The Pittsburgh Penguins joined the NHL in 1967, the year the Original Six Era ended, and the league expanded from six to 12 teams.
Because those franchises had a head start by a few decades, those Original Six teams are the winningest franchises in NHL history.
Considering the aurora surrounding those clubs, how have the Penguins fared when facing their legendary rivals? Well, without spoiling the party, the results have been pretty mixed.
Here’s the breakdown.
Boston Bruins (227 games) 79-119-21-8
The Penguins and Boston Bruins were not real rivals until 1979, when Pittsburgh opted to align their sweater colors with the Steelers and Pirates, switching from blue and white to black and gold.
June 5, 2013
Gregory Campbell
Plays for almost 1:00 with a broken leg after blocking a shot in the 2nd period while the Bruins were shorthanded
Bruins go on to win (2-1) in 2 OT’s over the Penguins on a Bergeron goal
One of the grittiest plays everpic.twitter.com/IA8dqw1eJa
— Boston Sports Info (@bostonsportsinf) June 5, 2024
Well, the Bruins organization didn’t like the move, and they have continued to dominate the Penguins during the regular season, with a .524 win percentage.
The trend continues into the Stanley Cup playoffs, where Boston is up 3-2 in overall matchups. However, Pittsburgh beat their rivals in 1991 and 1992 en route to their first championships.
Chicago Blackhawks (144 games) 48-73-17-6
Because the Chicago Blackhawks play in the conference opposite the Penguins, these two haven’t had many meetings. Out of all the Original Six teams, Pittsburgh and Chicago have met the fewest times.
However, like several other clubs on this list, those franchises have gotten the better of the Penguins over the decades. But Pittsburgh won their second-ever Stanley Cup title in 1992, completing a four-game sweep over the Blackhawks in their only playoff matchup.
Detroit Red Wings (169 games) 79-69-16-5
Since 1967, the Detroit Red Wings have played in both the Eastern and Western Conferences. Interestingly, the team from the Motor City has a losing record against the Penguins, one of only three Original Six clubs with that distinction.
In its history, Pittsburgh has played in the Stanley Cup Final six times, and three of those meetings came against Original Six franchises, the Blackhawks and Red Wings (twice).
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