The Stanley Cup playoffs will begin Monday night without the Penguins for the first time since Sid the Kid really was still a kid. The next two months will remind us of all the fun we are missing. We'll see Edmonton's Connor McDavid or Boston's Patrice Bergeron or perhaps, horror of horrors, the New York Rangers' Jacob Trouba lifting the Cup. We'll wish Sidney Crosby could be doing it again for a fourth time.
This seems like a good time to look back at the best moments/games/series in the past 16 years of Penguins postseason history. I tried to limit the list to a top 10, but I couldn't do it. So you are getting 15.
15. SPICY PORK AND BROCCOLI
Who will ever forget Louie Domingue? Stepping in cold for injured Casey DeSmith at Madison Square Garden after a late-night snack from a next-door Chinese restaurant, he gave the Penguins a chance to win Game 1 against the Rangers last spring on Evgeni Malkin's goal in the third overtime.
14. ANOTHER THIRD-STRING GOALIE SHINES
Trivia question: What goaltender gave Mike Sullivan his first playoff win with the Penguins?
Trivia answer: Jeff Zatkoff, who started Game 1 of the first-round series against the Rangers in 2016 when Marc-Andre Fleury and Matt Murray were injured.
13. IT HAD TO END SOMETIME
Petr Sykora's goal in the third overtime lifted the Penguins to a 4-3 win at Detroit in Game 5 of the 2008 Cup final. The most amazing stat of the night: Penguins defenseman Ryan Whitney played 50:46.
12. BIG-GAME BRYAN RUST
Rust scored both goals in a 2-1 win in Game 7 of the 2016 Eastern Conference final against Tampa Bay.
11. A HAT TRICK FOR SID
Crosby scored a hat trick in Game 2 of the second-round series against Washington in 2009. So what if the Penguins lost 4-3 because of a hat trick by Alexander Ovechkin? What a night seeing two of the NHL's all-time greats doing their thing. Who knew then that Crosby would finish this season No. 29 on the goals list and No. 15 on the points list and that Ovechkin would trail Wayne Gretzky's seemingly unbreakable goals record by just 72 goals?
10. A HAT TRICK FOR GENO
Malkin traded punches with Carolina's Chad LaRose in Game 2 of the 2009 Eastern Conference final, then knocked down the Hurricanes with his three goals. Malkin's parents — Vladimir and Natalia — were shown celebrating with a kiss on the Mellon Arena scoreboard, much to the delight of the fans. "My parents are superstars now," Malkin said, giggling.
9. IS NICK BONINO TOUGH OR WHAT?
Bonino crumpled to the ice after blocking a power-play slap shot by Nashville's P.K. Subban in Game 2 of the 2017 Cup final, then picked himself up and tried to block another shot by Subban. He returned to the game despite a broken fibula but had to miss the rest of the series. "He's an inspiring guy for our team," Sullivan said. "He's a brave kid."
8. "SHHHHH!"
Max Talbot dropped the gloves with Philadelphia tough guy Daniel Carcillo in Game 6 of the first round in 2009, then shushed the crowd at Wells Fargo Center as he skated to the penalty box. The Penguins still insist that fight inspired them to turn a 3-0 deficit into a 5-3 series-clinching win. Talbot will tell you it was the best fanny-kicking he has ever taken.
7. OVIE NO MATCH FOR THE FLOWER
Fleury stopped Ovechkin on a breakaway early in Game 7 of their 2009 second-round series. Crosby scored moments later, and the Penguins advanced with a 6-2 win.
6. FLEURY STICKS IT TO OVECHKIN AGAIN
Literally.
Fleury made an amazing stick save on an Ovechkin rocket in Game 7 of their 2017 second-round series, then kissed his hockey stick during the next break. He finished with 29 saves in a 2-0 shutout to steal a series win for the Penguins, who had to play without injured Kris Letang.
5. LETANG FOR THE CUP WINNER
Letang didn't miss the fun in 2016. His second-period goal gave the Penguins a 2-1 lead against San Jose in Game 6 of the Cup final. Murray made it stand up as the Cup-clinching winner in a 3-1 victory.
4. HORNQVIST FOR THE CUP WINNER
Patric Hornqvist scored the biggest goal of his career to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead at 18:25 of the third period in Game 6 against Nashville in the 2017 Cup final. Again, Murray made it stand up with 27 saves in a 2-0 win, his second consecutive shutout in the series.
3. KUNITZ IN THE SECOND OVERTIME
It's hard to top a Cup-clinching goal, but this one by Chris Kunitz against Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson in Game 7 of the third round in 2017 did. It gave the Penguins a 3-2 win and a chance to move on to Nashville and win their second consecutive Cup.
2. "BONINOBONINOBONINOBONINO ... "
The Punjabi goal call on Bonino's series-clinching overtime winner in Game 6 against the Capitals in the 2016 second round will go down as one of the great moments in Penguins history. So will, ah, Bonino's goal.
1. GAME 7 AT DETROIT IN 2009
Where do I start? With Talbot's two goals in a 2-1 win against the Red Wings that clinched the Penguins' third Cup in franchise history? With Fleury's save on Hall of Famer Nicklas Lidstrom in the final seconds? Or maybe with the look on Marian Hossa's face in the handshake line after he had jilted the Penguins by signing with Detroit before the season because he believed the Red Wings gave him a better chance to win the Cup?
No, I'm starting with Mario Lemieux.
Go back to the moments after Fleury was benched in a 5-0 loss in Game 5. Lemieux sent a text to general manager Ray Shero and the players.
"We are a family and in this together. We don't need anyone that is only with us WIN or TIE. I really think this is our year. Let's forget about tonight ... It happens. We will win Tuesday and win the Cup Friday."
The Penguins did win Game 6 in Pittsburgh 2-1, thanks in large part to 25 saves by Fleury and goals from third-liners Jordan Staal and Tyler Kennedy. That prompted another text from Lemieux to the staff and players on the morning before Game 7, one that Shero called "perfect."
"This is a chance of a lifetime to realize your childhood dream to win a Stanley Cup. Play without fear and you will be successful! See you at center ice."
And so Lemieux did, easily lifting the Cup despite his bad back. It was the third time he held the precious trophy in the air but just the first of three times for Crosby, Malkin and Letang.
There is nothing like the first time.
Ron Cook: rcook@post-gazette.com and Twitter @RonCookPG. Ron Cook can be heard on the "Cook and Joe" show weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 93.7 The Fan.
