1995–96 Pittsburgh Penguins season
The 1995–96 Pittsburgh Penguins season saw the return of Mario Lemieux after missing an entire season due to injuries. The Penguins improved to first in the Northeast Division and second overall in the Eastern Conference. In the 1996 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Penguins progressed to the Conference Finals before losing to the Florida Panthers.
1995–96 Pittsburgh Penguins | |
---|---|
Northeast Division champions | |
Division | 1st Northeast |
Conference | 2nd Eastern |
1995–96 record | 49–29–4 |
Home record | 32–9–0 |
Road record | 17–20–4 |
Goals for | 362 |
Goals against | 284 |
Team information | |
General manager | Craig Patrick |
Coach | Eddie Johnston |
Captain | Mario Lemieux |
Alternate captains | Ron Francis Jaromir Jagr |
Arena | Pittsburgh Civic Arena |
Team leaders | |
Goals | Mario Lemieux (69) |
Assists | Mario Lemieux (92) |
Points | Mario Lemieux (161) |
Penalty minutes | Francois Leroux (161) |
Wins | Tom Barrasso (29) |
Goals against average | Ken Wregget (3.24) |
Regular season
Mario Lemieux's return to the NHL after missing the entire 1994–95 season energized the Penguins and re-instituted the team's finesse game for the 1995–96 season. The Penguins finished second in the Eastern Conference with 102 points, leading all League teams in goals (362), even-strength goals (235), power-play goals (109), power-play percentage (25.95%) and shooting percentage while scoring 362 goals on just 2,645 shots (13.7%).[1][2] Despite missing 12 regular-season games, Lemieux led the NHL in goals (69), assists (92), points (161) power-play goals (31) and shorthanded goals (8). Czech superstar Jaromir Jagr had a career year, scoring 62 goals (second in the League), 87 assists (third in the League) and 149 points (second in the League). The third 100-point scorer on the team was Ron Francis, who tallied 27 goals and 92 assists (tied for first in the NHL with Lemieux) for 119 points. Petr Nedved scored 45 goals and had 54 assists for 99 points in 80 games—he finished second in the NHL in shooting percentage, with 22.1%.[3] Despite missing over a quarter of the season, Tomas Sandstrom also had a strong year, scoring 35 goals and picking up 35 assists for 70 points in 58 games.
Lemieux scored three goals or more in a game six times, and four goals or more in a game twice. On March 26, 1996, he scored five goals in a home game against the St. Louis Blues. Lemieux tallied two even-strength goals, two power-play goals and one short-handed goal in the game, which the Penguins won 8–4.
Season standings
No. | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | PTS | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 82 | 49 | 29 | 4 | 362 | 284 | 102 |
2 | Boston Bruins | 82 | 40 | 31 | 11 | 282 | 269 | 91 |
3 | Montreal Canadiens | 82 | 40 | 32 | 10 | 265 | 248 | 90 |
4 | Hartford Whalers | 82 | 34 | 39 | 9 | 237 | 259 | 77 |
5 | Buffalo Sabres | 82 | 33 | 42 | 7 | 247 | 262 | 72 |
6 | Ottawa Senators | 82 | 18 | 59 | 5 | 191 | 291 | 41 |
R | Div | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Philadelphia Flyers | ATL | 82 | 45 | 24 | 13 | 282 | 208 | 103 |
2 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NE | 82 | 49 | 29 | 4 | 362 | 284 | 102 |
3 | New York Rangers | ATL | 82 | 41 | 27 | 14 | 272 | 237 | 96 |
4 | Florida Panthers | ATL | 82 | 41 | 31 | 10 | 254 | 234 | 92 |
5 | Boston Bruins | NE | 82 | 40 | 31 | 11 | 282 | 269 | 91 |
6 | Montreal Canadiens | NE | 82 | 40 | 32 | 10 | 265 | 248 | 90 |
7 | Washington Capitals | ATL | 82 | 39 | 32 | 11 | 234 | 204 | 89 |
8 | Tampa Bay Lightning | ATL | 82 | 38 | 32 | 12 | 238 | 248 | 88 |
9 | New Jersey Devils | ATL | 82 | 37 | 33 | 12 | 215 | 202 | 86 |
10 | Hartford Whalers | NE | 82 | 34 | 39 | 9 | 237 | 259 | 77 |
11 | Buffalo Sabres | NE | 82 | 33 | 42 | 7 | 247 | 262 | 73 |
12 | New York Islanders | ATL | 82 | 22 | 50 | 10 | 229 | 315 | 54 |
13 | Ottawa Senators | NE | 82 | 18 | 59 | 5 | 191 | 291 | 41 |
Divisions: ATL – Atlantic, NE – Northeast
bold – Qualified for playoffs
Schedule and results
1995–96 Schedule | ||||||||
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October: 4–2–2 (Home: 2–1–0 ; Road: 2–1–2), 10 Points
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November: 10–3–1 (Home: 6–1–0 ; Road: 4–2–1), 21 Points
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December: 10–4–0 (Home: 7–1–0 ; Road: 3–3–0), 20 Points
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January: 7–7–0 (Home: 5–3–0 ; Road: 2–4–0), 14 Points
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February: 6–5–1 (Home: 4–0–0 ; Road: 2–5–1), 13 Points
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March: 9–5–0 (Home: 6–2–0 ; Road: 3–3–0), 18 Points
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April: 3–3–0 (Home: 2–1–0 ; Road: 1–2–0), 6 Points
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Legend: = Win = Loss = Tie |
Playoffs
In the 1996 Playoffs, the Penguins advanced to the third round for the first time since 1992, defeating the Washington Capitals in six games and the New York Rangers in five games. In the Eastern Conference finals, the heavily favored Penguins were upset in seven games by the defense-oriented Florida Panthers.
1996 Stanley Cup Playoffs | ||||||||
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Eastern Conference Quarterfinals: 4–2 (Home: 1–2 ; Road: 3–0)
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Eastern Conference Semifinals: 4–1 (Home: 2–1 ; Road: 2–0)
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Eastern Conference Finals: 4–3 (Home: 2–2 ; Road: 1–2)
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Legend: = Win = Loss |
Suspensions
Player | Length | Date | Reason |
---|---|---|---|
Ron Francis | 2 games | February 27, 1996 | Checking from behind |
Injuries
Player | Injury | Date |
---|---|---|
Tom Barrasso | Pulled Groin (DTD) | December 7, 1995 |
Tom Barrasso | Shoulder injury (Out Indefinitely) | February 5, 1996 |
Stefan Bergkvist | Appendectomy | February 21, 1996 |
Player statistics
- Skaters
- Goaltenders
Player | GP | TOI | W | L | T | GA | GAA | SA | SV% | SO | G | A | PIM |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tom Barrasso | 49 | 2799:01 | 29 | 16 | 2 | 160 | 3.43 | 1626 | 0.902 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 18 |
Ken Wregget | 37 | 2132:15 | 20 | 13 | 2 | 115 | 3.24 | 1205 | 0.905 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
Total | 4931:16 | 49 | 29 | 4 | 275 | 3.35 | 2831 | 0.903 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 26 |
Player | GP | TOI | W | L | T | GA | GAA | SA | SV% | SO | G | A | PIM |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ken Wregget | 9 | 598:47 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 23 | 2.30 | 328 | 0.93 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Tom Barrasso | 10 | 557:30 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 26 | 2.80 | 337 | 0.923 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
Total | 1156:17 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 49 | 2.54 | 665 | 0.926 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining the Penguins. Stats reflect time with the Penguins only.
‡Denotes player was traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with the Penguins only.
Awards and records
Awards
Player | Award |
---|---|
Ron Francis | Player's Player Award Pittsburgh Penguins Masterton Nominee |
Jaromir Jagr | Bob Johnson Memorial Award NHL First All-Star Team |
Mario Lemieux | Most Valuable Player Award Booster Club Award Leading Point Scorer Award Hart Memorial Trophy Art Ross Trophy Lester B. Pearson Award NHL First All-Star Team |
Petr Nedved | Unsung Hero Award Disaster Specialists "Baz" Bastien Memorial "Good Guy" Award |
Dave Roche | Edward J. DeBartolo Community Service Award |
Transactions
The Penguins have been involved in the following transactions during the 1995–96 season:[9]
Trades
July 8, 1995 | To Toronto Maple Leafs
Larry Murphy |
To Pittsburgh Penguins
Dmitri Mironov |
August 1, 1995 | To Boston Bruins
Kevin Stevens |
To Pittsburgh Penguins
Glen Murray |
August 31, 1995 | To New York Rangers
Luc Robitaille |
To Pittsburgh Penguins
Petr Nedved |
December 28, 1995 | To Winnipeg Jets
Norm MacIver |
To Pittsburgh Penguins
Neil Wilkinson |
March 1, 1996 | To Ottawa Senators
1996 8th round pick |
To Pittsburgh Penguins
Dave McLlwain |
March 20, 1996 | To Vancouver Canucks
Markus Naslund |
To Pittsburgh Penguins
Alek Stojanov |
March 20, 1996 | To St. Louis Blues
1996 6th round pick |
To Pittsburgh Penguins
Jean-Jacques Daigneault |
March 20, 1996 | To San Jose Sharks
1996 5th round pick |
To Pittsburgh Penguins
Kevin Miller |
Free agents
Player | Acquired from | Lost to | Date |
---|---|---|---|
Troy Murray | Colorado Avalanche | August 7, 1995 | |
Corey Foster | Ottawa Senators | August 7, 1995 | |
Peter Taglianetti | Boston Bruins | August 9, 1995 | |
Peter Allen | Boston Bruins | August 10, 1995 | |
Mike Hudson | Toronto Maple Leafs | August 28, 1995 | |
Joe Mullen | Boston Bruins | September 8, 1995 | |
John Cullen | Tampa Bay Lightning | September 11, 1995 | |
Ladislav Karabin | Buffalo Sabres | September 20, 1995 |
Signings
Player | Date |
---|---|
Brad Lauer | August 10, 1995 |
Evgeny Davydov | August 10, 1995 |
Troy Crowder | August 10, 1995 |
Glen Murray | September 8, 1995 |
Other
Name | Date | Details |
---|---|---|
Evgeny Davydov | September 25, 1995 | Released |
Perry Ganchar | October 15, 1995 | Retired |
Personnel
# | Nat | Player | Pos | S/G | Age | NHL Draft | Birthplace |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
38 | Peter Allen | D | R | 26 | 1991 | Calgary, Alberta | |
28 | Greg Andrusak | D | R | 26 | 1988 | Cranbrook, British Columbia | |
35 | Tom Barrasso | G | R | 31 | 1983 | Boston, Massachusetts | |
9 | Len Barrie | C | L | 27 | 1988 | Kimberley, British Columbia | |
55 | Drake Berehowsky | D | R | 24 | 1990 | Toronto, Ontario | |
33 | Stefan Bergqvist | D | L | 21 | 1993 | Leksand, Sweden | |
28 | Jeffrey Christian | LW | L | 25 | 1988 | Burlington, Ontario | |
36 | J. J. Daigneault | D | L | 30 | 1984 | Montreal, Quebec | |
16 | Joe Dziedzic | LW | L | 24 | 1990 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
52 | Rusty Fitzgerald | C | L | 23 | 1991 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
4 | Corey Foster | D | L | 26 | 1988 | Ottawa, Ontario | |
10 | Ron Francis (A) | C | L | 33 | 1981 | Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario | |
68 | Jaromir Jagr (A) | RW | L | 24 | 1990 | Kladno, Czech Republic | |
23 | Chris Joseph | D | R | 26 | 1987 | Burnaby, British Columbia | |
14 | Brad Lauer | RW | L | 29 | 1985 | Humboldt, Saskatchewan | |
66 | Mario Lemieux (C) | C | R | 30 | 1984 | Montreal, Quebec | |
18 | Francois Leroux | D | L | 26 | 1988 | Ste-Adele, Quebec | |
26 | Dave McLlwain | C | L | 29 | 1986 | Seaforth, Ontario | |
8 | Kevin Miller | C | R | 30 | 1984 | Lansing, Michigan | |
15 | Dmitri Mironov | D | R | 30 | 1991 | Moscow, Russia | |
24 | Ian Moran | D | R | 23 | 1990 | Cleveland, Ohio | |
27 | Glen Murray | RW | R | 23 | 1991 | Halifax, Nova Scotia | |
93 | Petr Nedved | C | L | 24 | 1990 | Liberec, Czech Republic | |
76 | Richard Park | RW | R | 20 | 1994 | Seoul, South Korea | |
44 | Ed Patterson | RW | R | 23 | 1991 | Delta, British Columbia | |
51 | Dave Roche | LW | L | 20 | 1993 | Lindsay, Ontario | |
17 | Tomas Sandstrom | RW | L | 31 | 1982 | Jakobstad, Finland | |
20 | Bryan Smolinski | C | R | 24 | 1990 | Toledo, Ohio | |
11 | Alek Stojanov | RW | L | 23 | 1991 | Windsor, Ontario | |
2 | Chris Tamer | D | L | 25 | 1990 | Dearborn, Michigan | |
12 | Chris Wells | C | L | 20 | 1994 | Calgary, Alberta | |
6 | Neil Wilkinson | D | R | 28 | 1986 | Selkirk, Manitoba | |
31 | Ken Wregget | G | L | 32 | 1982 | Brandon, Manitoba | |
56 | Sergei Zubov | D | R | 25 | 1990 | Moscow, Russia |
Draft picks
Pittsburgh Penguins' picks at the 1995 NHL Entry Draft.[10]
Round | # | Player | Pos | Nationality | College/Junior/Club Team (League) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 24 | Aleksey Morozov | Right Wing | Russia | Krylja Sovetov (Russia) |
3 | 76 | Jean-Sebastien Aubin | Goaltender | Canada | Sherbrooke Faucons (QMJHL) |
4 | 102 | Oleg Belov | Center | Russia | CSKA Moscow (Russia) |
5 | 128 | Jan Hrdina | Center | Czech Republic | Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) |
6 | 154 | Alexei Kolkunov | Center | Russia | Krylja Sovetov (Russia) |
7 | 180 | Derrick Pyke | Right Wing | Canada | Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL) |
8 | 206 | Sergei Voronov | Defense | Russia | Moscow Dynamo (Russia) |
9 | 232 | Frank Ivankovic | Goaltender | Canada | Oshawa Generals (OHL) |
- Draft notes[11]
- The Pittsburgh Penguins' second-round pick went to the Los Angeles Kings as the result of a July 29, 1994, trade that sent Luc Robitaille to the Penguins in exchange for Rick Tocchet and this pick.
Farm teams
The Hampton Roads Admirals of the East Coast Hockey League finished in fifth place in the East Division, but lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Richmond Renegades.
The Cleveland Lumberjacks of the International Hockey League (IHL) finished in third place in the Central Division, but were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Michigan K-Wings.
References
- https://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_1996.html
- https://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/PIT/1996.html
- https://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_1996.html
- "1995–1996 Conference Standings". National Hockey League. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
- "1995–1996 – Regular Season – Pittsburgh Penguins – All Skaters – Summary – Points – NHL.com – Stats". NHL.
- "1995–1996 – Playoffs – Pittsburgh Penguins – All Skaters – Summary – Points – NHL.com – Stats". NHL.
- "1995–1996 – Regular Season – Pittsburgh Penguins – Goalie – Summary – Wins – NHL.com – Stats". NHL.
- "1995–1996 – Playoffs – Pittsburgh Penguins – Goalie – Summary – Wins – NHL.com – Stats". NHL.
- "Hockey Transactions Search Results". ProSportsTransactions. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
- "NHL Entry Draft Year by Year Results". NHL.com. Retrieved July 14, 2012.
- "1995 NHL Entry Draft Pending Transactions". Pro Sports Transactions. Retrieved July 14, 2012.