# 1990–91 Pittsburgh Penguins season

The 1990–91 Pittsburgh Penguins season was the Penguins 24th season in the NHL, and they were coming off of a disappointing 1989–90 season, having finished one point behind the New York Islanders for the final playoff spot in the Patrick Division, failing to qualify for post-season play for the seventh time in eight seasons. The Penguins placed first in their division, third-overall in the Wales Conference, on the way to the first-ever Stanley Cup championship for the team. Eight players and three off-ice staff members from the 1990-91 team have been elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame. This was the first of eleven consecutive playoff appearances for the Penguins.
As of 2025, the only remaining active member of the 1990–91 Pittsburgh Penguins is Jaromír Jágr. He is a member of Rytíři Kladno of the Czech Extraliga.

## Off-season

In the off-season, general manager Craig Patrick, who finished the previous season coaching the club, would name Bob Johnson as the new head coach of the Penguins. Patrick also named Scotty Bowman as his director of player development and recruitment. Johnson had previously been the head coach of the Calgary Flames from 1982 to 1987. The team also acquired veteran Bryan Trottier, who helped lead the New York Islanders to four-straight Stanley Cups from 1980 to 1983, to help out with his leadership abilities.

## Pre-season

1990–91 Preseason Game Log: 4–0–1 (Home: 1–0–1; Road: 3–0–0)
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordRecap
September 24Los Angeles4–1PittsburghYoung10,413
September 28Pittsburgh3–1MinnesotaBarrasso9,497
September 30Pittsburgh7–0NY IslandersPietrangelo9,873 :
Legend:
  Win
  Loss
  Tie :

## Regular season

The Penguins would begin the season without Mario Lemieux, as he would miss the first half of the season recovering from a back injury that he suffered in a game against the New York Rangers on February 14, 1990, which caused him to miss the remainder of the 1989–90 season.
Pittsburgh would begin the season slow, and in their opening 31 games, the team had a 12–16–3 record, good for 27 points, and nine points out of a playoff spot. As the season progressed, the team began playing better, had Lemieux return to the lineup, and Patrick would make some trades, acquiring defenseman Larry Murphy from the Minnesota North Stars and Scott Young from the Hartford Whalers. The Penguins eventually came into playoff contention, and on March 4, when the team had a 32–30–4 record, sitting in third place in the Division, the club pulled off a blockbuster deal with the Whalers, trading John Cullen, Zarley Zalapski, and Jeff Parker to Hartford for Ron Francis, Ulf Samuelsson, and Grant Jennings. The deal helped the Penguins finish the season off 9–3–2, and win their first ever Division championship, finishing three points ahead of the second place New York Rangers.
With Lemieux missing the majority of the season due to his back injury, Mark Recchi stepped up and had a breakout season, scoring a team-high 40 goals and 73 assists for 113 points. Kevin Stevens would tie Recchi for the team lead in goals with 40, and add 46 assists for 86 points. Rookie Jaromir Jagr had a solid season, scoring 27 goals and earning 57 points, while Lemieux recorded 19 goals and 45 points in only 26 games. Paul Coffey led the defense with 93 points in 76 games. The 342 goals the Penguins scored was the second-highest tally in the NHL, only two goals fewer than the Calgary Flames.
In goal, Tom Barrasso had the majority of playing time, winning a team high 27 games and posting a 3.59 goals against average (GAA), along with one shutout. Frank Pietrangelo appeared in 25 games, finishing with a 10–11–1 record and a 3.94 GAA.

### Season standings

Patrick Division :
| | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 80 | 41 | 33 | 6 | 342 | 305 | 88 |
| New York Rangers | 80 | 36 | 31 | 13 | 297 | 265 | 85 |
| Washington Capitals | 80 | 37 | 36 | 7 | 258 | 258 | 81 |
| New Jersey Devils | 80 | 32 | 33 | 15 | 272 | 264 | 79 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 80 | 33 | 37 | 10 | 252 | 267 | 76 |
| New York Islanders | 80 | 25 | 45 | 10 | 223 | 290 | 60 |
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against Note: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.
Wales Conference :
| R | | Div | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts |
| 1 | Boston Bruins | ADM | 80 | 44 | 24 | 12 | 299 | 264 | 100 |
| 2 | Montreal Canadiens | ADM | 80 | 39 | 30 | 11 | 273 | 249 | 89 |
| 3 | Pittsburgh Penguins | PTK | 80 | 41 | 33 | 6 | 342 | 305 | 88 |
| 4 | New York Rangers | PTK | 80 | 36 | 31 | 13 | 297 | 265 | 85 |
| 5 | Washington Capitals | PTK | 80 | 37 | 36 | 7 | 258 | 258 | 81 |
| 6 | Buffalo Sabres | ADM | 80 | 31 | 30 | 19 | 292 | 278 | 81 |
| 7 | New Jersey Devils | PTK | 80 | 32 | 33 | 15 | 272 | 264 | 79 |
| 8 | Philadelphia Flyers | PTK | 80 | 33 | 37 | 10 | 252 | 267 | 76 |
| 9 | Hartford Whalers | ADM | 80 | 31 | 38 | 11 | 238 | 276 | 73 |
| 10 | New York Islanders | PTK | 80 | 25 | 45 | 10 | 223 | 290 | 60 |
| 11 | Quebec Nordiques | ADM | 80 | 16 | 50 | 14 | 236 | 354 | 46 |
Divisions: PTK – Patrick, ADM – Adams
bold – Qualified for playoffs

## Schedule and results

1990–91 Schedule :
October: 6–6–1 (Home: 3–3–0; Road: 3–3–1), 13 Points
#OctTime (ET)VisitorScoreHomeLocationRecordPoints
158:05 pmPittsburgh Penguins7–4Washington CapitalsCapital Centre1–0–02
277:35 pmNew Jersey Devils4–7Pittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena2–0–04
398:35 pmPittsburgh Penguins3–4St. Louis BluesSt. Louis Arena2–1–04
4118:35 pmPittsburgh Penguins1–4Chicago BlackhawksChicago Stadium2–2–04
5137:35 pmPittsburgh Penguins6–4New York IslandersNassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum3–2–06
6167:35 pmPhiladelphia Flyers5–1Pittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena3–3–06
7197:35 pmPittsburgh Penguins4–4 OTBuffalo SabresBuffalo Memorial Auditorium3–3–17
8207:35 pmNew York Rangers4–3Pittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena3–4–17
9237:35 pmMontreal Canadiens5–4Pittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena3–5–17
10257:35 pmQuebec Nordiques3–6Pittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena4–5–19
11277:45 pmPittsburgh Penguins5–7New Jersey DevilsBrendan Byrne Arena4–6–19
12287:35 pmNew York Islanders3–8Pittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena5–6–111
13307:35 pmPittsburgh Penguins6–2Philadelphia FlyersThe Spectrum6–6–113 :
November: 5–6–1 (Home: 3–4–0; Road: 2–2–1), 11 Points
#NovTime (ET)VisitorScoreHomeLocationRecordPoints
1437:35 pmNew York Rangers1–3Pittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena7–6–115
1567:35 pmCalgary Flames5–6Pittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena8–6–117
1687:35 pmSt. Louis Blues3–2Pittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena8–7–117
17107:05 pmPittsburgh Penguins3–3 OTBoston BruinsBoston Garden8–7–218
18138:35 pmPittsburgh Penguins4–1Minnesota North StarsMet Center9–7–220
19148:35 pmPittsburgh Penguins6–4Winnipeg JetsWinnipeg Arena10–7–222
201710:35 pmPittsburgh Penguins1–2 OTLos Angeles KingsGreat Western Forum10–8–222
21217:35 pmPhiladelphia Flyers5–4Pittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena10–9–222
22238:05 pmPittsburgh Penguins3–7Washington CapitalsCapital Centre10–10–222
23247:35 pmWashington Capitals2–3 OTPittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena11–10–224
24277:35 pmEdmonton Oilers7–3Pittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena11–11–224
25297:35 pmHartford Whalers6–4Pittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena11–12–224 :
December: 10–6–1 (Home: 6–3–1; Road: 4–3–0), 21 Points
#DecTime (ET)VisitorScoreHomeLocationRecordPoints
2618:35 pmPittsburgh Penguins3–6Minnesota North StarsMet Center11–13–224
2737:35 pmPittsburgh Penguins9–4New York RangersMadison Square Garden (IV)12–13–226
2857:35 pmWashington Capitals3–1Pittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena12–14–226
2977:35 pmVancouver Canucks2–2 OTPittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena12–14–327
3087:35 pmPittsburgh Penguins1–3Hartford WhalersHartford Civic Center12–15–327
31117:35 pmChicago Blackhawks4–1Pittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena12–16–327
32137:35 pmNew Jersey Devils5–9Pittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena13–16–329
33147:35 pmPittsburgh Penguins4–3Buffalo SabresBuffalo Memorial Auditorium14–16–331
34167:35 pmDetroit Red Wings1–4Pittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena15–16–333
35187:35 pmWinnipeg Jets2–9Pittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena16–16–335
36207:35 pmMinnesota North Stars3–4Pittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena17–16–337
37227:35 pmPittsburgh Penguins4–3New York IslandersNassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum18–16–339
38237:35 pmNew York Islanders4–3 OTPittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena18–17–339
39267:35 pmPittsburgh Penguins7–3Washington CapitalsCapital Centre19–17–341
40287:35 pmDetroit Red Wings0–5Pittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena20–17–343
41298:05 pmPittsburgh Penguins3–6Toronto Maple LeafsMaple Leaf Gardens20–18–343
42316:05 pmSt. Louis Blues3–4Pittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena21–18–345 :
January: 7–4–0 (Home: 5–1–0; Road: 2–3–0), 14 Points
#JanTime (ET)VisitorScoreHomeLocationRecordPoints
4337:35 pmNew York Rangers7–5Pittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena21–19–345
4451:35 pmNew Jersey Devils2–5Pittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena22–19–347
4567:05 pmPittsburgh Penguins3–6Montreal CanadiensMontreal Forum22–20–347
4687:35 pmEdmonton Oilers1–6Pittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena23–20–349
47107:35 pmCalgary Flames1–5Pittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena24–20–351
48157:35 pmPittsburgh Penguins4–5Philadelphia FlyersThe Spectrum24–21–351
49177:35 pmPittsburgh Penguins6–5 OTToronto Maple LeafsMaple Leaf Gardens25–21–353
50227:35 pmNew Jersey Devils3–5Pittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena26–21–355
51267:35 pmPittsburgh Penguins6–5Quebec NordiquesColisée de Québec27–21–357
52297:35 pmWashington Capitals2–3 OTPittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena28–21–359
53317:35 pmPittsburgh Penguins2–4Philadelphia FlyersThe Spectrum28–22–359 :
February: 4–7–1 (Home: 4–0–0; Road: 0–7–1), 9 Points
#FebTime (ET)VisitorScoreHomeLocationRecordPoints
5421:35 pmBoston Bruins2–6Pittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena29–22–361
5537:05 pmPittsburgh Penguins3–6Boston BruinsBoston Garden29–23–361
5688:35 pmPittsburgh Penguins2–6Winnipeg JetsWinnipeg Arena29–24–361
57119:35 pmPittsburgh Penguins5–7Edmonton OilersNorthlands Coliseum29–25–361
58147:35 pmNew York Islanders2–5Pittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena30–25–363
59167:35 pmPittsburgh Penguins3–4New York IslandersNassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum30–26–363
60197:35 pmBuffalo Sabres3–6Pittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena31–26–365
61217:35 pmToronto Maple Leafs4–11Pittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena32–26–367
62227:45 pmPittsburgh Penguins2–5New Jersey DevilsBrendan Byrne Arena32–27–367
63241:35 pmPittsburgh Penguins5–5 OTWashington CapitalsCapital Centre32–27–468
642610:35 pmPittsburgh Penguins2–8Los Angeles KingsGreat Western Forum32–28–468
652710:35 pmPittsburgh Penguins3–4Vancouver CanucksPacific Coliseum32–29–468 :
March: 9–4–2 (Home: 4–1–2; Road: 5–3–0), 20 Points
#MarTime (ET)VisitorScoreHomeLocationRecordPoints
6619:35 pmPittsburgh Penguins2–6Calgary FlamesOlympic Saddledome32–30–468
6757:35 pmVancouver Canucks1–4Pittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena33–30–470
6877:35 pmLos Angeles Kings2–3Pittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena34–30–472
6997:35 pmPittsburgh Penguins5–2Hartford WhalersHartford Civic Center35–30–474
70105:05 pmPittsburgh Penguins4–3New York IslandersNassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum36–30–476
71127:35 pmMontreal Canadiens4–4 OTPittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena36–30–577
72161:35 pmQuebec Nordiques3–6Pittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena37–30–579
73171:35 pmPittsburgh Penguins4–2New York RangersMadison Square Garden (IV)38–30–581
74197:45 pmPittsburgh Penguins4–5New Jersey DevilsBrendan Byrne Arena38–31–581
75217:35 pmNew York Rangers4–5 OTPittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena39–31–583
76231:35 pmChicago Blackhawks7–5Pittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena39–32–583
77267:35 pmPittsburgh Penguins3–1Philadelphia FlyersThe Spectrum40–32–585
78277:35 pmPittsburgh Penguins7–4Detroit Red WingsJoe Louis Arena41–32–587
79301:35 pmPhiladelphia Flyers4–4 OTPittsburgh PenguinsCivic Arena41–32–688
80317:35 pmPittsburgh Penguins3–6New York RangersMadison Square Garden (IV)41–33–688 :
Legend:
  Win (2 points)
  Loss (0 points)
  Tie (1 point) :

## Playoffs
### Division Semifinals

In the playoffs, the Penguins would open up against the New Jersey Devils, who finished the year in fourth place in the Division, nine points behind Pittsburgh. The teams split the opening two games in Pittsburgh, and then split the two games in New Jersey, before the Devils won Game 5 at Civic Arena to take a 3–2 series lead back home. The Penguins responded with a hard-fought 4–3 victory in Game 6 to bring it back home for Game 7, where Pittsburgh completed the comeback with a 4–0 shutout to win the series.

### Division Finals

Up next was the Washington Capitals, and Washington would surprise the Penguins with a 4–2 victory in the opening game, though Pittsburgh tied the series in Game 2 with a 7–6 overtime victory. The Pens would go into Washington for Games 3 and 4, and post back-to-back 3–1 wins to go up 3–1 in the series, and finish off Washington in the fifth game to clinch the series and advance to the Conference Finals for the first time in team history.

### Conference Finals

The Penguins next opponent was the Boston Bruins, the defending Wales Conference champions, and the Bruins, who finished with 100 points, had home ice for the series. Boston would take control of the series early by winning the opening two games in Boston, however, the Penguins responded by winning the next two in Pittsburgh to even up the series. Pittsburgh would return to Boston for the fifth game, and surprise the Bruins with a 7–2 victory, going up 3–2 in the series and returning home for the sixth game. The Penguins finished off Boston 5–3 in the sixth game, winning the Prince of Wales Trophy and going to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time in team history.

### Stanley Cup Finals

Pittsburgh faced the surprising Minnesota North Stars in the Stanley Cup Finals. While the North Stars had a 27–39–14 record during the regular season, they had been red hot in the playoffs, defeating the Presidents' Trophy winners Chicago Blackhawks, the St. Louis Blues and the defending Stanley Cup champion Edmonton Oilers to reach the Finals. Minnesota would continue their hot streak with a 5–4 victory in Game 1, but the Penguins tied the series in Game 2 as the series shifted from Pittsburgh to Minnesota. The North Stars won Game 3 with solid goaltending, but the Penguins rebounded in Game 4 to tie the series as it returned to Pittsburgh. Game 5 was a close, hard-fought game, with the Penguins winning 6–4 to take a 3–2 series lead, and in Game 6, Pittsburgh would defeat the North Stars 8–0 to win the series, and the first-ever Stanley Cup in club history. Mario Lemieux, recording 44 points in 23 games, won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

### Playoff log

1991 Stanley Cup playoffs :
Patrick Division semi-finals vs No. 4 New Jersey Devils: 4–3 (Home: 2–2; Road: 2–1)
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTPIT goalsNJ goalsDecisionAttendanceSeriesRecap
1April 3New Jersey3–1PittsburghLemieuxŠťastný (2), BoschmanBarrasso (0–1)16,1640–1
2April 5New Jersey4–5Pittsburgh8:52Stevens, Coffey, Bourque, Loney, JagrMacLean (2), Shanahan, KasatonovBarrasso (1–1)16,1641–1
3April 7Pittsburgh4–3New JerseyRecchi, Errey, Mullen, RecchiShanahan (2), BrownBarrasso (2–1)16,8992–1
4April 9Pittsburgh1–4New JerseyLemieuxLemieux, Šťastný, MacLean, LemieuxBarrasso (2–2)16,5522–2
5April 11New Jersey4–2PittsburghFrancis, MurphyMacLean, Driver, Lemieux, Brown (en)Barrasso (2–3)16,1642–3
6April 13Pittsburgh4–3New JerseyStevens (2), Jagr, FrancisMacLean, Weinrich, LemieuxPietrangelo (1–0)19,0403–3
7April 15New Jersey0–4PittsburghHrdina, Lemieux, Hrdina, CoffeyPietrangelo (2-0)16,1644–3 :
Patrick Division finals vs No. 3 Washington Capitals: 4–1 (Home: 2–1; Road: 2–0)
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTPIT goalsWSH goalsDecisionAttendanceSeriesRecap
1April 17Washington4–2PittsburghMurphy, LemieuxJohansson, Hatcher, Iafrate, Miller (en)Pietrangelo (1–2)16,1640–1
2April 19Washington6–7Pittsburgh9:10Bourque, Mullen, Recchi (2), Stevens, Gilhen, StevensHunter, Druce, Ridley, Ciccarelli (2), JohanssonPietrangelo (2–2)16,1641–1
3April 21Pittsburgh3–1WashingtonLemieux, Stevens, TrottierCiccarelliBarrasso (3–3)18,1302–1
4April 23Pittsburgh3–1WashingtonRecchi, Stevens, BourqueBerglandBarrasso (4–3)17,8673–1
5April 25Washington1–4PittsburghMullen, Francis, Jagr, Recchi (en)TippettBarrasso (5–3)16,1644–1 :
Wales Conference finals vs No. 1 Boston Bruins: 4–2 (Home: 3–0; Road: 1–2)
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTPIT goalsBOS goalsDecisionAttendanceSeriesRecap
1May 1Pittsburgh3–6BostonMullen, Stevens, ErreyJanney, Neely, Sweeney, Neely, Christian, BourqueBarrasso (5–4)14,4480–1
2May 3Pittsburgh4–5Boston8:14Stevens, Lemieux, Recchi, LemieuxNeely, Wesley, Bourque, Janney, RuzickaBarrasso (5–5)14,4480–2
3May 5Boston1–4PittsburghStevens, Francis, Jennings, LemieuxBourqueBarrasso (6–5)16,1641–2
4May 7Boston1–4PittsburghErrey, Mullen, Lemieux, StevensChristianBarrasso (7–5)16,1642–2
5May 9Pittsburgh7–2BostonStevens, Lemieux, Trottier, Stevens, Stanton, Murphy, SamuelssonSweeney, JanneyBarrasso (8–5)14,4483–2
6May 11Boston3–5PittsburghMurphy, Bourque, Roberts, Recchi, Lemieux (en)Neely, Hodge, Jr., SweeneyBarrasso (9–5)16,1644–2 :
Stanley Cup Finals vs No. 4 Minnesota North Stars: 4–2 (Home: 2–1; Road: 2–1)
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTPIT goalsMIN goalsDecisionAttendanceSeriesRecap
1May 15Minnesota5–4PittsburghSamuelsson, Lemieux, Young, MullenBroten, Dahlen, Bureau, Broten, SmithBarrasso (9–6)16,1640–1
2May 17Minnesota1–4PittsburghErrey, Stevens, Lemieux, StevensModanoBarrasso (10–6)16,1641–1
3May 19Pittsburgh1–3MinnesotaBourqueGagner, Smith, DuchesneBarrasso (10–7)15,3781–2
4May 21Pittsburgh5–3MinnesotaStevens, Francis, Lemieux, Trottier, Bourque (en)Gagner, Propp, ModanoBarrasso (11–7)15,3782–2
5May 23Minnesota4–6PittsburghLemieux, Stevens, Recchi (2), Francis, LoneyBroten, Gagner, Dahlen, GagnerPietrangelo (3–2)16,1643–2
6May 25Pittsburgh8–0MinnesotaSamuelsson, Lemieux, Mullen, Errey, Francis, Mullen, Paek, MurphyBarrasso (11–7)15,3784–2 :
Legend:
  Win
  Loss :
* Scorer of game-winning goal in italics

## Player statistics
### Skaters

Regular Season :
| Player | GP | G | A | Pts | +/− | PIM |
| Mark Recchi | 78 | 40 | 73 | 113 | 0 | 48 |
| John Cullen$^‡$ | 65 | 31 | 63 | 94 | 0 | 83 |
| Paul Coffey | 76 | 24 | 69 | 93 | –18 | 128 |
| Kevin Stevens | 80 | 40 | 46 | 86 | –1 | 133 |
| Jaromir Jagr | 80 | 27 | 30 | 57 | –4 | 42 |
| Zarley Zalapski$^‡$ | 66 | 12 | 36 | 48 | 15 | 59 |
| Mario Lemieux | 26 | 19 | 26 | 45 | 8 | 30 |
| Bob Errey | 79 | 20 | 22 | 42 | 11 | 115 |
| Joe Mullen | 47 | 17 | 22 | 39 | 9 | 6 |
| Phil Bourque | 78 | 20 | 14 | 34 | 7 | 106 |
| Bryan Trottier | 52 | 9 | 19 | 28 | 5 | 24 |
| Larry Murphy$^†$ | 44 | 5 | 23 | 28 | 2 | 30 |
| Scott Young$^†$ | 43 | 11 | 16 | 27 | 3 | 33 |
| Randy Gilhen | 72 | 15 | 10 | 25 | 3 | 51 |
| Paul Stanton | 75 | 5 | 18 | 23 | 11 | 40 |
| Jiri Hrdina$^†$ | 37 | 6 | 14 | 20 | –2 | 13 |
| Tony Tanti$^‡$ | 46 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 1 | 44 |
| Rob Brown$^‡$ | 25 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 0 | 31 |
| Troy Loney | 44 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 10 | 85 |
| Gordie Roberts$^†$ | 61 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 70 |
| Barry Pederson | 46 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 2 | 21 |
| Peter Taglianetti$^†$ | 39 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 16 | 93 |
| Ron Francis$^†$ | 14 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 0 | 21 |
| Jim Johnson$^‡$ | 24 | 0 | 5 | 5 | –3 | 23 |
| Ulf Samuelsson$^†$ | 14 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 37 |
| Grant Jennings$^†$ | 13 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 26 |
| Randy Hillier | 31 | 2 | 2 | 4 | –3 | 32 |
| Chris Dahlquist$^‡$ | 22 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 30 |
| Jay Caufield | 23 | 1 | 1 | 2 | –2 | 71 |
| Jamie Leach | 7 | 2 | 0 | 2 | –1 | 0 |
| Jeff Daniels | 11 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Brad Aitken$^‡$ | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | –2 | 25 |
| Ken Priestlay | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jim Paek | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 |
| Gord Dineen | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | –4 | 6 |
| Jim Kyte$^‡$ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Total | Total | 342 | 590 | 932 | – | 1,569 |
Playoffs :
| Player | GP | G | A | Pts | +/− | PIM |
| Mario Lemieux | 23 | 16 | 28 | 44 | 14 | 16 |
| Mark Recchi | 24 | 10 | 24 | 34 | 6 | 33 |
| Kevin Stevens | 24 | 17 | 16 | 33 | 14 | 53 |
| Larry Murphy | 23 | 5 | 18 | 23 | 17 | 44 |
| Ron Francis | 24 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 13 | 24 |
| Joe Mullen | 22 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 17 | 4 |
| Jaromir Jagr | 24 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 2 | 6 |
| Phil Bourque | 24 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 6 | 16 |
| Paul Coffey | 12 | 2 | 9 | 11 | –1 | 6 |
| Scott Young | 17 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 2 |
| Bryan Trottier | 23 | 3 | 4 | 7 | –1 | 49 |
| Bob Errey | 24 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 29 |
| Ulf Samuelsson | 20 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 34 |
| Troy Loney | 24 | 2 | 2 | 4 | –3 | 41 |
| Jiri Hrdina | 14 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 6 |
| Gordie Roberts | 24 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 63 |
| Paul Stanton | 22 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 24 |
| Peter Taglianetti | 19 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 49 |
| Grant Jennings | 13 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 16 |
| Randy Gilhen | 16 | 1 | 0 | 1 | –4 | 14 |
| Jim Paek | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Randy Hillier | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 24 |
| Total | Total | 95 | 157 | 252 | – | 555 |

### Goaltenders

Regular Season :
| Player | GP | TOI | W | L | T | GA | GAA | SA | SV% | SO | G | A | PIM |
| Tom Barrasso | 48 | 2753:51 | 27 | 16 | 3 | 165 | 3.59 | 1579 | 0.896 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 40 |
| Frank Pietrangelo | 25 | 1310:35 | 10 | 11 | 1 | 86 | 3.94 | 714 | 0.880 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 24 |
| Wendell Young | 18 | 772:57 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 52 | 4.04 | 428 | 0.879 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 4837:23 | 41 | 33 | 6 | 303 | 3.76 | 2721 | 0.889 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 64 |
Playoffs :
| Player | GP | TOI | W | L | T | GA | GAA | SA | SV% | SO | G | A | PIM |
| Tom Barrasso | 20 | 1175:23 | 12 | 7 | 0 | 51 | 2.82 | 629 | 0.919 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Frank Pietrangelo | 5 | 287:42 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 2.80 | 148 | 0.899 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Total | Total | 1463:05 | 16 | 8 | 0 | 66 | 2.71 | 777 | 0.915 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
$^†$Denotes player spent time with another team before joining the Penguins. Stats reflect time with the Penguins only. $^‡$Denotes player was traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with the Penguins only.

## Awards and records

* Mario Lemieux became the first person to score 500 assists for the Penguins. He did so in a 5–7 loss to Edmonton on February 11.
* Paul Coffey established a franchise record for assists (278) and points (376) by a defenseman. He broke the previous records of 277 assists and 343 points, both held by Ron Stackhouse.

### Awards

| Player | Award |
| Phil Bourque | Baz Bastien Memorial "Good Guy" Award |
| Randy Gilhen | Unsung Hero Award |
| Jaromir Jagr | Michel Briere Memorial Rookie of the Year Award NHL All-Rookie team |
| Mario Lemieux | Donadeo Sullivan Pittsburgh Penguins Masterton Nominee Conn Smythe Trophy |
| Mark Recchi | Bowser Pontiac Leading Point Scorer Award Murray Hill Jewelers Player's Player Award Booster Club Award Foodland Most Valuable Player Award |
| Kevin Stevens | NHL second All-Star team |

## Transactions

The Penguins were involved in the following transactions during the 1990–91 season:

### Trades

| June 16, 1990 | To Calgary Flames: 1990 second round pick (#26–Nicolas Perreault) | To Pittsburgh Penguins: Joe Mullen |
| October 27, 1990 | To St. Louis Blues: Future considerations (1992 eleventh round pick (#259–Wade Salzman)) | To Pittsburgh Penguins: Gordie Roberts |
| December 11, 1990 | To Minnesota North Stars: Jim Johnson Chris Dahlquist | To Pittsburgh Penguins: Larry Murphy Peter Taglianetti |
| December 13, 1990 | To Calgary Flames: Jim Kyte | To Pittsburgh Penguins: Jiri Hrdina |
| December 21, 1990 | To Hartford Whalers: Rob Brown | To Pittsburgh Penguins: Scott Young |
| March 4, 1991 | To Hartford Whalers: John Cullen Zarley Zalapski Jeff Parker | To Pittsburgh Penguins: Ron Francis Ulf Samuelsson Grant Jennings |
| March 5, 1991 | To Edmonton Oilers: Brad Aitken | To Pittsburgh Penguins: Kim Issel |
| March 5, 1991 | To Buffalo Sabres: Tony Tanti | To Pittsburgh Penguins: Rights to Ken Priestlay |

### Free agents

| Player | Acquired from | Lost to | Date |
| Alain Chevrier | | Detroit Red Wings | July 5, 1990 |
| Bryan Trottier | New York Islanders | | July 20, 1990 |
| Richard Zemlak | | Calgary Flames | November 9, 1990 |
| Jeff Parker | Winnipeg Jets | | February 5, 1991 |

### Signings

| Player | Date | Contract terms |
| Paul Coffey | October 24, 1990 | Multi-year contract |

### Other

| Name | Date | Details |
| Rod Buskas | October 1, 1990 | Lost to Los Angeles Kings in waiver draft |
| Randy Gilhen | May 30, 1991 | Lost in expansion draft (Minnesota North Stars) |
| Greg Carval | June 21, 1991 | Acquired in supplemental draft |

## Draft picks

Pittsburgh Penguins' picks at the 1990 NHL Entry Draft.
| Round | # | Player | Pos | Nationality | College/Junior/Club team (League) |
| 1 | 5 | Jaromir Jagr | Right Wing | Czechoslovakia | HC Kladno (Czechoslovakia) |
| 3 | 61 | Joe Dziedzic | Left Wing | United States | Edison High School (USHS–MN) |
| 4 | 68 | Chris Tamer | Defense | United States | University of Michigan (CCHA) |
| 5 | 89 | Brian Farrell | Left Wing | United States | Avon Old Farms (USHS–CT) |
| 6 | 107 | Ian Moran | Defense | United States | Belmont Hill School (USHS–MA) |
| 6 | 110 | Denis Casey | Goaltender | Canada | Colorado College (WCHA) |
| 7 | 130 | Mika Valila | Center | Sweden | Tappara (Finland) |
| 7 | 131 | Ken Plaquin | Defense | Canada | Michigan Tech (WCHA) |
| 7 | 145 | Patrick Neaton | Defense | United States | University of Michigan (CCHA) |
| 8 | 152 | Petteri Koskimaki | Center | Finland | Boston University (Hockey East) |
| 9 | 173 | Ladislav Karabin | Left Wing | Czechoslovakia | Slovan Bratislava (Czechoslovakia) |
| 10 | 194 | Timothy Fingerhut | Left Wing | United States | Canterbury High School (USHS–CT) |
| 11 | 215 | Michael Thompson | Right Wing | Canada | Michigan State University (CCHA) |
| 12 | 236 | Brian Bruininks | Defense | United States | Colorado College (WCHA) |
| S | 5 | Joe Dragon | Center | Canada | Cornell University (ECAC) |
| S | 10 | Savo Mitrovic | Center | Yugoslavia | University of New Hampshire (Hockey East) |

### Draft notes

* The Pittsburgh Penguins' second-round pick went to the Calgary Flames as the result of a June 16, 1990, trade that sent Joe Mullen to the Penguins in exchange for this pick.
* The Pittsburgh Penguins' third-round pick went to the Philadelphia Flyers as the result of a September 1, 1989, trade that sent Wendell Young and a seventh-round pick to the Penguins in exchange for this pick.
* $^a$ The Buffalo Sabres' third-round pick went to the Pittsburgh Penguins as a result of a November 12, 1988, trade that sent Doug Bodger and Darrin Shannon to the Sabres in exchange for Tom Barrasso and this pick.
* $^b$ The Vancouver Canucks' sixth-round pick went to the Pittsburgh Penguins as a result of an October 24, 1989, trade that sent Rod Buskas to the Canucks in exchange for this pick.
* $^c$ The Philadelphia Flyers' seventh-round pick went to the Pittsburgh Penguins as a result of a September 1, 1989, trade that sent a third-round pick to the Flyers in exchange for Wendell Young and this pick.
* $^d$ The Buffalo Sabres' seventh-round pick went to the Pittsburgh Penguins as a result of an October 3, 1988, trade that sent Wayne Van Dorp to the Sabres in exchange for this pick.

## Farm teams

The IHL's Muskegon Lumberjacks finished in fourth place in the East Division with a record of 38-40-5. They lost to the Kalamazoo Wings in the first round of the playoffs 4-1.
The East Coast Hockey League's Knoxville Cherokees won the Henry Brabham Cup as the team with the league's most outstanding record (46-13-5). They were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Louisville Icehawks. Don Jackson was named coach of the year, Stan Drulia was named league MVP and was leading scorer, and Dan Gauthier was the league rookie of the year.

## Media affiliates

Radio
| Flagship station | Play-by-play | Color commentator | Studio host |
| KDKA-AM 1020 (main) WDVE-FM 102.5 (backup) | Mike Lange | Paul Steigerwald | |
Some of the games broadcast on WDVE because of KDKA-AM's broadcast conflict with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Television
| Local TV | Play-by-play | Color commentator |
| KDKA-TV 2 KBL | Mike Lange | Paul Steigerwald |