The Penguins and Capitals have been each other's most frequent playoff opponent and will meet again for the 11th time in postseason play beginning Thursday night at Washington's Capital One Arena.
Among post-1967 teams, only St. Louis and the Dallas/Minnesota franchise have engaged in more playoff series (13) than Pittsburgh and Washington, two cities separated by 250 miles and worlds apart.
Over the last 27 years, the Penguins-Capitals rivalry has certainly provided high drama and unforgettable moments. In recent years, the personal rivalry between captains Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, the first overall picks in 2005 and '04, has transcended the sport.
But the rivalry between the teams has played out more like that between the Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote. It doesn't end well for one side.
1991 SECOND ROUND
Penguins win, 4 games to 1
Backstory: After falling to the Flyers in the second round in 1989, the young Penguins were shut out of postseason play altogether in 1990. But under new coach Bob Johnson and buoyed by the trade deadline acquisition of veterans Ron Francis and Ulf Samuelsson, the Penguins were a team on a mission, finishing the regular season 9-3-2 to win the franchise's first division title in its 24 years. With Frank Pietrangelo in net in place of an injured Tom Barrasso, the Penguins advanced to the second round with a seven-game win over New Jersey.
Series: Setting a familiar course, the Capitals took Game 1 and nearly took a 2-0 lead after the Penguins blew a two-goal lead in the third period of Game 2. With Pietrangelo pulled, Randy Gilhen scored late in regulation to send it into overtime where Kevin Stevens won it:
In that game, Paul Coffey suffered a broken jaw and Samuelsson a broken hand. Both would miss the rest of the series. But with Barrasso back in goal, the Penguins went on to win the next three games, limiting the Capitals to one goal in each game.
Epilogue: The Penguins went on to beat the Bruins and the North Stars for the club's first Stanley Cup championship.
1992 FIRST ROUND
Penguins win, 4 games to 3
Backstory: The reigning champions' title defense was anything but easy. Team owner Edward DeBartolo Sr. had put the team up for sale. Scotty Bowman replaced Johnson as coach after Badger Bob was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor before the start of the season; he died November 26. At the trade deadline, GM Craig Patrick again had to dig into his bag of tricks, dealing Mark Recchi and Coffey in trades that yielded Rick Tocchet, Kjell Samuelsson and Ken Wregget. The Penguins went 12-5-1 down the stretch to finish in third place.
Series: The Penguins were without Mario Lemieux, recovering from a separated shoulder, so the Capitals tried to set a physical tone after taking a 3-1 lead in Game 1. When Kevin Hatcher appeared to be taking liberties with Francis, Tocchet, who'd been playing through a broken jaw, took exception, but injured his shoulder in the process:
Lemieux returned in Game 2 and set up a pair of early power play goals by Larry Murphy and Kevin Stevens, but the Capitals scored six unanswered goals for a 6-2 win to take a 2-0 series lead. The Penguins rebounded in Game 3. With Lemieux skating on a line with Jaromir Jagr and Phil Bourque, the captain delivered a hat trick and three assists. When Dino Ciccarelli scored four goals in Game 4 to push the champions to the brink of elimination, Bowman made defensive adjustments, adopting a "1-4 delay," a precursor to the neutral zone trap. Down 4-2 in the second period of Game 6, the Penguins rallied to win on a pair of goals from Lemieux and one each from Joe Mullen and Bourque. At the Capital Centre for Game 7, Lemieux scored shorthanded, Jagr on the power play and Mullen into an empty net to put the series away.
Epilogue: The Penguins went on to beat the Rangers, Bruins and Blackhawks to repeat as champions.
1994 FIRST ROUND
Capitals win, 4 games to 2
Backstory: After falling a David Volek goal short, the Penguins were out to prove that 1993 was just a hiccup in their dynasty. Eddie Johnston returned behind the bench after Bowman left for Detroit. Patrick again made a splash at the deadline acquiring Tomas Sandstrom and bringing back Shawn McEachern. The Penguins went 16-9-2 down the stretch to win the inaugural Northeast Division but in the final week they lost to the Devils and Canadiens by a combined score of 16-3, foreshadowing what was to come.
Series: Led by physical forwards Dale Hunter, Steve Konowalchuk and Keith Jones, the Capitals pounded the Penguins on the forecheck while Dmitri Khristich, below, opened the scoring in a 5-3 win in Game 1:
The Penguins rebounded with a 2-1 win in Game 2 as Barrasso made 35 saves. However, the mighty Penguins with Jagr, Francis, a rundown Lemieux, et al, went down meekly. Over the final four games, the Penguins scored just seven goals, three of them in their Game 5 win. The Capitals closed out the series with a 6-3 win at the Cap Centre. It remains the only time the Penguins have lost to the Capitals in postseason play.
Epilogue: The Penguins dynasty that never quite was was done. The Rangers, en route to their first Stanley Cup in 54 years, took out the Capitals in the second round.
1995 FIRST ROUND
Penguins win, 4 games to 3
Backstory: With Lemieux announcing that he'd sit out the season due to anemia brought on by his chemotherapy treatments two years earlier, Patrick made some sizable changes, bringing in Luc Robitaille from Los Angeles in exchange for Tocchet and re-signing John Cullen. Due to Gary Bettman's first lockout, the regular season was pared down to 48 games. The Penguins started 14-3-2 but finished 29-16-3.
Series: Though not the Penguins of old, Pittsburgh still had plenty of firepower. In Game 1, the Penguins chased Capitals rookie goalie Jim Carey after scoring three goals on 11 shots. Carey, who'd gone 18-6-3, was replaced by Olaf Kolzig. Behind Kolzig and two goals from rookie defenseman Sergei Gonchar, the Capitals rallied for a 5-4 win. They would go on to take a 3-1 series lead after posting convincing 6-2 wins in Games 3 and 4. Facing elimination and down 2-0 in Game 5, the Penguins staged an epic comeback as Jagr scored twice and assisted on Stevens' tying goal. At 4:30 of overtime, defenseman Francois Leroux, much better known for his defense and toughness, carried the puck and fed Robitaille in front for the winner:
Galvanized by that win, the Penguins took Games 6 and 7 by a combined score of 10-1 to win the series.
Epilogue: The Penguins were eliminated in the second round by the Devils, who would go on to upset the Red Wings in a sweep in the Stanley Cup Final.
1996 FIRST ROUND
Penguins win, 4 games to 2
Backstory: Murphy, Stevens, Cullen, McEachern, Mullen and Kjell Samuelsson were out in favor of Petr Nedved, Sergei Zubov, Glen Murray and Dmitri Mironov. Lemieux returned, though, scoring 69 goals and 161 points to lead a lethal Penguins power play. Pittsburgh finished with 103 points, the third-highest total in franchise history, for its fourth division title in six years and looked to be a contender again.
Series: Just like a year earlier, the Penguins chased Carey from goal in Game 1, scoring four times on 16 shots. And just like a year earlier, the Capitals rallied behind Kolzig, this time for a 6-4 win with Gonchar scoring the game-winner. Two nights later, the Capitals took a 2-0 series lead back to D.C. Lemieux recorded four assists in a 4-1 win in Game 3, but it's his Game 4 that is best remembered. With Wregget having to enter for an injured Barrasso, Jagr scored at 18:42 of the second period to cut Washington's lead to 2-1. But with just 36 seconds left in the period, Lemieux was handed a game misconduct for his fight with Todd Krygier. Undeterred, Nedved scored a power play goal in the third period to tie the game. That stalemate would last -- thanks to Wregget's 53 saves, including one on a Joe Juneau penalty shot -- until the fourth overtime. With 45 seconds remaining in the period, Nedved scored again to end the drama:
The Capitals could not come back from that loss, and went to lose the final two games by a combined score of 7-3.
Epilogue: The Penguins went on to beat the Rangers in the second round but were upset by the upstart Panthers in the conference final, losing Game 7 on home ice.
2000 FIRST ROUND
Penguins win, 4 games to 1
Backstory: With Lemieux having brought the team out of bankruptcy, the Penguins were going through a rough stretch off the ice. Defensive-minded coach Kevin Constantine was replaced by Herb Brooks, who let Jagr, Alexei Kovalev and Martin Straka lead the way offensively. The Penguins weren't as dominant as in years past, but could still contend.
Series: In a reversal from all previous Game 1's between the rivals, the Penguins won, convincingly too. Jagr had four assists, while Kovalev, Jan Hrdina and Janne Laukanen had three points each in a 7-0 win. Ron Tugnutt made 37 saves in Game 2, which was decided five minutes into overtime on this Jagr goal:
Trailing 3-o in the series, the Capitals were able to avoid the sweep in Game 4, scoring a 3-2 win at the MCI Center with Jeff Halpern getting the winning goal. Two nights later, Jagr scored the winner in a 2-1 win to close out the Capitals in five games.
Epilogue: The Penguins were beaten in the second round by the Flyers in six games.
2001 FIRST ROUND
Penguins win, 4 games to 2
Backstory: With the team becoming increasingly European and Jagr's future in Pittsburgh uncertain, Ivan Hlinka was brought in as coach to replace Brooks. With the Penguins scuffling on the ice and off it, Lemieux announced in mid-December that he was coming out of the owner's box to end his 3 1/2-year retirement at age 35. Despite the absence, Lemieux was still brilliant, scoring 35 goals and 76 points in just 43 games. Jagr scored 121 points for his fifth and final scoring title. It was like old times as even Kevin Stevens came back, reacquired in mid-January from Philadelphia for a minor-leaguer.
Series: In Game 1, Halpern blanketed Lemieux as the Penguins were limited to just 16 shots in a 1-0 loss. Stevens and Lemieux scored in a 2-1 win in Game 2, while Johan (Moose) Hedberg -- who became a cult hero in Pittsburgh -- made 34 saves in a 3-0 shutout in Game 3. With the Penguins holding a 3-2 series lead and back on home ice for Game 6, Calle Johansson's late third-period goal sent the game into overtime. Then, 13:04 into the extra session, Gonchar fumbled the puck at the blue line, allowing Straka a clean breakaway on Kolzig. Straka fired top shelf over the German goalie's shoulder for the game and series winner:
Epilogue: The Penguins went on to beat Buffalo in a seven-game series but were outclassed by New Jersey in the conference final.
2009 SECOND ROUND
Penguins win, 4 games to 3
Backstory: Four years after drafting the prodigious Crosby and one year removed from a Stanley Cup Final loss to Detroit, the Penguins were looking to take the final step. Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and the Penguins were a team destined for greatness, but their progression seemed to stall midway through the season when they went 10-16-2 in December and January. By mid-February, GM Ray Shero made his move, replacing Michel Therrien with Dan Bylsma. The Penguins responded instantly, going 18-3-4, while picking up Chris Kunitz and Billy Guerin at the trade deadline.
Series: A long-awaited playoff series between Crosby's Penguins and Ovechkin's Capitals was billed as hockey's version of Magic vs. Bird. And it actually lived up to its advanced billing. The Capitals took Games 1 and 2 at Washington but Game 2 is best remembered for opposing hat tricks for the captains. The Penguins stormed back to win the next three games, winning Games 3 and 5 in overtime on goals by Kris Letang and Malkin, respectively. The Capitals evened the series in Game 6, with David Steckel -- of all people -- scoring the game winner at a stunned Mellon Arena to set up a winner-takes-all in Washington. But Marc-Andre Fleury's first-period glove stop on an Ovechkin breakaway set the tone for Game 7:
Crosby had two goals and an assist as the Penguins eliminated the Capitals with a resounding 6-2 win. Ovechkin had 14 points in the series to Crosby's 13.
Epilogue: The Penguins went on to beat Carolina in the conference final and avenged their loss to the Red Wings in the Cup Final by beating Detroit in seven games to win the title for the first time in 17 years.
2016 SECOND ROUND
Penguins win, 4 games to 2
Backstory: Though many of the core pieces of the '09 team remained, the window on the Penguins' Cup-winning days looked to be closed after six straight playoff disappointments. But under GM Jim Rutherford, the Penguins were transformed as he traded for key components Phil Kessel, Patric Hornqvist and Nick Bonino. His biggest addition, however, was bringing in Mike Sullivan as coach in mid-December. Preaching an up-tempo, quick-transition game that played to the team's strengths, the Penguins went 33-16-5 under Sullivan.
Series: The Capitals were no stranger to playoff underachievement, either, but after bringing on T.J. Oshie and Justin Williams and winning the Presidents Trophy with 120 points, this appeared to be their year. When Oshie scored a hat trick, the last of which came in overtime of Game 1, the hockey gods seemed to be smiling on Washington. But the Penguins reeled off three straight victories. In Game 3, rookie goalie Matt Murray made 47 saves. In Game 4, Horqnvist beat Braden Holtby from a bad angle for the game-winner in overtime. After the Capitals took Game 5, the Penguins blew a 3-0 lead in Game 6 at Consol Energy Center. But at 6:32 of overtime, Bonino closed out the Capitals:
Epilogue: The Penguins went on to beat Tampa Bay in the conference final in seven games and then San Jose in six games in the Cup Final for the franchise's fourth Stanley Cup
2017 SECOND ROUND
Penguins win, 4 games to 3
Backstory: With a chance to become the first team to successfully defend the Cup title in the salary cap era, the Penguins returned much the same team as the year before. They cruised through the regular season, going 50-21-11 and amassing 111 points, second only to Washington, which captured its second straight Presidents Trophy. That backdrop set the stage for the 10th postseason meeting between the teams and the fourth that would go the distance.
Series: The Penguins jumped out to a 2-0 series lead, taking both games in Washington, and winning Game 2 by a 6-2 score on a pair of goals each by Kessel and rookie star Jake Guentzel. The Penguins nearly took a 3-0 series lead, scoring twice in the final two minutes of regulation in Game 3, but Kevin Shattenkirk scored a power play goal in overtime. After falling behind three games to one, the Capitals took Games 5 and 6 by a combined score of 9-4 to set up the deciding battle at Washington. In Game 7, Fleury -- who had been starting in place of an injured Murray -- stopped all 29 shots, including a shot from Ovechkin which hit the shaft of the goalie's stick:
Bryan Rust and Hornqvist scored for the Penguins in a 2-0 win.
Epilogue: The Penguins went on to beat the Senators in the Conference Final in seven games and the Predators in the Cup Final in six games to repeat as champions.