The Penguins were fresh off their respectable showing against the juggernaut Detroit Red Wings in the 2008 Stanley Cup Final. They had to run it back against one of the best teams ever assembled in the cap era. Much like the year before the Penguins dropped the first two games of the series and found themselves up against it. They won Game 3 like they did in 2008 and in 2009 followed it up with a Game 4 victory, unlike the year prior. Then came the blowout in Game 5. Things weren’t looking great. The Penguins buckled down and survived the final two games of the series with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin locking in their legacies incredibly early in their careers. The final moments of the 2009 series had one of the most iconic finishes with Fleury’s desperation lunge successfully shutting down Nicklas Lidstrom’s final bid to tie the game.
The core players were fairly similar in both 2008 and 2009, but we had some interesting additions to the roster which helped push the Penguins over the top. So here’s a look back at the cast of characters from the 2008-09 season.
One of the most successful trades of the Crosby era. Sidney Crosby received what would be his long serving left winger. Kunitz was an undrafted player who had already won a Stanley Cup in a top six role with the Anaheim Ducks. While Kunitz most certainly benefited from being Crosby’s linemate he was independently a really solid player as evidence by the Anaheim run prior. Kunitz wasn’t at his full powers yet with the Penguins. He was exactly what the team needed to help spread the wealth in the lineup. It was Kunitz’s controlled breakout pass under pressure that sprung Max Talbot for his Stanley Cup game winning goal high over Chris Osgood’s shoulder.
Bill Guerin’s addition to the Penguins was much needed. He brought the veteran leadership touch the Penguins were in search of. Crosby was a really good leader even at a young age. It does however help to have someone of Guerin’s ilk to carry some of the burden and he did splendidly. Guerin was towards the end of his career so his on-ice impacts weren’t quite what they used to be. They were good enough considering Sidney Crosby was a super hero back in those days. Having a crafty player like Guerin was good enough.
You don’t hear Ruslan Fedotenko’s name a lot in the Penguins discourse these days. We probably should as he was a tremendous addition to the roster and helped fill the void left by Petr Sykora’s injury. While Crosby received the two newcomers in Kunitz and Guerin, Fedotenko was there to provide Evgeni Malkin the support he needed to thrive. Fedotenko was a seasoned pro having already scored a goal in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final with Tampa Bay’s winning team in 2004. He was your trusty depth top six forward which allows the wealth to be spread on other lines to create a well-rounded lineup. He had seven goals and 14 points in the 24 playoff games in 2009 enroute to his second championship.
Rob Scuderi turned into “The Piece” during this run, but he didn’t do it by himself. He had a huge redwood tree by his side in Hal Gill. The Penguins got the best out of Gill and together with Scuderi they formed a formidable shutdown pairing. Jaromir Jagr once claimed Hal Gill always played him the toughest and this version of Gill was certainly a chore to play against.
Well, I certainly wasn’t going to leave the Superstar off the list for the 2008-09 season. Max Talbot will forever be known for the two goals he scored in Game 7 securing the Penguins third Stanley Cup in franchise history. Known for his jovial personality and scrappiness on the ice Talbot stepped up in the biggest way possible when he was thrust into top six action with the Malkin line. Aside from his legendary Game 7 performance he also delivered the iconic shush against the Flyers. One of the most fondly remembered depth players in Penguins history.
Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin did a ton of heavy lifting for the Penguins over the years and way back when Jordan Staal was right there as the absolute perfect third line center. He provided shutdown caliber defense and was able to muster up acceptable third line scoring depth. While his PK percentile isn’t great on the card, he scored the most important shorthanded goal in franchise history. The Red Wings were up a goal and headed to the power play. A two goal lead sure felt insurmountable given how great the Red Wings were. Instead of taking that two goal lead it was Jordan Staal shooting up the ice and burying an electric mini breakaway after pulling away in a power move. It is one of the Igloo’s most memorable moments in its final years. You just don’t get those pops like that anymore. The goal spearheaded the Penguins to take Game 4 and bring the series back even, unlike the year before.
Finally, the cards will speak for themselves. The driving force and the lifeblood of the Pittsburgh Penguins, the early 20’s Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin
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