While that was like a knife in the heart when it happened , I think the moment in that series when Stevens was knocked unconscious and shattered his face ... that more than Volek felt like the end of that golden era. For me, that moment serves as a bright line between "unstoppable power forward Kevin Stevens" and "used to be a great power forward Kevin Stevens," and I think those two versions of him are a pretty good metaphor for the '90s Pens.
On one hand, I want to say Pens fans should count themselves lucky that our team has raised the cup five times ... but damn, had that the team won that year, three consecutive cups ... wow.
But had that happened, we'd never have enjoyed the pleasure of playing the "what if ..." game (and I do think it is fun, especially when you can console yourself with other championships). Plus, the butterfly effect of a third consecutive win could have had profound consequences regarding Howard Baldwin's ownership, the team's subsequent bankruptcy, Lemieux assuming ownership and the team being in a position to draft the guys who were instrumental in the team's three most recent cups.