a great move over John MacLean and goalie Chris Terreri. The goal gave the Pens a 5-4 win.

   

• April 13 - Being 3-2 down to the Devils, the Pens faced a must-win game without starting goalie Tom Barrasso. Then came Frank Pietrangelo and what is called "The Save", when Peter Stastny was alone in front of the net, and everyone though the shot had went in, but somehow Pietrangelo ended up with the puck on his glove. The Pens went on to win 4-3 and tied the series 3-3.

   

• April 15 - Pietrangelo again was the Pens' hero, making 27 saves, keeping the shutout, while the offense scord 4 past the Devils and the Pens were alive in the playoffs.

   

• April 19 - Against the Capitals, Pietrangelo had some hard times, and after losing the first game, it looked like the Pens were going down 2-0, but somehow the team managed to send game 2 into overtime, with Randy Gilhen as an extra attacker in a delayed penalty situation, scored the tying goal. In OT, Kevin Stevens after a Ron Francis pass scored the game winner against Don Beaupre at 8:10 of the extra session.

   

• May 9 - In the Wales Conference finals, Pittsburgh and Boston entered the 5th game tied at 2 wins each. In the Boston Garden, a builiding that never brought good memories, the Penguins had a wonderful match, destroying the Bruins 7-2. In game 6, back in Pittsburgh, the Pens won again to become Eastern Champions, and got a trip to the Stanley Cup.

   

• May 25 - On this saturday the NHL crowned a new champion and a new king. With Mario Lemieux scoring one goal and recording 3 assists, the Penguins blasted the North Stars, scoring frequently, and cruising to an 8-0 win, clinching the series 4-2, and received their first Stanley Cup.

Penguins Playoff Run

Finals Scores