The Missing Rings is a series looking at some of the best teams in NHL history to not win the Stanley Cup. Whether they lose in the first round or game seven of the finals, these great teams have been forgotten because they could not win the big one. For the next installment, the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins are the focus.
The Missing Rings: 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins
1991-92 Season
The Penguins entered the 1991-92 season as defending Stanley Cup champions. The Penguins were stacked. Leading the way was Mario Lemieux. The best player in the game at this time, Lemieux was expected to pace the Penguins and league again after appearing in only 26 games the year before. While Lemieux would only play 64 games, he led the league in scoring with 131 points. Teammate Kevin Stevens finished second in league scoring with 123 points. The Penguins were supremely talented. Joining Lemieux and Stevens were Jaromir Jagr, Ron Francis, Joe Mullen, Larry Murphy and Tom Barrasso in goal.
Despite the talented roster, the Penguins did not have a strong season. They finished third in the Patrick Division behind the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals. Pittsburgh and Washington would faceoff in the Patrick Division semifinals. The Capitals finished 11 points ahead of the Penguins and were eager for revenge after Pittsburgh eliminated the Caps in the 1991 Patrick Division final. Washington jumped out to a 3-1 series lead heading home for game five. Pittsburgh would storm back to win the series in seven games.
Next on the docket was the Presidents Trophy-winning Rangers. The Penguins proved to be too much. The Rangers fell in six games. After that, it was all elementary for Pittsburgh. They swept the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks to win their second consecutive Cup.
1992-93 Season
Entering the 1992-93 season, the expectations were high for Pittsburgh. Unlike the previous season, the Penguins flourished in the regular season. The would have a 56-21-7 record and 119 points, good for the Presidents Trophy. The Penguins finished the season on an NHL record 17 game winning streak. Again, the Penguins were paced offensively by Mario Lemieux. Super Mario was cutting a record-setting pace. Lemieux was on pace to smash Wayne Gretzky‘s NHL record for goals and points in a season.
However, on January 12, 1993, Lemieux made a shocking announcement. He had to step away from the game. He was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. Lemieux underwent aggressive radiation treatments that left his career in doubt. Amazingly, Lemieux only missed two months of action. He returned to the ice on the day of his final treatment. Lemieux played in 60 games but ran away with the scoring title, putting up 160 points. Along with the Art Ross, Lemieux also won the Hart, Lester B. Pearson and Bill Masterson Trophies.
Along with Lemieux, the penguins had Stevens (111), Tocchet (109) and Francis (100) all put up at least 100 points. With Lemieux back in the fold, the Penguins were heavy favourites to win their third Cup in a row.
What Went Wrong
The Penguins got off to a strong start in the Patrick Division semifinals. They took care of the New Jersey Devils in five games. This set up a Patrick Division final showdown with the upstart New York Islanders.
The Islanders got past the Capitals in the other Patrick Division semifinal in six games. Again, the Islanders were not expected to pose a big threat to Pittsburgh. Although, the Islanders had some success against the Penguins in the regular season. The Penguins held a slight 4-3 edge in the season series. Still, the Penguins finished the season 32 points ahead of the Islanders. Not many gave New York a chance. With Buffalo’s upset of Boston, it looked like the Penguins path to a third straight Stanley Cup final was clear. But, that’s why they play the games.
The team’s exchanged wins through the first four games. The Penguins won game five 6-3 to take a 3-2 series lead. With their back’s against the wall, the Islanders forced a game seven with a 7-5 win in game six. Game seven was a tense affair. Pittsburgh tried to dominate but Glenn Healey was spectacular making 42 saves in the game. While the Penguins did take a 1-0 lead in the second period, it was short-lived. The Islanders scored three straight to hold a 3-1 third-period lead. The Penguins would tie the game by scoring two goals in the final four minutes of the third period. The game was headed to overtime. In the overtime, David Volek scored to eliminate the Penguins.
Aftermath
The Islanders would lose in the Wales Conference finals to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Montreal Canadiens. For the Penguins, it was the start of a bit of a decline. While they would make the playoffs for the next eight seasons, the Penguins had to deal with an aging roster and ailing captain. While they would make two Eastern Conference finals (1996, 2001) but were not able to get back to the final. As for Mario Lemieux, the next four season would be marred by chronic back issues. Lemieux even took a leave of absence 1993-94 citing recovery from chemotherapy and other back ailments. While Lemieux would return in the 1995-96 season, he would ultimately retire (temporarily) in 1998.
The 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins were poised to win their third Stanley Cup in a row and stake their claim as one of the best teams in NHL history. Mario Lemieux coming back from cancer to lead his team to the Cup is something only seen in movies. While it looked like it might happen, real-life can get in the way. The Volek goal that eliminated the Penguins also halted their almost dynasty. Nobody knew it at the time, but the Penguins would never again taste success with that roster. A team poised to dominate the NHL for several years was derailed in the spring of 1993. It would be 17 years before the Penguins would again find ultimate success.
