For Penguins fans, the 2008-09 season was quite unlike anything they've ever seen. There were sickening lows and highs that future teams will never hope to outdo. It was a dazzling roller coaster that took place over parts of nine months.
This is a game-by-game look at all 106 contests the Penguins suited up for this season.
(Note: The first link is video provided by the NHL. The second link is our live blog from that game.)
REGULAR SEASON
OCTOBER
4-Penguins 4, Senators 3, OT -- Tyler Kennedy begins the season with a scoring pace of 164 goals and helps the Penguins start the season with an overtime win in Sweden.
5-Senators 3, Penguins 1 -- The Penguins have issues on the power play and fall to Ottawa. That won't be an issue the rest of the season, right? Alex Goligoski scores his career goal with less than two seconds left.
11-Devils 2, Penguins 1, OT - The next to last season at Mellon Arena opens with a sloppy overtime loss by the Penguins. Miroslav Satan scores his first goal as a Penguin.
14-Penguins 3, Flyers 2, OT - With the prospect of a shootout looming, Pascal Dupuis cranks a slapper from the left wing that beats Antero Niittymaki to the far side for an overtime win:
Brooks Orpik and the great Mike Zigomanis also get goals while Eric Godard and Riley Cote register an early candidate for fight of the year:
16-Capitals 4, Penguins 3 - Despite holding Alex Ovechkin off the scoreboard, the Penguins collapse in the third period and stage a come-from-ahead defeat.
18-Penguins 4, Maple Leafs 1 - Sidney Crosby has a night of milestones as he scores the 100th goal, 200th assist and 300th career point of his career as the Penguins pound the Maple Leafs. Toronto won't cause any problems for the Penguins the rest of the year right? Crosby and Petr Sykora hook up for a nifty goal:
20-Penguins 2, Bruins 1, SO - On the road in Boston, Dany Sabourin make his first start of the season and makes 35 saves as the Penguins gut out a shootout win.
23-Penguins 4, Hurricanes 1 - After playing flat in the first two periods, the Penguins stage a furious comeback and overwhelm the Hurricanes in the third period.
25-Rangers 3, Penguins 2, SO - Nikolai Zherdev ties the game with eight seconds left and the Penguins fall in a shootout in Manhattan.
28-Sharks 2, Penguins 1 - The Penguins go to the West coast and get dominated just about everywhere but the scoreboard.
30-Coyotes 4, Penguins 1 - Another game out west. Another poor offensive effort. Another loss.
NOVEMBER
1-Penguins 6, Blues 3 - Multi-point games from Tyler Kennedy, Evgeni Malkin, Miroslav Satan and Sidney Crosby help the Penguins salvage the end of their road trip. Malkin scores the best looking sloppy goal you'll ever see:
6-Penguins 5, Oilers 4 - Despite getting two goals each from Miroslav Satan and Petr Sykora, the Penguins nearly blow a five-goal lead. Satan's first goal was sick:
8-Penguins 4, Islanders 3, SO - Two goals from Tyler Kennedy help the Penguins stage a comeback shootout win on Long Island.
11-Penguins 7, Red Wings 6, OT - In arguably the greatest regular season game in the history of the franchise, Jordan Staal has the game of his career:
13-Penguins 5, Flyers 4 - Despite giving up two shorthanded goals, the Penguins still eke out a win against their rivals on the strength of a shootout goal by Alex Goligoski.
15-Penguins 5, Sabres 2 - The Penguins bust out their throwback blues and stage an entertaining comeback win for their sixth consecutive win. They might never lose in those jerseys ever again right?
18-Wild 2, Penguins 1, SO - The Philippe Boucher era gets off to a poor start as the Penguins have issues with the Wild's tight defense and see their winning streak come to an end.
20-Penguins 3, Thrashers 2 - Sidney Crosby scores another "butt" goal and the Penguins get by with a tight win in Atlanta.
Kris Letang rocks Todd White's world:
22-Canucks 3, Penguins 1 - Despite seeing Roberto Luongo go down with a groin injury, the Penguins can't figure out the Canucks in an unusual home loss.
26-Penguins 5, Islanders 3 - With Marc-Andre Fleury sidelined, John Curry picks up his first NHL win as the Penguins team up Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for a little magic:
28-Sabres 4, Penguins 3 - Two goals from Sidney Crosby can't overcome the Penguins' power play which goes 0 for 7 in Buffalo.
29-Penguins 4, Devils 1 - Sidney Crosby has his second career hat trick and and an assist as the Penguins cruise to a home win.
DECEMBER
3-Rangers 3, Penguins 2, SO - Stop us if this sounds familiar. The Penguins lose a shootout on the road at Madison Square Garden. Sadly, the great Mike Zigomanis' season comes to an end due to a shoulder injury.
4-Penguins 5, Hurricanes 2 - Dany Sabourin is strong as he makes 34 saves and Petr Sykora picks up two goals in a road win.
6-Senators 3, Penguins 2 - Jason Spezza 3, Penguins 2.
8-Sabres 4, Penguins 3 - More issues with the power play and an another inconsistent effort lead to another sloppy loss at home.
10-Devils 4, Penguins 1 - A banged up Penguins team full of AHL Penguins is no match for the Devils.
11-Penguins 9, Islanders 2 - The Penguins unleash something evil on the Islanders and Petr Sykora and Pascal Dupuis each record their first career hat tricks.
13-Flyers 6, Penguins 3 - An afternoon game in Philadelphia brings a flat effort from the Penguins.
18-Penguins 6, Thrashers 3 - Marc-Andre Fleury returns to the lineup after a five-week absence due to an injury and makes 28 saves in a road win.
20-Maple Leafs 7, Penguins 3 - In the first of several brutal beatings in those blue jerseys, the Penguins get stomped by the Maple Leafs.
22-Penguins 4, Sabres 3 - Two goals from Alex Goligoski and an controversial overtime goal by Sidney Crosby lead to a Penguins road win:
23-Lightning 2, Penguins 0 - Ryan Whitney makes his season debut but the Penguins are flat in a home loss. Former Penguins forward Mark Recchi reaches the 1,400-point mark.
26-Penguins 1, Devils 0 - Marc-Andre Fleury makes 37 saves to record his first shutout of the season.
27-Canadiens 3, Penguins 2 - Andrei Kostitsyn 3, Penguins 2.
30-Bruins 5, Penguins 2 - The Big Bad Bruins comes in to town and blast the Penguins.
JANUARY
1-Bruins 4, Penguins 2 - Dustin Jeffrey scores his first NHL goal but the Penguins still can't beat the Bruins.
3-Panthers 6, Penguins 1 - The Penguins hit what is arguably the low point of their season. Sidney Crosby has a melt down:
5-Rangers 4, Penguins 0 - Domination by the Rangers makes the Penguins' losing streak reach five games.
6-Penguins 3, Thrashers 1 - Colby Armstrong's nose > Ruslan Fedotenko's fist:
8-Predators 5, Penguins 3 - Another imcomplete effort leads to a blown three-goal lead for the Penguins who fall on the road.
10-Avalanche 5, Penguins 3 - Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin each record a goal and an assist but it's not enough as the Avalanche pounds the Penguins.
13-Penguins 4, Flyers 2 - Michel Therrien has his team adopt a trap defense and it produces positive results in Philadelphia.
14-Capitals 6, Penguins 3 - The Penguins try to run and gun with the Capitals and get run over.
16-Penguins 3, Ducks 1 - Matt Cooke does his best Ryan Malone impression.
18-Penguins 3, Rangers 0 - Marc-Andre Fleury makes 33 saves and shows his true colors:
20-Hurricanes 2, Penguins 1 - Despite 38 saves from Marc-Andre Fleury, the Penguins get edged at home.
28-Penguins 6, Rangers 2 - Eric Godard rocks Colton Orr's world and the Penguins rock the Rangers on the strength of two goals each from Petr Sykora and Kris Letang:
30-Devils 4, Penguins 3 - The Penguins drop a stunner in overtime in New Jersey.
31-Maple Leafs 5, Penguins 4 - The Mathieu Garon era in Pittsburgh doesn't start all that well.
FEBRUARY
3-Canadiens 4, Penguins 2 - Luca Caputi gets his first NHL goal but the Penguins continue to lose.
4-Penguins 4, Lightning 3 - Evgeni Malkin simply refuses to lose.
6-Penguins 4, Blue Jackets 1 - Two goals by Kris Letang help lead to the Penguins' second consecutive win.
8-Red Wings 3, Penguins 0 - Marian Hossa and Ty Conklin return to Mellon Arena in a big way.
11-Penguins 2, Sharks 1, SO - The Penguins edge the league's best team in a big home shootout win.
14-Maple Leafs 6, Penguins 2 - Sergei Gonchar returns to the lineup but this loss brings an end to the Michel Therrien era.
16-Islanders 3, Penguins 2, SO - The Dan Bylsma era begins with a loss on Long Island.
19-Penguins 5, Canadiens 4 - So much for Sergei Gonchar's shoulder being an issue.
21-Penguins 5, Flyers 4 - We're still trying to figure out what Martin Biron was doing here:
22-Capitals 5, Penguins 2 - Sidney Crosby gets dinged up as his team gets roughed up in Washington.
25-Penguins 1, Islanders 0 - The Penguins grind out an ugly home win against the hapless Islanders.
27-Penguins 5, Blackhawks 4 - The Chris Kunitz era kicks off with a thriller in the Windy City.
MARCH
1-Penguins 4, Stars 1 - Marc-Andre Fleury makes 20 saves to earn his 100th career win and the Penguins' offense picks apart the reeling Stars.
3-Penguins 3, Lightning 1 - This Kunitz guy isn't bad. He picks up two goals in a must win down south.
5-Penguins 4, Panthers 1 - Sidney Crosby returns to the lineup just in time to play with his new toys, Chris Kunitz and Bill Guerin.
8-Penguins 4, Capitals 3, SO - It comes down to Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin in the shootout. One scored. The other didn't:
10-Penguins 4, Panthers 3, SO - Sidney Crosby picks up a goal and an assist and the Penguins increase their winning streak to seven games.
12-Blue Jackets 4, Penguins 3, SO - The Penguins stage a comeback from three goals down but lose in a thrilling shootout.
14-Senators 4, Penguins 3, SO - A third period collapse by the Penguins leads to a shootout win for the Senators.
15-Penguins 6, Bruins 4 - Chris Kunitz has his first hat trick for the Penguins (sort of) and the Penguins overwhelm the best team in the Eastern Conference.
17-Penguins 6, Thrashers 2 - Evgeni Malkin ties a career-high with five points and the Penguins crush the Thrashers.
20-Penguins 4, Kings 1 - Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin each record a goal and an assist as the Penguins turn away the Kings.
22-Flyers 3, Penguins 1 - Another afternoon game on NBC results in another flat effort for the Penguins.
25-Penguins 2, Flames 0 - The Penguins and Marc-Andre Fleury shut down one of the best teams in the Western Conference.
28-Penguins 4, Rangers 3 - Ruslan Fedotenko has a goal and two assists and helps the Penguins go 10-1-2 in March.
APRIL
1-Penguins 6, Devils 1 - This hit by Rob Scuderi on Dainius Zubrus pretty much explains it all:
4-Hurricanes 3, Penguins 2, OT - Two teams desperate for playoff seeding produce a wonderful late-season game.
5-Panthers 4, Penguins 2 - The playoff race in the Eastern Conference gets even hairier as the Penguins can't figure out Tomas Vokoun.
7-Penguins 6, Lightning 4 - A wild, sloppy win clinches a playoff berth for the Penguins for the third consecutive year.
9-Penguins 6, Islanders 1 - The Penguins close out the next to last regular season at Mellon Arena with a rout of the Islanders.
11-Penguins 3, Canadiens 1 - A road win in Montreal secures a first-round playoff match-up with the Flyers.
PLAYOFFS
15-Penguins 4, Flyers 1 - The Flyers come unglued and the Penguins pick them apart.
17-Penguin 3, Flyers 2, OT - Remember when Bill Guerin couldn't score in the playoffs?
19-Flyers 6, Penguins 3 - The Flyers play some Flyers hockey and come away with a win. Chris Kunitz played some Flyers hockey with Kimmo Timonen:
21-Penguins 3, Flyers 1 - Marc-Andre Fleury makes 45 saves in arguably the best effort his career.
23-Flyers 3, Penguins 0 - The Penguins fail to close out the Flyers at home with a flat lifeless effort.
25-Penguins 5, Flyers 3 - Shhhh.....
MAY
2-Capitals 3, Penguins 2 - Simeon Varlamov saves the day:
4-Capitals 4, Penguins 3 - Alex Ovechkin 3, Sidney Crosby 3.
6-Penguins 3, Capitals 2 - Kris Letang's overtime goal gets the Penguins back in the series:
8-Penguins 5, Capitals 3 - The Penguins finally get to Simeon Varlamov and tie the series, but lose Sergei Gonchar.
9-Penguins 4, Capitals 3, OT - A fortunate bounce gives the Penguins a 3-2 series lead:
11-Capitals 5, Penguins 4, OT - David Steckel gets a little retribution.
13-Penguins 6, Capitals 2 - A series this trilling deserved a much better ending:
18-Penguins 3, Hurricanes 2 - The Penguins get goals from unlikely sources in Philippe Boucher and Miroslav Satan and hold off the Hurricanes.
21-Penguins 7, Hurricanes 4 - Evgeni Malkin does the indescribable:
23-Penguins 6, Hurricanes 2 - The Penguins overwhelm Cam Ward and the Hurricanes and move within a game of a repeat appearance in the Stanley Cup final.
26-Penguins 4, Hurricanes 1 - So much for curses:
30-Red Wings 3, Penguins 1 - A better effort than the year before, but the same result.
31-Red Wings 3, Penguins 1 - The Penguins get none of the bounces and fall in a 2-0 hole once again.
JUNE
2-Penguins 4, Red Wings 2 - Two goals from Maxime Talbot and a power play score by Sergei Gonchar help the Penguins get back in the series.
4-Penguins 4, Red Wings 2 - Jordan Staal > Brian Rafalski:
6-Red Wings 5, Penguins 0 - The Penguins have a melt down, the Red Wings make them pay and move within a game of their second consecutive Stanley Cup championship.
9-Penguins 2, Red Wings 1 - Marc-Andre Fleury and Rob Scuderi each come up big late:
12-Penguins 2, Red Wings 1 - Welcome back Stanley.
Posted
Jun 22 2009, 12:55 AM
by
Seth Rorabaugh