The Pittsburgh Penguins ended a 17-year Stanley Cup drought on Friday night with a 2-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings, giving the franchise its third championship. While current general manager Ray Shero will get his name on the cup for overseeing the hockey operations the past three seasons, former general manager Craig Patrick also had a hand in putting this team together.
After the jump, a player-by-player look at how the 2008-09 Penguins were built over the years.
Here's the good news for Detroit Red Wings backup goalie (and soon-to-be free agent) Ty Conklin: You've been a part of three of the past four Stanley Cup Finals, two of which have gone to seven games, while the other was about three inches and a tenth of a second from also seeing a winner-take-all game. And that fourth year? Eastern Conference final with the Buffalo Sabres. Not many players can say they've been a part of such history.
The bad news? He's been on the short end of the stick each and every time.
I suppose desperate times call for desperate measures, and as the Pittsburgh Penguins look to extend the Stanley Cup Final to a seventh game, multiple media outlets (including Craig Custance's twitter feed!) are reporting that forward Petr Sykora will be returning to the lineup for Game 6 on Tuesday night.
Sykora has been a healthy scratch for 17 of the Penguins' 23 playoff games, while the veteran winger has been mired in a slump since early February, tallying just seven points (four goals, three assists) in his past 31 games.
This isn't meant to discredit the Detroit Red Wings, who allowed a couple early flurries, but were otherwise nearly flawless Saturday night. Instead, it's one of those mysterious things that happens once in a while in sports. For the Pittsburgh Penguins, it was an awful time to play a very poor game.
Red Wings 5, Penguins 0: Recap | Box Score Red Wings lead series 3-2
Wednesday night was great theater for NHL fans. In Pittsburgh, the Penguins kept hope alive with a stirring 3-2 overtime win over Washington. Shortly after that game ended, the Carolina Hurricanes needed less than three minutes of overtime to finish off Boston, 3-2.
The Penguins' huge win was not without at least some controversy. The Capitals were fuming afterward about a 7-2 disparity in power plays that worked in Pittsburgh's favor.
When most of us got out of bed Wednesday morning, we probably didn't expect to see Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang in the lineup for the Penguins that night, not after the way he left the ice in obvious pain during Game 2 in Washington. But whatever vitamins they're feeding the players in Pittsburgh, they worked on Letang.
He gutted out three-plus periods before scoring the game-winning goal in overtime to give the Penguins a needed win in Game 3 of their second round series with the Caps, cutting Washington's series lead to 2-1.
When the Penguins entered the third period of Sunday's game against Boston trailing, 3-2, they had the Bruins exactly where they wanted them.
Thanks to a four-goal rally, including two from Chris Kunitz, who registered his second career hat trick, the Penguins pulled out a 6-4 win over the top team in the Eastern Conference.
The Atlanta Thrashers, currently occupying their familiar spot at the bottom of the NHL's standings, are headed for their ninth non-playoff season in their 10-year existence. The team's best player -- and captain -- Ilya Kovalchuk is an unrestricted free agent following next season, while starting netminder Kari Lehtonen is eligible for restricted free agency. Pretty bleak picture.
After days of speculation and holding their captain out of two games, the Islanders have finally parted ways with Bill Guerin, sending him to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
In return, they get a fifth round draft pick which turns into a third rounder if the Penguins win a first round playoff series. Long Island, your long nightmare is now over.
The Penguins were busy on Deadline Day last year, acquiring Marian Hossa, Hal Gill and Pascal Dupuis. Today, they've added Guerin and Andy Wozniewski in addition to their acquisition of Chris Kunitz earlier in the week. Yet again, Ray Shero is gearing up for a playoff run and isn't afraid to get some outside help.
The Boston Bruins are currently the best team in the NHL, and with the trade deadline less than 72 hours away, they're apparently looking to make a blockbuster deal to solidify their status as the odds on Stanley Cup favorite.
On Saturday, a report surfaced that the Bruins were close to a deal for Anaheim Ducks defenseman Chris Pronger. On Sunday, the rumors continued as the Boston Herald reported the Bruins made an offer for Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Tomas Kaberle. NESN picked up on this rumor and called it a "monster" offer.
Here's the good news for Detroit Red Wings backup goalie (and soon-to-be free agent) Ty Conklin: You've been a part of three of the past four Stanley Cup Finals, two of which have gone to seven games, while the other was about three inches and a tenth of a second from also seeing a winner-take-all game. And that fourth year? Eastern Conference final with the Buffalo Sabres. Not many players can say they've been a part of such history. 
I suppose desperate times call for desperate measures, and as the Pittsburgh Penguins look to extend the Stanley Cup Final to a seventh game, multiple media outlets (including Craig Custance's twitter feed!) are reporting that forward Petr Sykora will be returning to the lineup for Game 6 on Tuesday night.
Wednesday night was great theater for NHL fans. In Pittsburgh, the Penguins kept hope alive with a stirring 3-2 overtime win over Washington. Shortly after that game ended, the Carolina Hurricanes needed less than three minutes of overtime to finish off Boston, 3-2. 
When the Penguins entered the third period of Sunday's game against Boston trailing, 3-2, they had the Bruins exactly where they wanted them. 
The Atlanta Thrashers, currently occupying their familiar spot at the bottom of the NHL's standings, are headed for their ninth non-playoff season in their 10-year existence. The team's best player -- and captain -- Ilya Kovalchuk is an unrestricted free agent following next season, while starting netminder Kari Lehtonen is eligible for restricted free agency. Pretty bleak picture. 
After days of speculation and holding their captain out of two games, the Islanders have finally parted ways with Bill Guerin, sending him to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Boston Bruins are currently the best team in the NHL, and with the trade deadline less than 72 hours away, they're apparently looking to make a blockbuster deal to solidify their status as the odds on Stanley Cup favorite. 
