Pittsburgh Penguins: Top 10 defining moments of the decade
The 2010s were quite kind to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Here’s a look at the top 10 defining moments of a glorious decade for the Penguins.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have experienced extreme highs and lows throughout their 52-year history. From bankruptcies and possible relocation to the most championships in hockey over the last three decades, there are always significant storylines surrounding this franchise.
This decade has been no different. Between injuries to star players, coaching changes, wild playoff series, significant trades, and a couple of championships, Pittsburgh has experienced it all. Here is a look back at the ten decade-defining moments of the Penguins from 2010 to 2019.
November 22, 2011
After missing almost a year with concussions and neck injuries, Sidney Crosby made his return on this night. He opened the scoring by roofing a backhander past Anders Nilsson. Crosby finished with a 4 point night in a 5-0 Penguins route.
Throughout this decade, Crosby ended up missing 147 games due to injuries and the 2012-13 lockout-shortened season. He got robbed of his true prime offensive years but is unquestionably the best NHL skater over the last decade.
February 25, 2012
Evgeni Malkin was a freight train during the 2011-12 campaign. He won the Art Ross and Hart Trophies as the league’s leading point-getter and MVP. Malkin ended the season with 50 goals and 109 points. Malkin also posted a career-high 339 shots.
Throughout his career, Malkin has terrorized the Tampa Bay Lightning. He has scored 23 career goals against them. The only teams he has scored more goals against are divisional rivals in the Islanders, Rangers, and Flyers. He galloped through the entire state of Florida on this tally.
May 10, 2013
The Penguins stunning the hockey world and acquiring Jarome Iginla in the early hours of March 27, 2013, feels like forever ago. Former Head Coach Dan Bylsma did not put Iginla in a position to succeed, and he never really settled in alongside Crosby or Malkin. Despite that, Iginla produced 23 points in 28 games as a Penguin. Iginla tallied the primary assist on what I consider to be Crosby’s statue goal. Mike Lange’s goal call says it all.
June 6, 2014
On this day, the Penguins hired Jim Rutherford as their General Manager. When Rutherford took over, Pittsburgh’s roster was very top-heavy, and there was just a stale feeling surrounding the organization.
Within two years of being on the job, Rutherford changed the style of the Penguins. Acquiring Phil Kessel, Trevor Daley, Carl Hagelin, and Justin Schultz led to more of a speed and skill approach.
While Rutherford has made some strange decisions during his tenure here, the good has outweighed the bad. As a result, he has built two championship rosters here and just became a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame last month.
December 12, 2015
When the Penguins hired Mike Sullivan, the early impressions were very encouraging. The on-ice metrics were terrific. The Penguins were outplaying teams on a nightly basis. Sullivan was always well aware that the Penguins had generational talents and that with the right guidance and structure, they had the chance to become a great team.
Under Sullivan, they have done just that. With 196 wins as the Penguins bench boss, Sullivan has the third-most wins of any coach in Penguins’ history. He is the only Penguins head coach to have won two championships with the team.
Despite all of the injuries, Sullivan has done an outstanding job in transforming the 2019-20 Penguins into a defensive stalwart. He is arguably the best coach in hockey. Sullivan wrote this letter to the city of Pittsburgh following its 2018 postseason defeat to the Washington Capitals.
May 10, 2016
The HBK line consisting of Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino, and Phil Kessel was a difference-maker for the Penguins. They provided the depth scoring that the team had really lacked since they traded Jordan Staal back in 2012.
This line made the Penguins a matchup nightmare for opponents. Hagelin and Bonino could have been top-six forwards on at least one-third of NHL teams. Phil Kessel is a future Hall of Famer. That was the Penguins third line. It was an embarrassment of riches, and their chemistry was on full display on this iconic game-winner.
June 12, 2016
7 years to the day after the first championship of the Crosby/Malkin era, the Penguins were destined to win another. After dominating the Sharks and falling short in Game 5, the Penguins made sure there would be no Game 7 back in Pittsburgh. Instead, they returned home with Lord Stanley for the fourth time in franchise history.
After the Sharks had tied the game at 1, Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby took over. Tremendous individual efforts by both led to the Penguins re-gaining the lead. With the Stanley Cup on the line, the Penguins held the Sharks to 1 shot in the final 21 minutes of this game. Think about that. Just a dominant performance from a dominant team.
May 10, 2017
It was another year of the two best teams in the Eastern Conference meeting in the second round. The Penguins and Capitals had reached a series-deciding Game 7. With Pittsburgh leading late in the second period, the best goal scorer of this era (and of all-time) Alex Ovechkin had a great scoring opportunity.
Well, the kitchen was closed. Fleury got a piece of the shot with the knob of his stick. He knew the significance of that save. Pittsburgh went onto win 2-0. The Penguins do not win that series without the performance of Fleury. He was their best player. Rutherford’s decision to keep Fleury rather than trade him in the summer of 2016 was the correct one.
May 25, 2017
Some people are just born winners and have a knack for the big moment. As a four-time Stanley Cup champion, Chris Kunitz is one of those people. He scored both of the Penguins goals in their 2-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final. This double-overtime game-winner is the biggest goal in PPG Paints Arena history and is arguably the biggest in Penguins’ history.
June 11, 2017
The Nashville Predators traded Patric Hornqvist to the Penguins on June 27, 2014. It was Rutherford’s first trade as Penguins GM. After dealing with injuries for much of the 2017 postseason, Hornqvist got the last laugh at the biggest moment in Nashville.
He scored the Cup-clinching goal against his former team. Note Chris Kunitz retrieving this loose puck and picking up a secondary assist on the game-winning goal. Once again, the Penguins returned home with a championship, rather than having to prepare for a Game 7. Pittsburgh is the only team in the salary-cap era to have won back-to-back Stanley Cups.
Next. Every Team's Greatest Player Of All-Time. dark
It was one hell of a decade for the Penguins. As per usual, there was a mix of everything sprinkled in over the last ten years in Pittsburgh. Ultimately, the hirings of Jim Rutherford and Mike Sullivan led to the Penguins maximizing their potential and changing the narrative that they were a playoff disappointment. Thanks for reading!