1988-1989 Pittsburgh Penguins Recap

1988-1989 Pittsburgh Penguins Recap

1988-1989 Pittsburgh Penguins: Go Go Super Mario!

The Pittsburgh Penguins had only moderate success in their early years in the NHL, but once a certain superstar player joined the team, it was only a matter of time before the Penguins became perennial contenders for the Stanley Cup. The first real sign of this came during the 1988-1989 campaign, when scoring goals seemed to come almost too easily for Penguins players.

A Strong Regular Season

The 1988-1989 Pittsburgh Penguins went 40-33-7 with 87 points, finishing 2nd in the Patrick Division and 4th in the Prince of Wales Conference. The Penguins finished just one win and five points behind the Washington Capitals for the division title, though they went 4-3 against the Capitals in head-to-head play. The Penguins played well on home ice, going 24-13-3 at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena and 16-20-4 on the road.

The Penguins fared well in head-to-head play overall, going 4-2-1 against the New York Islanders, 4-3 against their Pennsylvania rivals the Philadelphia Flyers, 3-0 against the Chicago Blackhawks, 3-3-1 against the New York Rangers, 2-0-1 against the Detroit Red Wings, 2-1 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, and Winnipeg Jets, and 1-1-1 against the Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues.

Offensive Firepower

Lemieux’s Historic Campaign

Center Mario Lemieux was the heart and soul of the Penguins, serving as the team’s captain, and statistically he had the best regular season of his career in 1988-1989. Lemieux posted 85 goals and 114 assists for 199 points, with 31 power play goals, 48 power play assists, 13 short-handed goals, and 8 game-winning goals off 313 shots. His 114 assists were tied for the most in the NHL alongside Wayne Gretzky. Lemieux was selected to the NHL 1st All-Star Team and won the Art Ross Trophy for the accomplishment.

The Supporting Cast

Right winger Rob Brown had 49 goals and 66 assists for 115 points, with 24 power play goals, 23 power play assists, and 6 game-winning goals off 169 shots. Center Dan Quinn had 34 goals and 60 assists for 94 points, with 16 power play goals, 31 power play assists, and 4 game-winning goals off 200 shots. Defenseman Paul Coffey served as an alternate captain and had 30 goals and 83 assists for 113 points, with 11 power play goals and 53 power play assists off 342 shots. Coffey joined Lemieux on the NHL 1st All-Star Team.

Left winger Bob Errey had 26 goals and 32 assists for 58 points, with 5 game-winning goals off 130 shots. Left winger Randy Cunneyworth, another alternate captain for the Penguins, had 25 goals and 19 assists for 44 points, with 10 power play goals off 163 shots. Left winger Phil Borque had 17 goals and 26 assists for 43 points, with 13 power play assists and 3 game-winning goals off 153 shots. Center John Cullen had 12 goals and 37 assists for 49 points, with 8 power play goals and 17 power play assists off 121 shots. Defenseman Zarley Zalapski had 12 goals and 33 assists for 45 points, with 23 power play assists off 95 shots.

Goaltending

In net, the 1988-1989 Pittsburgh Penguins relied on a three-goalie rotation to backstop their high-scoring offense. Goaltender Tom Barrasso went 18-15-7, allowing 162 goals off 1445 shots in 2406 minutes, recording 283 saves, an .888 save percentage, and a 4.04 goals against average. Goaltender Wendell Young went 12-9, allowing 92 goals off 673 shots in 1150 minutes, recording 581 saves, an .863 save percentage, and a 4.80 goals against average. Goaltender Frank Pietrangelo went 5-3, allowing 45 goals off 409 shots in 669 minutes, recording an .890 save percentage and a 4.04 goals against average.

Division Semifinals: Sweeping the Rangers

The Penguins made quick work of the New York Rangers in the Division Semifinals, sweeping them 4 games to none. In Game 1 on April 5 at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena, the Penguins beat the Rangers 3-1. Right winger Tomas Sandstrom scored the only New York goal, while Paul Coffey scored 2 goals and Dan Quinn scored 1 goal for Pittsburgh.

In Game 2 on April 6, Pittsburgh defeated New York 7-4. Right winger Guy Lafleur, defenseman Brian Leetch, left winger John Ogrodnick, and center Carey Wilson all scored goals for New York, while seven different Penguins scored a single goal each: Phil Borque, Rob Brown, Randy Cunneyworth, Zarley Zalapski, right winger Jock Callander, left winger Kevin Stevens, and, of course, Mario Lemieux.

In Game 3 on April 8 at Madison Square Garden, the Penguins beat the Rangers 5-3. Along with Ogrodnick and Sandstrom, right winger Tony Granato scored a goal for New York, while Dan Quinn led the way for Pittsburgh with 2 goals. Lemieux, Cullen, and Stevens each scored 1 goal.

In Game 4 on April 9, the Penguins put the Rangers away with a 4-3 victory. Leetch scored goals for New York while Sandstrom scored 1 goal. Pittsburgh was carried by 2 goals from Borque, while Lemieux and Brown each scored 1 goal.

Division Finals: The Flyers Series

Games 1-4: A Back-and-Forth Battle

Unfortunately for the Penguins, they did not have the same kind of success against their rivals from the other side of Pennsylvania, falling to the Philadelphia Flyers 4 games to 3 in the Division Finals. In Game 1 on April 17 at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena, the Penguins beat the Flyers 4-3. The Flyers got goals from center and right winger Tim Kerr, center Dave Poulin, and left winger Brian Propp. The Penguins answered with goals from Lemieux, Brown, Cullen, and Quinn, with the game-winner belonging to Brown.

In Game 3 on April 21 at The Spectrum, the Penguins edged out the Flyers 4-3 in overtime. Propp, Poulin, and center Keith Acton each scored for Philadelphia, while Lemieux, Quinn, and Callander each scored for Pittsburgh. The game-winning goal came from Borque.

Game 5: The Birth of “Super Mario”

Game 5 on April 25 at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena was a wild showdown as the offenses of both teams showed up. Along with Kerr, center Pelle Eklund scored 2 goals for Philadelphia, while Propp, center Mike Bullard, and left winger Derrick Smith each scored 1 goal.

This was the game where Mario Lemieux exploded on the ice with a passionate performance, giving fans enough reason to nickname him “Super Mario.” Lemieux scored 5 goals and added 3 assists. Brown scored 2 goals, while Stevens and left winger Troy Loney each scored 1 goal. Paul Coffey chipped in 4 assists in Game 5.

Looking Ahead to Glory

The 1988-1989 Pittsburgh Penguins made it clear to hockey fans in the city that this team was on its way to something special, and the early 1990s would confirm those feelings as they went on to win back-to-back Stanley Cup Championships in 1991 and 1992.