The complete history of Pittsburgh Penguins championships: Every Stanley Cup series win explained

The Penguins may not be a member of the NHL’s “Original Six” club, but they are undoubtedly one of the league’s greatest organizations.

Pittsburgh fans have witnessed legendary players like Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin consistently keep the team in the championship chase. They have enjoyed watching the Pens raise the Stanley Cup through multiple eras of greatness.

How much do you know about Pittsburgh’s Stanley Cup runs? Here is a full breakdown of the Penguins’ history in the championship series.

How many Stanley Cups have the Pittsburgh Penguins won?

The Penguins have won five Stanley Cups, putting them alongside the Oilers and behind only the Canadiens (23), Maple Leafs (13), Red Wings (11), Bruins (6) and Blackhawks (6) on the all-time list. Pittsburgh has reached the championship series six times, beating the Predators in its most recent appearance (2017).

Through 398 playoff games, the Penguins hold an all-time postseason record of 212-186. Pittsburgh has been one of the NHL’s most consistent franchises in the modern era, earning a playoff berth in 16 straight seasons from 2006-07 to 2021-22.

Back-to-back Stanley Cups in the 1990s

The Penguins were in a bad spot after the 1982-83 and 1983-84 seasons. The team failed to win 20 games in each of those campaigns, and the organization was close to folding or relocating.

Then, Pittsburgh landed at No. 1 in the 1984 NHL Draft and selected Lemieux. After rebuilding the roster around their superstar over the next few years, including the acquisition of Jagr in the 1990 NHL Draft, the Pens became a legitimate contender in the early 1990s.

Behind a 12-point series performance from Lemieux, the Penguins beat the Minnesota North Stars in the 1991 Stanley Cup Final under coach Bob Johnson. Pittsburgh outscored Minnesota, 8-0, in the Game 6 clincher with goalie Tom Barrasso shutting down the North Stars’ offensive attack.

Scotty Bowman took over behind the bench the next season after Johnson tragically died of brain cancer, and the Penguins honored the late coach with another stellar run to the title. Pittsburgh swept Chicago in the 1992 Stanley Cup Final, and Lemieux won his second consecutive Conn Smythe Trophy.

Three titles in the modern era

Pittsburgh followed a similar script in the 2000s, landing Crosby with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 NHL Draft and sparking an immediate turnaround following an ugly stretch.

After falling to the Red Wings in the 2008 Stanley Cup Final, the Penguins got revenge in the 2009 rematch under coach Dan Bylsma, outlasting Detroit in a 4-3 battle. Malkin led the way with eight points in the series, and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury came up with key saves in the final two games.

The Pens failed to live up to expectations over the next six-plus seasons, leading to the firings of Bylsma and Mike Johnston. With Mike Sullivan in charge during the 2015-16 season and Matt Murray replacing an injured Fleury, Pittsburgh caught fire, eliminating the Rangers, Capitals, Lightning and Sharks on their way to the Stanley Cup.

Sullivan guided his squad to another title in 2016-17, making the Penguins the first team to win back-to-back championships since the 1997-98 Red Wings. Crosby matched Lemieux by securing a second Conn Smythe Trophy.

Penguins record in Stanley Cup

The Penguins have a record of 5-1 in their six Stanley Cup appearances.

Year	Result	Conn Smythe	Coach
1991	Penguins 4, North Stars 2	Mario Lemieux	Bob Johnson
1992	Penguins 4, Blackhawks 0	Mario Lemieux	Scotty Bowman
2008	Red Wings 4, Penguins 2	Henrik Zetterberg	Michel Therrien
2009	Penguins 4, Red Wings 3	Evgeni Malkin	Dan Bylsma
2016	Penguins 4, Sharks 2	Sidney Crosby	Mike Sullivan
2017	Penguins 4, Predators 2	Sidney Crosby	Mike Sullivan

The Penguins legacy: A city of champions

While Pittsburgh will always be known as a football town because of the Steelers’ incredible level of success, the Penguins have certainly added their own chapters to the city’s book of championship stories.

The Pens have nearly matched the Steelers in total titles (five to six), and with Crosby still flying up and down the ice, they may be able to tweak the roster and get back in the hunt. As hockey fans have seen before, just one move can change the trajectory of a franchise.