1994–95 Pittsburgh Penguins season
Despite the absence of Mario Lemieux, the 1994–95 Pittsburgh Penguins season started the off strong, by winning their first seven games. They remained undefeated in their first 13 games, going 12–0–1. However, after such a red-hot start to the season, the Penguins had a lukewarm record in their final 35 games, going 17–16–2. Jaromir Jagr won the Art Ross Trophy for most points (70), captain Ron Francis led the league in assists (48) and plus/minus (+30), and goaltender Ken Wregget led the league in wins (25). In a 7–3 Penguins' win over the Florida Panthers on February 7, Joe Mullen recorded an assist and became the first American-born NHL player to reach 1,000 points. Nine days later, Luc Robitaille scored four goals in a 5–2 Penguins win over the Hartford Whalers.
1994–95 Pittsburgh Penguins | |
---|---|
Division | 2nd Northeast |
Conference | 3rd Eastern |
1994–95 record | 29–16–3 |
Home record | 18–5–1 |
Road record | 11–11–2 |
Goals for | 181 |
Goals against | 158 |
Team information | |
General manager | Craig Patrick |
Coach | Eddie Johnston |
Captain | Ron Francis |
Alternate captains | Ulf Samuelsson Kevin Stevens |
Arena | Pittsburgh Civic Arena |
Average attendance | 16,108 |
Minor league affiliate(s) | Cleveland Lumberjacks |
Team leaders | |
Goals | Jaromir Jagr (32) |
Assists | Ron Francis (48) |
Points | Jaromir Jagr (70) |
Penalty minutes | Francois Leroux (114) |
Plus/minus | Ron Francis (+30) |
Wins | Ken Wregget (25) |
Goals against average | Ken Wregget (3.21) |
Regular season
The Penguins had the highest shooting percentage in the NHL during the regular season, scoring 181 goals on just 1,400 shots (12.9%).[1]
Final standings
No. | CR | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | Quebec Nordiques | 48 | 30 | 13 | 5 | 185 | 134 | 65 |
2 | 3 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 48 | 29 | 16 | 3 | 181 | 158 | 61 |
3 | 4 | Boston Bruins | 48 | 27 | 18 | 3 | 150 | 127 | 57 |
4 | 7 | Buffalo Sabres | 48 | 22 | 19 | 7 | 130 | 119 | 51 |
5 | 10 | Hartford Whalers | 48 | 19 | 24 | 5 | 127 | 141 | 43 |
6 | 11 | Montreal Canadiens | 48 | 18 | 23 | 7 | 125 | 148 | 43 |
7 | 14 | Ottawa Senators | 48 | 9 | 34 | 5 | 117 | 174 | 23 |
R | Div | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Quebec Nordiques | NE | 48 | 30 | 13 | 5 | 185 | 134 | 65 |
2 | Philadelphia Flyers | AT | 48 | 28 | 16 | 4 | 150 | 132 | 60 |
3 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NE | 48 | 29 | 16 | 3 | 181 | 158 | 61 |
4 | Boston Bruins | NE | 48 | 27 | 18 | 3 | 150 | 127 | 57 |
5 | New Jersey Devils | AT | 48 | 22 | 18 | 8 | 136 | 121 | 52 |
6 | Washington Capitals | AT | 48 | 22 | 18 | 8 | 136 | 120 | 52 |
7 | Buffalo Sabres | NE | 48 | 22 | 19 | 7 | 130 | 119 | 51 |
8 | New York Rangers | AT | 48 | 22 | 23 | 3 | 139 | 134 | 47 |
9 | Florida Panthers | AT | 48 | 20 | 22 | 6 | 115 | 127 | 46 |
10 | Hartford Whalers | NE | 48 | 19 | 24 | 5 | 127 | 141 | 43 |
11 | Montreal Canadiens | NE | 48 | 18 | 23 | 7 | 125 | 148 | 43 |
12 | Tampa Bay Lightning | AT | 48 | 17 | 28 | 3 | 120 | 144 | 37 |
13 | New York Islanders | AT | 48 | 15 | 28 | 5 | 126 | 158 | 35 |
14 | Ottawa Senators | NE | 48 | 9 | 34 | 5 | 117 | 174 | 23 |
Divisions: AT – Atlantic, NE – Northeast
bold – Qualified for playoffs
Playoffs
Despite finding themselves in a three-games-to-one series deficit against the Washington Capitals in the first round of the playoffs, the Penguins won Game 5 at home in overtime, 6–5, via Luc Robitaille's goal at 4:30 of the first overtime period. Peter Bondra, Dale Hunter, Jaromir Jagr and Kevin Stevens each scored twice in the game. Pittsburgh went on to win Game 6 in Washington, 7–1, and then closed out the series at home with a 3–0 victory in Game 7. It was the second time in four years that the Penguins had come back to defeat the Capitals after being down three games to one. The Penguins faced the New Jersey Devils in the second round, and won the opening game, 3–2. With only 1:15 remaining in Game 2, Jaromir Jagr tied the game at 2–2. The game seemed certain to head to overtime until a breakaway-goal by Devils captain Scott Stevens with just 29 seconds remaining. Claude Lemieux added an empty-net goal and the Devils tied the series with a 4–2 win. In the final three games of the series, the Penguins managed to score only three goals and were ultimately eliminated at home in Game 5, 4–1.
Schedule and results
Regular season
1994–95 regular season[4] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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January: 5–0–0 (home: 1–0–0 ; road: 4–0–0), 10 Points
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February: 9–3–2 (home: 7–1–1 ; road: 2–2–1), 20 Points
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March: 8–6–0 (home: 5–1–0 ; road: 3–5–0), 16 Points
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April: 7–5–1 (home: 5–2–0 ; road: 2–3–1), 15 Points
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May: 0–2–0 (home: 0–1–0 ; road: 0–1–0), 0 Points
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Legend: = Win = Loss = Tie |
Playoffs
1995 Stanley Cup playoffs[4] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Eastern Conference Quarterfinals vs. (6) Washington Capitals – Penguins win 4–3
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Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. (5) New Jersey Devils – Devils win 4–1
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Legend: = Win = Loss |
Suspensions
Player | Length | Date |
---|---|---|
Luc Robitaille | 2 games | February 2, 1995 |
Injuries
Player | Injury | Date |
---|---|---|
Mario Lemieux | 1–year leave for Hodgkin's Lymphoma treatment | August 29, 1994 |
Wayne McBean | Wrist surgery (Out indefinitely) | October 1, 1994 |
Tom Barrasso | Wrist surgery (Out indefinitely) | January 20, 1995 |
Greg Andrusak | Separated shoulder (DTD) | March 15, 1995 |
Tom Barrasso | Sore wrist (DTD) | May 3, 1995 |
Drake Berehowsky | Knee surgery (Out indefinitely) | July 1, 1995 |
Player statistics
- Skaters
- Goaltenders
Player | GP | TOI | W | L | T | GA | GAA | SA | SV% | SO | G | A | PIM |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ken Wregget | 38 | 2208:28 | 25 | 9 | 2 | 118 | 3.21 | 1219 | 0.903 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
Wendell Young | 10 | 496:38 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 27 | 3.26 | 255 | 0.894 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Philippe DeRouville | 1 | 60:00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3.00 | 27 | 0.889 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Tom Barrasso | 2 | 125:00 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 3.84 | 75 | 0.893 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 2890:06 | 29 | 16 | 3 | 156 | 3.24 | 1576 | 0.901 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
Player | GP | TOI | W | L | GA | GAA | SA | SV% | SO | G | A | PIM |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ken Wregget | 11 | 660:35 | 5 | 6 | 33 | 3.00 | 349 | 0.905 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Tom Barrasso | 2 | 80:00 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 6.00 | 41 | 0.805 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Total | 740:35 | 5 | 7 | 41 | 3.32 | 390 | 0.895 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
†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
Type | Award/honor | Recipient | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
League (annual) |
Art Ross Trophy | Jaromir Jagr | [9] |
Frank J. Selke Trophy | Ron Francis | [10] | |
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy | Ron Francis | [11] | |
Lester Patrick Trophy | Joe Mullen | [12] | |
NHL First All-Star team | Jaromir Jagr (Right Wing) | [13] | |
NHL Second All-Star team | Larry Murphy (Defense) | [13] | |
NHL Plus-Minus Award | Ron Francis | [14] | |
Team | A. T. Caggiano Memorial Booster Club Award | Jaromir Jagr | [15] |
Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Good Guy Award | Larry Murphy | [16] | |
Bob Johnson Memorial Badger Bob Award | Ron Francis | [16] | |
Joe Mullen | |||
Leading Scorer Award | Jaromir Jagr | ||
Michel Briere Memorial Rookie of the Year Trophy | No winner | [17] | |
Most Valuable Player Award | Jaromir Jagr | [18] | |
Players' Player Award | Ron Francis | [17] | |
The Edward J. DeBartolo Community Service Award | Ron Francis | [15] | |
Bryan Trottier |
Milestones
Milestone | Player | Date | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
1,000th point | Joe Mullen | February 7, 1995 | [19] |
400th goal | Luc Robitaille | February 19, 1995 | [20] |
1,000th game played | Ron Francis | April 16, 1995 | [21] |
Transactions
The Penguins were involved in the following transactions during the 1994–95 season:[22]
Trades
July 29, 1994 | To Los Angeles Kings
Rick Tocchet |
To Pittsburgh Penguins
Luc Robitaille |
February 16, 1995 | To Tampa Bay Lightning
future considerations |
To Pittsburgh Penguins
Wendell Young |
April 7, 1995 | To Toronto Maple Leafs
Grant Jennings |
To Pittsburgh Penguins
Drake Berehowsky |
April 7, 1995 | To Winnipeg Jets
Greg Brown |
To Pittsburgh Penguins
cash |
April 7, 1995 | To Ottawa Senators
Martin Straka |
To Pittsburgh Penguins
Norm Maciver |
Free agents
Player | Acquired from | Lost to | Date |
---|---|---|---|
Jeff Christian | New Jersey Devils | August 2, 1994 | |
Mike Ramsey | Buffalo Sabres | August 3, 1994 | |
John Cullen | Toronto Maple Leafs | August 3, 1994 | |
Len Barrie | Florida Panthers | August 15, 1994 |
Signings
Player | Date |
---|---|
Joe Dziedzic | August 10, 1994 |
Brian Farrell | September 20, 1994 |
Ryan Savoia | April 7, 1995 |
Other
Name | Date | Details |
---|---|---|
Allen Pedersen | September 20, 1994 | Released |
Doug Brown | January 18, 1995 | Lost in waiver draft (to Detroit Red Wings) |
Chris Joseph | January 18, 1995 | Claimed in waiver draft (from Tampa Bay Lightning) |
Francois Leroux | January 18, 1995 | Claimed in waiver draft (from Ottawa Senators) |
Mike Hudson | January 18, 1995 | Claimed in waiver draft (from New York Rangers) |
Wayne McBean | January 18, 1995 | Claimed in waiver draft (from Winnipeg Jets) |
Micah Aivazoff | January 18, 1995 | Claimed in waiver draft (from Detroit Red Wings) |
Micah Aivazoff | January 18, 1995 | Lost in waiver draft (to Edmonton Oilers) |
Draft picks
Pittsburgh Penguins' picks at the 1994 NHL Entry Draft.[23]
Round | # | Player | Pos | Nationality | College/Junior/Club team (League) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 24 | Chris Wells | Center | Canada | Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) |
2 | 50 | Richard Park | Right Wing | United States | Belleville Bulls (OHL) |
3 | 57[a] | Sven Butenschon | Defense | Germany | Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL) |
3 | 73[b] | Greg Crozier | Left Wing | Canada | Lawrence Academy (USHS–MA) |
3 | 76 | Alexei Krivchenkov | Defense | Russia | CSKA Moscow (Russia) |
4 | 102 | Tom O'Connor | Defense | United States | Springfield Olympics (EJHL) |
5 | 128 | Clint Johnson | Left Wing | United States | East High School (Duluth) (USHS–MN) |
6 | 154 | Valentin Morozov | Center | Russia | CSKA Moscow (Russia) |
7 | 161[c] | Serge Aubin | Center | Canada | Granby Bisons (QMJHL) |
7 | 180 | Drew Palmer | Defense | United States | Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) |
8 | 206 | Boris Zelenko | Left Wing | Russia | CSKA Moscow (RUssia) |
9 | 232 | Jason Godbout | Defense | United States | Hill-Murray School (USHS–MN) |
10 | 258 | Mikhail Kazakevich | Center | Russia | Torpedo Yaroslavl (Russia) |
11 | 284 | Brian Leitza | Goaltender | United States | Sioux City Musketeers (USHL) |
- Draft notes[24]
- a The Hartford Whalers' third-round pick went to the Pittsburgh Penguins as a result of a March 10, 1992, trade that sent Frank Pietrangelo to the Whalers in exchange for a seventh-round pick and this pick.
- b The Boston Bruins' third-round pick went to the Pittsburgh Penguins as a result of an October 8, 1993, trade that sent Paul Stanton to the Bruins in exchange for this pick.
- c The Hartford Whalers' seventh-round pick went to the Pittsburgh Penguins as a result of a March 10, 1992, trade that sent Frank Pietrangelo to the Whalers in exchange for a third-round pick and this pick.
See also
References
- "Pittsburgh Penguins 1994-95 roster and scoring statistics at hockeydb.com". www.hockeydb.com. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- "1994-95 Pittsburgh Penguins Roster, Stats, Injuries, Scores, Results, Shootouts". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- "1994-95 NHL Summary". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- Standings: NHL Public Relations Department (2008). Dave McCarthy; et al. (eds.). THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE Official Guide & Record Book/2009. National Hockey League. p. 154. ISBN 978-1-894801-14-0.
- "1994-1995 Conference Standings Standings - NHL.com - Standings". NHL.
- "1994-95 Pittsburgh Penguins Schedule". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- "1994–1995 – Regular Season – Pittsburgh Penguins – All Skaters – Summary – Points – NHL.com – Stats". NHL.
- "1994–1995 – Playoffs – Pittsburgh Penguins – All Skaters – Summary – Points – NHL.com – Stats". NHL.
- "1994–1995 – Regular Season – Pittsburgh Penguins – Goalie – Summary – Wins – NHL.com – Stats". NHL.
- "1994–1995 – Playoffs – Pittsburgh Penguins – Goalie – Summary – Wins – NHL.com – Stats". NHL.
- "Art Ross Trophy". records.nhl.com. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
- "Frank J. Selke Trophy". records.nhl.com. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
- "Lady Byng Memorial Trophy". records.nhl.com. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
- "Lester Patrick Trophy". records.nhl.com. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
- "Postseason All-Star Teams". records.nhl.com. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
- "Ron Francis | Carolina Hurricanes". NHL.com. Archived from the original on August 2, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
He also won the Alka-Seltzer Plus Award in 1995, when he led the NHL in plus/minus
- 2014–15 Pittsburgh Penguins Media Guide, p.313
- 2014–15 Pittsburgh Penguins Media Guide, p.312
- 2014–15 Pittsburgh Penguins Media Guide, p.311
- 2014–15 Pittsburgh Penguins Media Guide, p.314
- "Mullen first American to total 1,000 points". Tampa Bay Times. February 8, 1995. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
- "NHL - This week in NHL history". ESPN.com. February 13, 2000. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
Feb. 19, 1995: Left wing Luc Robitaille, then with the Pittsburgh Penguins, recorded his 400th career goal in an 3-3 tie with the Buffalo Sabres at Civic Arena.
- "1981 NHL Entry Draft -- Ron Francis". www.hockeydraftcentral.com. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
Played his 1,000th career NHL game for Pittsburgh on April 16, 1995, at Philadelphia.
- "Hockey Transactions Search Results". ProSportsTransactions.
- "NHL Entry Draft Year by Year Results". NHL.com. Retrieved July 14, 2012.
- "1994 NHL Entry Draft Pending Transactions". Pro Sports Transactions. Retrieved July 14, 2012.