1991 Stanley Cup Finals
Encyclopedia
The 1991 Stanley Cup Final NHL
championship series was contested by the Pittsburgh Penguins
and the Minnesota North Stars
. It was the Penguins' first Final series appearance and their first Stanley Cup
victory. As of 2011, this is the first and only Stanley Cup Final to feature two teams from the expansion group of 1967
. It was Minnesota's second Final series appearance. It is the last time that an NHL franchise would appear in the finals prior to relocation. It is also the first time since that an American franchise would win the Stanley Cup. This is the first all American finals since , the only previous time the North Stars made the finals.
This was also the first final since not to feature either the Calgary Flames or the Edmonton Oilers
, and the first since not contested by a team from Western Canada
.
4–2, the second-place overall St. Louis Blues
4–2, and the defending cup champion Edmonton Oilers
4–1 to advance to the Final. The North Stars became the first American team and first Norris Division
team to win the Campbell Conference since the league re-aligned the divisions and adopted a divisional-based playoff format in 1981.
Pittsburgh defeated the New Jersey Devils
4–3, the Washington Capitals
4–1 and the Boston Bruins
4–2.
, despite missing a game due to a back injury, recorded 12 points in 5 games to lead all scorers, and won the Conn Smythe Trophy
. One of the most famous goals in NHL history was the goal he made in the 2nd period of the 2nd game. Receiving the puck between the Penguins blue line and the center line, Lemieux skated solo into the North Stars zone facing 2 defensemen and the goalie by himself. Mario skirted the puck through one of the defenders legs, skated around him, forced the goalie to commit left, then switched the puck to his backand side and sliding the puck in before crashing into the net himself. The brief video of the goal has been since featured on recent Stanley Cup promo ads by the NHL.
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
championship series was contested by the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
and the Minnesota North Stars
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
. It was the Penguins' first Final series appearance and their first Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
victory. As of 2011, this is the first and only Stanley Cup Final to feature two teams from the expansion group of 1967
1967 NHL expansion
The National Hockey League undertook a major expansion for the 1967–68 season, adding six new franchises to double the size of the league. This marked the first change in the composition of the league since 1942, when the Brooklyn Americans folded. Thus, the expansion ended the era of the Original...
. It was Minnesota's second Final series appearance. It is the last time that an NHL franchise would appear in the finals prior to relocation. It is also the first time since that an American franchise would win the Stanley Cup. This is the first all American finals since , the only previous time the North Stars made the finals.
This was also the first final since not to feature either the Calgary Flames or the Edmonton Oilers
Battle of Alberta
The Battle of Alberta is a term applied to the intense rivalry between the Canadian cities of Edmonton, the capital of the province of Alberta, and Calgary, the province's largest city...
, and the first since not contested by a team from Western Canada
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada that includes the four provinces west of the province of Ontario.- Provinces :...
.
Paths to the Final
Minnesota defeated the first-place overall Chicago BlackhawksChicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
4–2, the second-place overall St. Louis Blues
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade...
4–2, and the defending cup champion Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
4–1 to advance to the Final. The North Stars became the first American team and first Norris Division
Norris Division
The NHL's Norris Division was formed in 1974 as part of the Prince of Wales Conference. The division moved to the Clarence Campbell Conference in 1981, with the Detroit Red Wings being the only member to remain from the previous season. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. The...
team to win the Campbell Conference since the league re-aligned the divisions and adopted a divisional-based playoff format in 1981.
Pittsburgh defeated the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
4–3, the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
4–1 and the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
4–2.
The series
Pittsburgh center Mario LemieuxMario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux, OC, CQ is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is acknowledged to be one of the best players of all time. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006...
, despite missing a game due to a back injury, recorded 12 points in 5 games to lead all scorers, and won the Conn Smythe Trophy
Conn Smythe Trophy
The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 46 times to 40 players since the 1964–65 NHL season...
. One of the most famous goals in NHL history was the goal he made in the 2nd period of the 2nd game. Receiving the puck between the Penguins blue line and the center line, Lemieux skated solo into the North Stars zone facing 2 defensemen and the goalie by himself. Mario skirted the puck through one of the defenders legs, skated around him, forced the goalie to commit left, then switched the puck to his backand side and sliding the puck in before crashing into the net himself. The brief video of the goal has been since featured on recent Stanley Cup promo ads by the NHL.
Pittsburgh Penguins - 1991 Stanley Cup champions
See also
- 1990–91 NHL season
- List of Stanley Cup champions
- 1990–91 Minnesota North Stars season1990–91 Minnesota North Stars seasonThe 1990–91 Minnesota North Stars season was the North Stars' 24th season. The most striking aspect of the season was that despite qualifying for the playoffs with an under–.500 regular-season record, the team reached the Stanley Cup Final as the Clarence Campbell Conference Champions, eliminating...
- 1990–91 Pittsburgh Penguins season1990–91 Pittsburgh Penguins seasonThe 1990–91 Pittsburgh Penguins season was the Penguins 24th season in the NHL, and they were coming off of a disappointing 1989–90 season, when they finished with a 32–40–8 record, recording 72 points, finishing 1 point behind the New York Islanders for the final playoff spot in the Patrick...