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Thursday, 02 June 2011 12:10

Written by Seth Rorabaugh

Labeling the Penguins and Thrashers as rivals is a bit misleading. In 11 seasons, the Penguins racked up a 33-9-2 record against the expansion franchise. They managed to sweep the season series five different times in those 11 seasons.

So to say the least, the new "Winnipegier" version of the Thrashers franchise can't do much worse in regards to this "rivalry."

That doesn't mean there weren't some memorable games between these two franchises. With the likes of Mario Lemieux, Ilya Kovalchuk, Sidney Crosby and Dany Heatley involved at one time or another, you were bound to get some memorable hockey.

In our humble opinion, here are the 12 (a random number we know) most notable games between the Penguins and Thrashers

Jan. 27, 2000 - Penguins 4, Thrashers 1

While the first game of the rivalry was hardly a barnburner, it did introduce Penguins fans to the expansion franchise. Despite winning, the game was something of a disappointment for the Penguins who were outshot 29-26. Regardless, the Penguins got a goal and two assists from right winger Rob Brown. Penguins right winger Jaromir Jagr moved into a tie with Panthers right winger Pavel Bure for the league lead in goals with his 35th of the season. Penguins goaltender Jean-Sebastien Aubin, recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton due to an injury to starter Tom Barrasso, earned his 11th win of the season by making 28 saves. During the pregame warm-ups, Penguins defenseman Jiri Slegr and Thrashers defenseman Roman Ndur got into a shoving match (above).

Jan. 31, 2000 - Penguins 2, Thrashers 1 (OT)

Less than a week later, the Penguins traveled to Philips Arena for the first time and got involved in a much more competitive game. The Thrashers held a 1-0 lead for most of the game but lost that when Jagr scored a controversial goal power play goal at the 11:18 mark of the third period. After the game, Jagr and Thrashers goaltender Scott Fankhouser each said the puck didn't go into the net. Replays showed Fankhouser catching a wrist shot by Jagr behind the goal line. The game moved to overtime where center Robert Lang (above) was able to get the Penguins the first overtime win of the season by beating Fankhouser on a one-timer from the slot with 32 seconds left in the period. The win snapped an 11-game road losing streak for the Penguins. Barrasso made 27 saves in the victory.

Dec. 8, 2001 - Penguins 6, Thrashers 3

This game was more memorable for a moment than the contest itself. Late in the third period, Penguins right winger Billy Tibbetts slugged Thrashers left winger Darcy Hordichuk on the bench with a right hand (above). The attack earned Tibbetts a four-game suspension. Center Mario Lemieux had a goal and two assists for the Penguins while Aubin made 23 saves in the victory at Mellon Arena.

December 30, 2002 - Thrashers 3, Penguins 2 (OT)

After 15 tries, the Thrashers finally get their first win against the Penguins and they do it in dramatic fashion at Mellon Arena on the next to last night of 2002. A 19-year-old Ilya Kovalchuk (above, with left winger Dany Heatley) breaks loose from Penguins defenseman Ian Moran and beats Aubin on a breakaway with a wrist shot through the five hole with 20 seconds left in overtime. Center Milan Kraft accounted for both of the Penguins' goals.

Oct. 27, 2005 - Penguins 7, Thrashers 5

Despite acquiring phenom Sidney Crosby in the entry draft and loading up with all-star veterans such as defenseman Sergei Gonchar and left winger Zigmund Palffy following the lockout, the Penguins start off the season with a horrendous 0-4-5 mark. After falling behind 4-0 before even recording a single shot on net, Penguins coach Eddie Olczyk calls a timeout. The Penguins respond by scoring seven consecutive goals against goaltender Steve Shields, including six on the power play. Lemieux (above), three weeks removed from his 40th birthday, would record the final five-point game of his career while Gonchar and left winger John Leclair each scored two goals. Goaltender Sebastien Caron made 30 saves in the home win.

Jan. 6, 2006 - Thrashers 6, Penguins 4

This is another game more notable for a moment than the actual contest. The Thrashers raced out to a 5-0 lead at home before the end of the second period. The fifth goal came off the stick of Kovalchuk during a power play. Instead of celebrating with teammates, Kovalchuk turned and pointed at Crosby who was serving a penalty. After the game, Kovalchuk said, "He took a stupid penalty. He's an 18-year-old kid and he's got to learn he can't play like this." The Penguins would attempt a rally by scoring four goals in the third period, but an empty net goal by Kovalchuk with 45 seconds left in regulation secured the win.

Jan. 12, 2008 - Thrashers 3, Penguins 2

When right winger Mark Recchi began the 2007-08 season in a Penguins uniform, it looked like he had reached the end of his productive career. After only scoring eight points in 19 games, the Penguins placed the future hall-of-famer on waivers in December. The Thrashers claimed him and he paid immediate dividends by collecting 16 points in 17 games. Game 18 at Philips Arena was a chance for revenge. In addition to collecting the primary assist on a power-play goal by Kovalchuk in the first period, Recchi won the game for Atlanta by beating goaltender Ty Conklin with a dazzling backhand move in the shootout. After the game Recchi said, "They doubted my ability to play."

March 2, 2008 - Penguins 3, Thrashers 2 (SO)

Just four days earlier, the two teams were involved in one of the biggest trades in the history of either franchise when the Penguins acquired right winger Marian Hossa and left winger Pascal Dupuis in exchange for popular right winger Colby Armstrong, center Erik Christensen, prospect Angelo Esposito and a first-round pick. Additionally, Recchi was returning to Pittsburgh for the first time since he was released by the Penguins in December. Despite playing without Hossa, Crosby and left winger Gary Roberts, the Penguins were able to scrape out a win in the shootout off a goal by defenseman Kris Letang (above) at Mellon Arena.

Jan. 6, 2009 - Penguins 3, Thrashers 1

Another moment and not so much a game. Just 1:27 into the game, left winger Ruslan Fedotenko surprisingly engages Armstrong in a fight. Even more surprisingly (especially to Armstrong), Fedotenko lands a quick right which drops Armstrong. Fedotenko didn't escape unscathed however as he broke his hand in the brawl and would miss a month of action. Two goals by right winger Petr Sykora would lead the Penguins to a win. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury made 27 saves in the win.

April 3, 2010 - Penguins 4, Thrashers 3 (OT)

The Penguins are making a late season push to catch the Devils for the lead in the Atlantic Division but after losing four out of their past six games, their hopes look bleak. A win is a must. A back and fourth game at the Mellon Arena goes to overtime after a  power-play goal by Gonchar with 1:14 left in regualtion ties it, 3-3. Midway through the period, defenseman Jordan Leopold pinches up the right wing, spins off a check from defenseman Mark Popovic and whips a pedestrian wrister which squeaks through goaltender Johan Hedberg for his first goal with the Penguins (above).

April 10, 2010 - Thrashers 1, Penguins 0

Just a week later, the Penguins' hopes for the division bite the dust when the Thrashers clamp down defensively and shutout the Penguins behind an 33-save effort by Hedberg. The game would be much more infamous for a brutal one-punch knock out by Thrashers center Evander Kane on Penguins left winger and public enemy No. 1 Matt Cooke (above).

April 10, 2011 - Penguins 5, Thrashers 2

While there was some speculation, few realized this would be the final game in the history of the Thrashers in Atlanta. Dupuis would collect a goal and an assist against his former team while leading a lineup filled with reserves to a fairly meaningless victory. Center Tim Stapleton would score the final goal in the Thrashers' Atlanta-based history on a power play midway-through the third period. Penguins center Mike Comrie would score the final goal in the Thrashers' final game with an empty-netter (above).

(Photos: First-Keith Srakocic/Associated Press; Ndur and Slegr-Darrell Sapp/Post-Gazette; Lang-Matt Freed/Post-Gazette; Heatley and Kovalchuk-Photobucket; Comrie-John Amis/Associated Press)

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written by Bones, June 02, 2011 - 12:55 PM

Fleury's yellow pads were the best. Pointing at a guy in the penalty box is bush league.

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