Going Back in Time: 1996-1997 Penguins, What Happened?

[rkhum]

This was Mario's first final season, and it was a big disappointment.

In 1996 the Penguins were a dominant team, with Mario, Jagr, Francis and company. They would have been in the cup finals had Francis not have missed the Florida series, Barasso not let in a fluke goal, or the clutch and grab not in full force.

Coming into 1997, this team still featured Mario and Jagr, although Zubov was traded. Barasso got hurt, but he really wasn't so great anyway by this era.

And yet the Pens, stank. They were barely over 500 and lost in 5 games in round one.

What happened?
A team with Mario and Jagr and Francis, even with a bad defense, shouldn't have dropped this far.

Click to read more...

 

[#66]

I didn't think Barrasso was that bad by then. He just couldn't face 30 quality shots a night anymore. No goalie could...

IMO the team was just top heavy. Picture a Neal-Sid-Malkin line being put together with todays Pens and look at the rest of what you have to work with.

Any thought of team defense was out the window so the quality on defense wasn't there to support that kind of play. I've always hated Hatcher but that defense after he moved on was just horrid. Even with Kasper and Slegr those teams had such a hard time moving pucks up the ice.

 

[smetana]

Mediocre defensemen and goaltending, and a bottom-6 that made our current bottom six look great in comparison.

 

[Burgs]

That team had the best offense but also the second most goals against in the league. The bottom six and defense weren't made for the playoffs. JJ Daigneault was probably our best defensive defenseman. So Wregget got shelled with 211 shots in 5 playoff games. And at the same time the scoring depth disappeared, with only Mario and Jagr scoring more than 1 goal. Recipe for desaster.

 

[billybudd]

This was Mario's first final season, and it was a big disappointment.

In 1996 the Penguins were a dominant team, with Mario, Jagr, Francis and company. They would have been in the cup finals had Francis not have missed the Florida series, Barasso not let in a fluke goal, or the clutch and grab not in full force.

Coming into 1997, this team still featured Mario and Jagr, although Zubov was traded. Barasso got hurt, but he really wasn't so great anyway by this era.

And yet the Pens, stank. They were barely over 500 and lost in 5 games in round one.

What happened?
A team with Mario and Jagr and Francis, even with a bad defense, shouldn't have dropped this far.

Lot of things happened.

First off, that team was built in a way (and played a style) that was beginning to be obsolete. Like, iirc, they didn't trap in any form in the neutral zone. No lwl, no 1-2-2, nothing.

Second, Jagr had a groin injury that hadn't healed.

Third, the D was awful and the bottom six less than great.

Fourth, the Flyers were just better. Class of the East that year.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

Come playoff time, as much as we have that firepower up front you need your D and goalie to step it up from time to time and steal one. It didn't happen that year, it didn't happen against the Islanders when Barasso probably had his worse game in that series (7) and it hasn't happen since 2008-09 again. Maybe Vokoun last year helped gain a bit of that confidence back

 

[rkhum]

Got it, but what happened from 1996 to 1997 to make the team fall?
In 1996 they were likely a cup finalist if Franchise was not hurt (though Colorado would have waxed them).

 

[KIRK]

Lot of things happened.

First off, that team was built in a way (and played a style) that was beginning to be obsolete. Like, iirc, they didn't trap in any form in the neutral zone. No lwl, no 1-2-2, nothing.

Second, Jagr had a groin injury that hadn't healed.

Third, the D was awful and the bottom six less than great.

Fourth, the Flyers were just better. Class of the East that year.

Plus, as someone mentioned, that Zubov for Hatcher deal was quite the doozy.