2008 – 09 Pittsburgh Penguins season The 2008 – 09 Pittsburgh Penguins season is the 41st season of Pittsburgh Penguins in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . The regular season began with two games against the Ottawa Senators in Stockholm , Sweden on October 4 and October 5 , 2008 . Between December 27 and January 5 , 2009 the team lost five consecutive games , the most since 2006 . Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were both selected to play in the 57th National Hockey League All - Star Game . Crosby broke the All - Star vote record set by Jaromir Jagr in 2000 , but did not play due to injury . Sergei Gonchar played for the first time in the season on on February 14 after undergoing shoulder surgery . On February 15 , the team had a record of 27 – 25 – 5 and was five points out of playoff position . The organization fired head coach Michel Therrien and replaced him with Dan Bylsma , head coach of the organization ' s American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes - Barre . On February 26 , the team traded defenseman Ryan Whitney to the Anaheim Ducks in return for Chris Kunitz . Before the trade deadline on March 4 , they acquired Bill Guerin from the New York Islanders . Under Bylsma , the team went 18 – 3 – 4 , including 10 – 1 – 2 in March , and lost only one home game . The Penguins qualified for the playoffs in the third consecutive season . They did not repeat as champions of the Atlantic Division , but earned the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference with 99 points . They began the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs on April 15 against the Philadelphia Flyers . They beat the Flyers , Washington Capitals , and Carolina Hurricanes to earn a second - straight berth in the Stanley Cup Final . Pittsburgh defeated the Detroit Red Wings in seven games in a rematch of the previous season ' s Stanley Cup Final to win the franchise ' s third league title . Pre - season . Due to their appearance in the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals , the Penguins had less than three weeks before free agency began to settle numerous contract decisions . The Penguins added nine free agents and lost ten to other teams . Head coach Michel Therrien also signed a new three - year contract that replaced the last year of his existing contract , with an increase in salary . The new contract was projected to keep him with the Penguins through the 2010 - 11 season . The Penguins renewed 99 % of their season ticket sales from the 2007 – 08 season ; having sold out 67 consecutive games at Mellon Arena dating back to the 2006 - 07 season . In July , ESPN named Pittsburgh the top team in the Eastern Conference , and the " Sporting News " predicted the team would finish in the league ' s fifth position . Therrien began preparing for training camp in August . He stated that the team ' s goal will be to use experience gained throughout the past two seasons , in which Pittsburgh made the playoffs , to win the Stanley Cup . The team commenced training camp on September 16 , 2008 in Pittsburgh . The Penguins played five pre - season games in preparation for the season , finishing with a 4 – 0 – 1 record . The team concluded its preparation for the season with practices in Stockholm . Defensemen Sergei Gonchar , will miss " four to six months " due to a shoulder injury suffered in the pre - season opener . With Gonchar out of the lineup and last season ' s rotating alternate captains Ryan Malone and Gary Roberts departed , the season began with no returning alternate captains in the lineup . Therrian selected two alternate captains each month ; Evgeni Malkin and Brooks Orpik served the role throughout the opening month . Regular season . October . On September 27 , the Penguins embarked on a trip for Sweden where they opened the season against the Ottawa Senators , at the Stockholm Globe Arena . The Penguins were one of four teams to participate in " NHL Premiere " which began the season with games in Prague and Stockholm . Pittsburgh won the opening game of the season in overtime , getting two goals from Tyler Kennedy , including the game - winner . The game was broadcast on Mellon Arena ' s JumboTron where 2 , 300 spectators watched the game . The team returned to Pittsburgh after ten days in Europe and a 1 – 1 – 0 record . The Penguins hosted the " Trib Total Media Faceoff Festival 2008 " prior to their first four home games , allowing fans to watch the games on 9 - by - 12 foot LED screen outside of Mellon Arena . On October 18 , Sidney Crosby scored one goal in addition to three assists to surpass benchmarks of 100 goals , 200 assists , and 300 total points for his career . In the same game Evgeni Malkin assisted on four goals giving him 200 total career points . The Penguins received continued fan support from their previous season . In addition to extending a home sellout streak to 72 games on October 23 , the Penguins rank 113 % above the national average for male television viewers aged 18 to 34 . The franchise ranks as the 18th most valuable in the league at US $ 195 million , making a 26 % increase in the past season . According to Forbes , the franchise ' s revenue will likely put the Penguins into the top ten after their new arena , Consol Energy Center , opens in 2010 . The Penguins finished October with a 3 – 1 – 1 record in Pittsburgh and concluded the month with three consecutive road losses . November . The Penguins won their first six games in November before losing in a shootout on November 18 . Rob Scuderi and Hal Gill were selected by Therrien to be November ' s alternate captains , taking over for Brooks Orpik and Malkin who served in October . On November 11 , the Penguins returned to Detroit for the first time since the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals . The third goal of Jordan Staal ' s second career hat - trick came with 22 . 8 seconds remaining in regulation , sending the game into overtime where the Penguins achieved a 7 – 6 victory . On November 15 , the Penguins wore alternate blue jerseys , similar to those worn by the franchise in the 1970s and worn in the 2008 NHL Winter Classic . Malkin ' s 13 - game point streak ended on November 18 , during the streak he scored 27 points . Through November 19 , the Penguins led the league in overtime games with nine of 18 games taking extra time to decide . Through the first 20 games of the season Mike Zigomanis led the league in faceoff percentage and Alex Goligoski led rookie defensemen in points . After an injury to Marc - Andre Fleury , Dany Sabourin and rookie John Curry split goaltending duties in his multi - game absence in which the team was 5 – 6 – 2 . On November 26 , Malkin scored three goals for his third career hat trick , three days later Sidney Crosby also achieved a hat trick — the second of his career . After the teams ' final game of the month Malkin and Crosby ranked first and second in league scoring with 39 and 34 points respectively . Malkin also ranked first in the league with 29 assists , and was named the NHL ' s second " Star of the Month " . December . Therrien named Jordan Staal and Matt Cooke December ' s alternate captains . " I think it ' s important for our young group to try to extend the leadership group , " the coach said of the decision . A survey by Turnkey Sports & Entertainment released on December 2 that surveyed fans of all 122 NFL , NBA , NHL and MLB teams ranked the Penguins eighth . The survey consisted of 21 categories such as entertainment value , commitment to winning , ticket value , and likeability of the players and owners . Ranked 20th in the same poll in 2007 , the Penguins were the second - ranked NHL team , behind the Detroit Red Wings . The Penguins began the month with seven games in eleven days in which they were 2 – 4 – 1 . As of December 10 , Crosby and Malkin continued to lead the league in points as well as leading voting for the all - star game in Montreal . On December 11 , after losing three consecutive games , Petr Sýkora and Pascal Dupuis each scored their first career hat trick in a 9 – 2 victory over the Islanders in Pittsburgh . It was the seventh time in Penguins ' s history that two players scored a hat trick in the same game — the first since 1993 . On December 21 , Sidney Crosby surpassed the record for most All - Star Game votes at 1 , 020 , 736 , set by Jaromir Jagr , then with the Penguins , in 2000 . Crosby broke the record with 13 days remaining in voting . Defenceman Ryan Whitney made his first appearance of the season on December 23 , after missing 33 games with a foot injury . On December 26 , Marc - Andre Fleury made 37 saves in Pittsburgh ' s first shutout of the season , winning 1 – 0 . After concluding the month with a 5 – 8 – 1 record , the team held a players only meeting on December 30 . " The attitude is a little off right now , " said Brooks Orpik , " It ' s easy to be a good team when you ' re winning games . When you ' re going through rough batches like this , it ' s what tests guys ' character . " January . The Penguins began 2009 with three consecutive losses , extending their losing streak to five games — the most consecutive since 2006 . During the streak the Penguins fell from second to ninth place in the Eastern Conference and failed to score on 32 consecutive power plays . The alternate captains for the month of January were Petr Sykora and Ryan Whitney , who was returning from off - season foot surgery . Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin led all players in voting for the All - Star Game . However , Crosby did not play due to a knee injury . The top vote - getter for the second year in a row , Crosby also missed the 2008 All - Star Game . On January 8 the team announced that they had agreed to a four - year contract extension with Jordan Staal worth $ 16 million . Staal ' s rookie contract was set to expire at the end of the season . He was the Penguins first round pick , second overall in 2006 . The team suffered from injuries , culminating in January where at one point they had eight starters injured . Mike Zigomanis had been inactive since December 3 and Ruslan Fedotenko was ruled out for four to six weeks after breaking his hand on January 6 . Sergei Gonchar practiced with the team for the first time on January 16 after suffering a separated shoulder in September 2008 . By that time , the Penguins had lost 173 man - games due to injury , after losing 239 in the entire 2007 – 08 season . With a 3 – 0 victory over the New York Rangers on January 18 , the Penguins won a second consecutive game for the first time since November 15 . However , the team was unable to capitalize and lost their last game before the All - Star break to the Carolina Hurricanes . The Penguins entered the break with a 23 – 21 – 4 record . The team ' s 50 points put them in tenth place in the Eastern Conference , two spots out of the playoffs . Matt Cooke was suspended for the first two games after the All - Star break due to " a blow to the head " against the Carolina Hurricanes on January 20 . February . Entering February , Evgeni Malkin was named an alternate captain for the remainder of the season ; Brooks Orpik will hold the position until the return of Sergei Gonchar . On February 14 , Gonchar made his season debut and Ruslan Fedotenko returned to the line - up after missing over a month due to a hand injury . On February 15 — with the Penguins five points out of the playoffs — Therrien was replaced by Dan Bylsma , the coach of the Penguins ' AHL affiliate Wilkes - Barre , on an interim basis . Tom Fitzgerald was promoted from Director of Player Development to assistant coach for forwards , while Mike Yeo , already with the team , became assistant for the defenceman . Assistant Andre Savard was reassigned within the organization . On February 21 , Crosby acquired his 250th career assist in a 2 goal , 2 assist victory over the Philadelphia Flyers . On February 25 , Fleury recorded his third shutout of the season , as the Penguins defeated the Islanders 1 – 0 ; the team remained two points out of the playoffs after the win . The day after the shutout , Ryan Whitney was traded to the Anaheim Ducks for Chris Kunitz and signing rights to prospect Eric Tangradi . In his first game after being traded to Pittsburgh , Kunitz recorded a goal and an assist as the Penguins defeated the Chicago Blackhawks in overtime . March . The Penguins began March with five of six games on the road , before a homestand of eight consecutive games . Upon the Penguins ' win on March 1 , the team moved into eighth place in the Eastern Conference with 70 points . The NHL trade deadline was on March 4 . On March 3 , the Penguins placed Miroslav Šatan on waivers to clear roster space for a trade . Before the deadline , the Penguins acquired New York Islanders ' captain Bill Guerin in exchange for a conditional draft pick in the 2009 draft . The Penguins also exchanged minor league defenceman , sending Danny Richmond to the St . Louis Blues organization for Andy Wozniewski . They also claimed winger Craig Adams of the Chicago Blackhawks off waivers . Dan Blysma surpassed Herb Brooks ' record for the best record in the first ten games as a Penguins ' coach . The team went a franchise first 5 – 0 – 0 on a road trip at the beginning of March . The Penguins lost in a shootout against the Columbus Blue Jackets on March 23 . The loss snapped a seven game winning streak before a Columbus - record crowd — an estimated 2 , 500 fans were rooting for Pittsburgh . Marc - Andre Fleury started 19 consecutive games between February 3 and March 15 , with a record of 12 – 4 – 3 before Mathieu Garon started his second game since being traded on January 17 . On March 15 , the Penguins soldout their 100th consecutive game at the Mellon Arena . Evgeni Malkin recorded his 100th point of the season while tieing a career - high five point game against the Atlanta Thrashers on March 17 . On March 20 , Penguins and Pittsburgh Pirates organist of 33 years , Vince Lascheid . died . Vice president of communications Tom McMillan said , " [ Lascheid ] probably is the only organist in the history of professional sports to be inducted into a team Hall of Fame . " The Penguins concluded March with eight consecutive games at the Mellon Arena — their longest homestand of the season . April and season results . Pittsburgh finished their homestand with a 6 – 1 – 1 record , moving into fourth place in the Eastern Conference . The final game of the homestand was the most watched game of the season on Fox Sports Pittsburgh ( FSN Pittsburgh ) , the Penguins regional television coverage network . FSN Pittsburgh was the most - watched regional Fox network in the NHL for the second consecutive season . On April 7 , Sidney Crosby scored his 100th point of the season , Evgeni Malkin acquired his 300th career point , and Petr Sykora scored his 300th career goal , while the Penguins qualified for the postseason for the third consecutive season with a 6 – 4 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning . Tickets for Pittsburgh ' s first two opening round playoff games sold out within a few hours of going on sale . The Penguins finished their home schedule on April 9 with a win over the New York Islanders . The team collected over $ 100 , 000 for the families of three Pittsburgh Police officers who were killed days before the game . The Penguins finished their regular season on April 12 with a win over the Montreal Canadiens . Through his first 25 games as Penguins ' coach , Dan Blysma ' s 18 – 3 – 4 record amounted to 40 points — the second most of any coach in NHL history through their first 25 games . The Penguins finished with a 45 – 28 – 9 record , for 99 points ; fourth place in the Eastern Conference and second place in the Atlantic Division . Evgeni Malkin won the Art Ross Trophy as the league ' s leading scorer with 113 points . Malkin followed Mario Lemieux , Jaromir Jagr , and Crosby to become the fourth different Penguin to win the award . The award was the thirteenth overall for the Penguins since 1988 . Stanley Cup playoffs . The Penguins advanced to the Stanley Cup playoffs for the third consecutive season . They earned the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference and home - ice advantage in the opening round match - up with the Philadelphia Flyers , following a loss by the Flyers on the last day of the regular season . For the second consecutive season , the Penguins erected a 12 by 16 foot LED screen on the lawn directly outside Mellon Arena , allowing fans to watch all sold - out playoff games , free of charge . After defeating Philadelphia , the Penguins beat the Washington Capitals and the Carolina Hurricanes to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals . The Penguins faced the Detroit Red Wings , defeating them in seven games to win their third Stanley Cup in franchise history . The final game of the season drew a 42 . 2 television rating in Pittsbugh — the highest local rating in any city since the NHL began to track the figure . Eastern Conference quarterfinals . The Penguins won game one of the series 4 – 1 , with goals from Sidney Crosby , Evgeni Malkin , Tyler Kennedy , and defenseman Mark Eaton . " It was a good [ night ] for me , " said Malkin , " it was a good [ night ] for everybody . " Philadelphia took twelve penalties throughout the game . Flyers coach John Stevens was fined $ 10 , 000 and forward Daniel Carcillo was suspended by the NHL for the second game of the series for Carcillo ' s hit to Max Talbot ' s head immediately following a faceoff with seven seconds left in the game ; Carcillo was not penalized at the time of the hit . In game two , Evgeni Malkin had a goal and an assist , while Marc - Andre Fleury made 38 saves . Bill Guerin scored two goals — including the game winner in overtime — as the Penguins won 3 – 2 . With the Penguins up two games to zero , the series moved to Philadelphia for game three . After falling behind 2 – 0 , goals from Malkin and Rob Scuderi tied the game . Malkin added his second goal of the game in the final period ; however , Philadelphia won the game 6 – 3 . In game four , Fleury stopped 45 shots , giving up one goal as the Penguins won 3 – 1 . Crosby scored his second goal of the playoffs and Tyler Kennedy added the game winner ; Matt Cooke assisted on both goals . The Penguins were unable to clinch the series in game five in front of their 110th sellout crowd at Mellon Arena . A goal by Malkin was taken away after it was determined that he had kicked the puck into the net ; Martin Biron stopped 28 shots for the shutout . Pittsburgh viewers were unable to see approximately 30 minutes of the second period after a lightning strike at a FSN Pittsburgh network facility in Atlanta caused a black - out the station . In game six , the Flyers took a 2 – 0 lead into the first intermission , and they made 3 – 0 four minutes into the second period . Max Talbot fought Daniel Carcillo after the Flyers tallied their third goal and the Penguins , re - energized by Talbot ' s display , scored three goals in what remained of the second period to tie the game 3 – 3 . Sergei Gonchar scored his first goal of the series , his first in 23 playoff games dating back to game two of the Penguins ' first - round series against Ottawa in 2008 , to break the tie at 2 : 19 of the third period . Crosby added an empty - net goal and the Penguins eliminated the Flyers and advance to the Eastern Conference semi - finals . Three days after the Penguins series - clinching victory of the Flyers , the Penguins announced that coach Dan Bylsma had signed a multi - year contract with the team . Eastern Conference semi - finals . The Penguins drew a matchup with the Washington Capitals in the second round after the Bruins , Capitals , and Hurricanes each won their respective series . The anticipation for the series was high considering the rivalry between the teams and some of their respective star players , most notably Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin of the Penguins and Alexander Ovechkin and Alexander Semin of the Capitals . The first three games in the series were scheduled for national television in the United States , with game one on NBC and games two and three on Versus . Game one was held in Washington , where Capitals owner Ted Leonsis took steps to prevent Penguins ' fans from purchasing tickets , such as not selling tickets to customers whose area code was in Western Pennsylvania . Crosby scored to give the Penguins a first period lead , but Washington scored two goals before the conclusion of the period . Mark Eaton tied the game in the second period , but Washington ' s Simeon Varlamov held the Penguins scoreless for the remainder of the game as the Capitols took a 1 – 0 lead in the series . The game had 40 % more viewers than a playoff games the previous season . In game two , Ovechkin and Crosby scored three goals each ; Dave Steckel ' s second period goal was the difference as Washington won 4 – 3 . The series moved to Pittsburgh for game three . Goals from Ruslan Fedotenko , Nicklas Backstrom , Ovechkin , and Malkin left the game tied after regulation . Kris Letang scored a powerplay goal eleven minutes into overtime , winning the game for the Penguins . Pittsburgh tied the series at two games apeice after a 5 – 3 game four victory at Mellon Arena . After a Washington goal scored less than a minute into regulation the Penguins responded with three of their own in the opening frame . The Penguins ' five goals came from five different players . During the first period Sergei Gonchar was forced to leave the game after a knee - on - knee hit from Ovechkin ; Gonchar returned to the Penguins ' line - up for game seven . Game five took place in Washington , D . C . the next day , due to the scheduling of a Yanni concert in Pittsburgh . After a scoreless first period , Washington took a 2 – 1 lead in the second . Fedotenko tied the game less than a minute into the third period , but a goal by Matt Cooke was matched by Ovechkin and the game went into overtime . With one second remaining in their second powerplay of the game , Malkin scored to give the Penguins their third consecutive victory . Game six was the third overtime game of the series . Washington forced a seventh game with a 5 – 4 victory . Nine different players scored goals in the game . In the final game of the series Pittsburgh scored two goals within eight seconds of one another to take a 2 – 0 lead after Fleury stopped Ovechkin on a breakaway . Pittsburgh scored three more goals in the second period , extending their lead to 5 – 0 , before Ovechkin scored his eighth goal of the series . Each team added a goal in the final period to end the game with a 6 – 2 final score . Ovechkin scored eight goals and added six assists in the series , while Crosby tallied eight goals and five assists . Crosby ' s thirteen - point tally in the series totalled one less than Ovechkin ' s fourteen points , which was the highest single - series point total since the 1995 Stanley Cup playoffs . While shaking hands following the final game , Crosby told Ovechkin he had played a " great series " , to which Ovechkin responded , " win the Stanley Cup . " Eastern Conference Final . Pittsburgh faced the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final , due to Carolina ' s victories over the Boston Bruins and New Jersey Devils . The series opened in Pittsburgh , where Miroslav Satan and Philippe Boucher scored their first goals of the playoffs . Marc - Andre Fleury was named the game ' s third star after making 23 saves and helping the Penguins to a 3 – 2 victory . In game two , Malkin scored a hat trick and Chris Kunitz scored his first goal of the playoffs as the Penguins won 7 – 4 , taking a two games to none series lead . In game three , Carolina took the lead at 4 : 06 of the first period ; Malkin scored two goals and Crosby scored one as the Penguins took a 3 – 1 lead into the first intermission . After a scoreless second period , the Hurricanes came within a goal after Sergei Samsonov scored less than two minutes into the final period , but goals by Fedotenko , Adams , and Guerin gave the Penguins a 6 – 2 victory . The series concluded with the Penguins sweeping , four games to none . In the series ' fourth game , Pittsburgh gave up the initial goal less than two minutes into the opening period , but goals from Fedotenko and Talbot gave them the lead after the first period . A second period goal from Guerin and an empty netter from Adams sealed the Penguins victory in the game and the series . Stanley Cup Final . For the second consecutive season the Penguins played the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Finals . Marking the first time in 25 years that two teams played each other in consecutive Finals . Tickets for games three and four , which were hosted at the Mellon Arena , sold out in 10 minutes . The Red Wings scored the first goal of the series 13 minutes into the first game , when a puck shot by Brad Stuart ricocheted off the boards behind the goal , then bounced off Marc - Andre Fleury and into the net . Ruslan Fedotenko , with an assist from Evgeni Malkin , tied the game before the conclusion of the first period . Detroit went on to score a goal in each of the final two periods to win game one 3 – 1 . Evgeni Malkin scored a powerplay goal in the first period of game two , but the Penguins were held scoreless for the remainder of the contest ; falling 3 – 1 for a second consecutive game . With the Penguins down two games to none , the series shifted to Pittsburgh for game three . After a 2 – 2 first period and a scoreless second period , Sergei Gonchar and Max Talbot each scored a goal in the third period to give the Penguins a 4 – 2 victory . In game four , the Penguins tied the Red Wings at two games apiece with three unanswered goals in the second period , including a shorthanded goal by Jordan Staal . With the series returning to Detroit , the Red Wings took a three games to two lead in the series with a 5 – 0 win . The fans at Joe Louis Arena chanted , " We Want the Cup " in the final minutes of the game . Staal and Tyler Kennedy scored as the Penguins tied the series at three games apiece in a 2 – 1 game six victory . In the seventh , and final , game of the series Max Talbot scored two goals and Fleury made 23 saves as the Penguins won their third Stanley Cup in franchise history . Evgeni Malkin won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs . Fans celebrated in the streets of Pittsburgh after the game , as the Stanley Cup victory came four months after the Pittsburgh Steelers ' victory in Super Bowl XLIII . Two days after the victory , 375 , 000 people attended a parade of the Cup through downtown Pittsburgh . Player stats . The following statistics were compiled from the Penguins ' official website and the Internet Hockey Database . Awards and records . Milestones . Paul Bissonnette , John Curry , Dustin Jeffrey , Ben Lovejoy , Janne Pesonen , Luca Caputi , and Tim Wallace made their NHL debuts during the season . Awards . Prior to the team ' s final home game on April 9 against the New York Islanders , the team announced its annual award winners . Awards were given by the Pittsburgh chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association , the Penguins Booster Club , as well as voted amongst the team . Transactions . Concerns over future player contracts were raised just days after the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals . Approximately a dozen players , including Marian Hossa , Jarkko Ruutu , Ryan Malone , and Brooks Orpik , had fulfilled the final year on their contracts . On June 28 , the Penguins traded the contract negotiation rights to Gary Roberts and Ryan Malone to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a conditional draft pick ; it became a 3rd round pick when both Malone and Roberts signed with the Lightning on June 30 . Evgeni Malkin was offered a contract from a Russian team in the newly - formed Kontinental Hockey League worth approximately $ 12 . 5 million , tax exempt , per year , which would make him the highest - paid hockey player in the world . However , Malkin turned down the offer to remain with the Penguins , and the IIHF released a statement saying that it would not honor the offer , as Malkin was already under an existing contract with the Penguins at the time . Malkin agreed to a five year contract extension worth $ 8 . 7 million per year — the same value as Sidney Crosby ' s contract — with the Penguins on July 2 . On July 3 , the Penguins agreed to a seven year deal with restricted free agent goaltender Marc - Andre Fleury in addition to one - year contracts with free agents Miroslav Šatan and Ruslan Fedotenko . On October 8 the Penguins made several roster adjustments , placing Kris Beech , who was already in Europe looking for a new team , on unconditional waivers and sending Janne Pesonen , John Curry , and Jeff Taffe , who first had to clear waivers , to Wilkes - Barre / Scranton . The next day , on October 9 , the Penguins acquired Mike Zigomanis from Phoenix for future considerations . On December 19 , the team extended their agreement with Max Talbot for an additional two seasons . † Initially fifth - round pick , fourth - round pick if Penguins make playoffs , third - round pick if Penguins win a playoff round and Guerin plays in 50 % of the games . Draft picks . The 2008 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 20 – 21 , 2008 , in Ottawa , Ontario . The Penguins did not make their first selection until the fourth round , at 120th overall . Their first - round selection was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers on February 26 , 2008 . Pittsburgh ' s second - round selection was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs , also on February 26 . The third - round pick went to the Phoenix Coyotes with Daniel Carcillo , for Georges Laraque on February 27 , 2007 . Farm teams . Pittsburgh ' s American Hockey League affiliate , the Wilkes - Barre / Scranton Penguins , finished the 2008 – 09 season third in the East Division . Chris Minard , the AHL ' s leading goal scorer at time of announcement , was selected as a starter for Team Canada in the 2009 All Star Classic . Jeff Taffe and Ben Lovejoy were selected as reserves for the PlanetUSA team . All three players were under two - way NHL contracts and played games with Pittsburgh during the season . In the game , Taffe scored three goals and recorded two assists . Janne Pesonen , who signed a contract with the Penguins in July 2008 , finished the 2008 – 09 season as the AHL ' s fourth - leading scorer , set a new record for points in a single season for the Wilkes - Barre / Scranton Baby Penguins , passing up Toby Peterson ' s 67 - point season of 2000 – 01 , and his 82 points were the most ever by a Finn in AHL history . Pesonen ' s 82 points and 50 assists were both franchise records , the latter record shard with Taffe , who also recorded 50 assists . Minard set the franchise record with 34 goals . John Curry , who made his NHL debut during the season , set the W - B / S record for most goaltending wins in a season ( 33 ) and career ( 57 ) . The ECHL affiliate Wheeling Nailers finished the season fourth in the Northern Division , and were eliminated in the first round of the 2009 Kelly Cup Playoffs . The Nailers had three players selected for the 2009 ECHL All - Star Game , all reserve forwards . Nick Johnson , the only Penguins prospect , was drafted by the team 67th overall in 2004 and signed an entry - level contract with the organization in March 2008 . Johnson did not play in the All - Star Game because he finished the season with Wilkes - Barre / Scranton . Media affiliates . WXDX - FM of Pittsburgh was the radio flagship station for the Penguins for the third season . In April , the team and the station agreed to a six - year contract extension . Mike Lange and former Penguin Phil Bourque were the station ' s broadcasters . FSN Pittsburgh was the primary television network , broadcasting 71 of the team ' s 82 games , as well as Inside Penguin ' s Hockey , a weekly 30 minute program . Paul Steigerwald , Dan Potash , and former Penguins Bob Errey and Jay Caufield were the station ' s broadcast team . During the semi - final playoff round against the Washington Capitals , game five set a record as the highest watched game on any FSN regional network in history . It was then surpassed by games six and seven ; the final game of the series drew a 24 . 97 average rating — twice the viewers than the second most watched show of the evening .