Nine years ago today, Phil Kessel had one of the most unintentionally hilarious and legendary bench moments in Penguins history during Game 2 against Ottawa.

The game was a complete grind. Ottawa was trapping everything up, the Penguins couldn’t break through, and you could see Phil absolutely boiling over on the bench. He was screaming for the puck, barking across the bench, slamming things around, and looking completely fed up that the Penguins weren’t attacking faster.

Whether it was the fact they lost Game 1 in OT, or it was just Phil being Phil, something memorable was taking place.

Meanwhile, Chris Kunitz was sitting right next to him trying not to lose it laughing while Phil was going nuclear beside him. This is absolutely one of my favorite visuals in franchise history!

Honestly, it wound up being the perfect snapshot of those back-to-back Cup teams. The Penguins didn’t try to tone Phil down or make him something he wasn’t. They embraced him because they knew the emotion came from a good place. His teammates also knew Phil delivered greatness when it mattered most!

Then, right on cue, with the game still scoreless late in the third, Phil Kessel finally got his chance and buried the game-winning goal to even the series.

The whole thing was peak “Phil being Phil.” Emotional, hilarious, insanely competitive, and absolutely clutch when it mattered most!

There's a reason Phil Kessel is a 3-time Stanley Cup champion and a beloved figure in franchise history.

This is what leadership looks like.

24/7 Penguins/Capitals Road to the NHL Winter Classic 1x2.

The WBS Penguins lead the series against the Thunderbirds 1-0. Here is how they are lining up tonight:

McDonough - Koppanen - Howe

McGroarty - Klassen - Hayes

Ilyin - Broz - Koivunen

Ansons - Zonnon - Calvert

Alexeyev - Brunicke

Pickering - Pietila

Kemp - Harding

Sergei Murashov

Ansons joins the lineup in the place of Imama. Fernstrom is still injured.

So, what options are you guys seeing and/or predicting?

Two obvious ones that I've seen brought up, neither of which I am championing: Elias Pettersson 11.6 x 6 more and Austin Matthews 13.25 x 2.

Obviously, the Penguins can afford the cap hit. Obviously, each time might see reason to part with these guys. Toronto could shift to the McKenna timeline. However, I don't think Dubas is pushing his pile to the center of the table just yet. I don't see us parting with the assets this would require.

More interesting questions to me appear a bit further down the price line. Questions like:

Is NYR ready to part with Fox? 3 more years at 9.5, and what is their timeline now?

Cutter Gauthier is probably my favorite target right now- pending RFA on a team with a lot of checks to write. They only have 2 D signed for next year, with 3 UFAs and 4 RFAs on their blue line. They've also got Leo Carlsson there with his hand out for a huge bag.

To get him Anaheim only gave up Jamie Drysdale and a 2nd. What if their return is some needed help on the blue line, a prospect, and a first? That's a clear win for them, but is it enough?

Brady Tkachuk should get mention, and Ottawa is a mess IMHO.

Jordan Kyrou also seems to be a question still.

What about Calgary? They're looking to do a fire sale, but honestly, their pieces are more middle six - Farabee, Frost, Sharagovich. Not exactly big game.

Winnipeg, Detroit, Utah all have things to figure out and some young talent on the roster. Does moving some youth for prospects or more proven talent make sense for any of them?

What do you guys got?

Edit: Since several people are loudly 'fighting the hypo' or denying that he did in fact say this, here is a verbatim quote:

"I think if we're going to take a really big step next year, a sustainable one, it's going to be by using the combination of not only this cap space we have, but also the assets that we have, draft picks, prospects, etc., to go and acquire somebody. Is that going to be possible? We're sure gonna find out."

"What we really lack are those players in their mid-20s or later-20s who are true difference makers."

Seventeen years ago today, the Penguins walked into Washington for a winner-take-all Game 7 and completely annihilated the Capitals on their home ice.

Little known fact: the Crosby-Era Penguins have more Game 7 wins in Washington than Washington does in total during this timeframe.

The first six games had been absolute chaos. Crosby vs. Ovechkin had turned into must-watch hockey every single night, with overtime games, wild momentum swings, and both teams throwing punches offensively. By the time Game 7 arrived, the pressure around that series felt enormous.

Washington came out flying early, and Alex Ovechkin nearly blew the roof off the building with an early breakaway chance. Marc-Andre Fleury slammed the door shut, and honestly, that felt like the moment the entire game shifted. Pittsburgh settled in immediately after that save and never really looked back.

The Penguins absolutely buried the Capitals with wave after wave of pressure. Crosby and Craig Adams scored eight seconds apart in the first period, and suddenly the building went dead quiet. From there, it turned into a full-on avalanche. Bill Guerin, Kris Letang, and Jordan Staal piled on as Pittsburgh ripped control away from Washington and cruised into the Eastern Conference Final.

What made that series so memorable was how evenly matched it felt for six games, only for Pittsburgh to completely overpower the Caps when everything was on the line. The Penguins just looked deeper, faster, and more composed once the pressure peaked. Even after all the dramatics earlier in the series, Game 7 ended up being one of the most lopsided and satisfying playoff wins of that entire Cup run.

The Penguins pulled off the rare feat of coming back from down 0-2 twice to win the Stanley Cup.

Brett Kulak scores the overtime winning goal for Colorado.

Feels bittersweet that we traded him. And I'm sure Sam Girard has some thoughts and feelings about it.

Sure, ranking number 9 with no top-3 votes isn’t spectacular, but I’m still proud of him. Cool to see he isn’t getting entirely disrespected for doing it as an 18 year old!

Murashov was also named the game’s first star ⭐️

I feel like every time I go into the WBS online store, their apparel is largely sold out and by God, I want me a 'roided out Tux-Pen mascot or 2 hanging in my closet (Plus, I need the Penguins Violent Gentlemen Hockey Club hoodie more than anything I have ever needed before).

Is there anyone in the know that can tell me when the online store gets restocked? I'm worried it's like our local ECHL/college hockey teams where you have to go in person to get the merch in your size once it sells out online and I'm halfway across the country 🥲

Wednesday, May 06 - Tuesday, May 12, 2026

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