2012–13 Pittsburgh Penguins season

The 2012–13 Pittsburgh Penguins season was the franchise's 46th season in the National Hockey League (NHL). The regular season was reduced from its usual 82 games to 48 due to a lockout.
==Off-season==
The Pittsburgh Penguins finished their 2011–12 season with 108 points, ranking second in the Atlantic Division and fourth in the Eastern Conference. Pittsburgh started off the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs in the Eastern Conference Quarter-finals against their cross-state rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers. Pittsburgh eventually went on to lose in six games, with Philadelphia taking the series 4–2. The 45 goals scored through the first four games set an NHL record for goals in the first four games of a seven-game series. A total of 56 goals were scored over the course of the entire series.
After elimination, Pittsburgh went on to sign 2010 draft pick Reid McNeill on May 15, 2012 and 2011 draft pick Dominik Uher on June 1, 2012 to three-year entry level contracts. On June 4, 2012, the Penguins signed goaltender Tomas Vokoun to a two-year contract after acquiring him from the Washington Capitals for a seventh-round draft pick in 2012. On June 28, 2012, the Penguins agreed to terms with All-Star center Sidney Crosby to a 12-year contract extension worth $104.4 million, but due to the terms of the current NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement, the new deal could not be signed until July 1, 2012.
===Lockout===
At 11:59 p.m. (EDT) on September 15, 2012, following the expiration of the NHL collective bargaining agreement (CBA) the owners declared a lockout of the members of the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) until a new agreement could be reached. As a result, training camps will not open until agreement on a new CBA is reached.
;Cancellation announcements:
*On September 19, 2012 the NHL announced the cancellation of pre-season games through September 30, 2012 
*On September 27, 2012 the NHL announced the cancellation of the remaining pre-season games. 
*On October 4, 2012 the NHL announced the cancellation of regular season games through October 24, 2012. 
*On October 18, 2012 the NHL announced the cancellation of regular season games through November 1, 2012.
*On October 26, 2012 the NHL announced the cancellation of regular season games through November 30, 2012.
*On November 2, 2012 the NHL announced the cancellation of the 2013 Bridgestone Winter Classic between the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs scheduled for January 1, 2013. The NHL also announced the cancellation of all events at the SiriusXM Hockeytown Winter Festival scheduled for December 16–31, 2012 at Comerica Park in Detroit.
*On November 23, 2012 the NHL announced the cancellation of regular season games through December 14, 2012 and announced the cancellation of the 2013 NHL All-Star weekend schedule for January 26–27, 2013 in Columbus, Ohio.
*On December 10, 2012 the NHL announced the cancellation of regular season games through December 30, 2012.
*On December 20, 2012 the NHL announced the cancellation of regular season games through January 14, 2013.
2012–13 Cancelled Games	2012–13 Cancelled Games	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Pre-season
{| class="wikitable"	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
# 	Date 	Time 	Visitor 	Score 	Home 	Location/Attendance 	Record	Points
1 	Sep 24 	7:00 PM	Pittsburgh Penguins 	Cancelled	Columbus Blue Jackets	Nationwide Arena 	0-0-0 	N/A
2 	Sep 26 	7:00 PM	Detroit Red Wings 	Cancelled	Pittsburgh Penguins 	Consol Energy Center	0-0-0 	N/A
3 	Sep 29 	3:00 PM	Columbus Blue Jackets	Cancelled	Pittsburgh Penguins 	Consol Energy Center	0-0-0 	N/A
4 	Sep 30 	7:00 PM	Pittsburgh Penguins 	Cancelled	Chicago Blackhawks 	United Center 	0-0-0 	N/A
5 	Oct 3 	7:00 PM	Pittsburgh Penguins 	Cancelled	Detroit Red Wings 	Joe Louis Arena 	0-0-0 	N/A
6 	Oct 5 	7:00 PM	Chicago Blackhawks 	Cancelled	Pittsburgh Penguins 	Consol Energy Center	0-0-0 	N/A
====Resolution====
At approximately 4:40 am EST on January 6, 2013 the NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr announced that they have reached an agreement on the framework of a new CBA. On January 9, 2013 the NHL Board of Governors voted unanimously to accept the new 10-year CBA between the NHL and the NHLPA, but will not become official until the NHLPA completes a ratification vote. The NHLPA announced that ratification voting would start at 8 pm (EST) Thursday (January 10, 2013) and will continue for 36 hours through Saturday (January 12, 2013) at 8 am (EST). On January 12, 2013 the NHLPA announced that the union had voted to ratify the new CBA with the NHL, but the new CBA will not become official until the NHL and the NHLPA sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Later that same day both the NHL and the NHLPA announced that both sides signed the MOU reflecting the terms of the new 10-year CBA officially ending the lockout and announcing a 720-game (48 per team) regular-season schedule will begin on January 19, 2013.
==Regular season==
===January===
The Penguins released a statement from co-owners Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle and CEO David Morehouse shortly after the NHL announced the framework agreement, offering an apology to the fans and the community and thanking them for their patience and loyalty to the team. As part of the organization thanking the fans and community for their loyalty, the Penguins organization announced that they would offer free selected concession items and "half off" all merchandise during the team's first four home games. In preparation of the start of the regular season the Penguins scheduled a free to fans "Black & Gold" game on January 16, 2013, which would simulate a game-like atmosphere with teammates facing teammates. The Penguins fans showed their appreciation to the organization by filling the CONSOL Energy Center with approximately 18,000 fans (official attendance could not be compiled without a ticket count due to the game's being open and free to the public) with the organization naming the fans as the number one star of the game. Team Black defeated Team White 5–4 in a game which simulated various scenarios (random five-on-three, four-on-four situations) including a full five-minute overtime and a shootout.
Black and Gold Game Rosters
 Team Black (Visitors)
No.	Goalie 	Goalie
29 	Marc-Andre Fleury	Marc-Andre Fleury
81 	Patrick Killeen 	Patrick Killeen
No.	Pos 	Player
2 	D 	Matt Niskanen
5 	D 	Deryk Engelland
7 	D 	Paul Martin
10 	LW 	Tanner Glass
12 	RW 	Jayson Megna
15 	C 	Dustin Jeffrey
16 	C 	Brandon Sutter
24 	LW 	Matt Cooke
27 	RW 	Craig Adams
32 	D 	Brian Domoulin
41 	D 	Robert Bortuzzo
44 	D 	Brooks Orpik
45 	C 	Riley Holzapfel
46 	C 	Joe Vitale
48 	RW 	Tyler Kennedy
55 	D 	Philip Samuelsson
57 	C 	Brian Gibbons
62 	C 	Dominik Uher
65 	C 	Adam Payerl
 Officials
Referees:	Tony Trovato (#20)
Referees:	Jason Mirich (#119)
Linesmen:	Zach Roberts (#43)
Linesmen:	Justin Eckman (#86)
Anthem: 	Kenzie Palmer
 Team White (Home)
No.	Goalie 	Goalie
92 	Tomas Vokoun 	Tomas Vokoun
81 	Patrick Killeen	Patrick Killeen
No.	Pos 	Player
6 	D 	Ben Lovejoy
9 	RW 	Pascal Dupuis
14 	LW 	Chris Kunitz
18 	RW 	James Neal
19 	RW 	Beau Bennett
23 	LW 	Trevor Smith
25 	LW 	Eric Tangradi
33 	LW 	Steve MacIntyre
37 	D 	Brian Strait
42 	D 	Dylan Reese
43 	C 	Warren Peters
47 	D 	Simon Despres
51 	C 	Zach Sill
52 	D 	Alex Grant
56 	RW 	Paul Thompson
58 	D 	Kris Letang
70 	D 	Joe Morrow
71 	C 	Evgeni Malkin
87 	C 	Sidney Crosby
 Coaches
Period 1 & 2 	Team White	Dan Bylsma
Period 1 & 2 	Team White	Tom Fitzgerald
Period 1 & 2 	Team Black	Tony Granato
Period 1 & 2 	Team Black	Todd Reirden
Period 3 & OT	Team White	Tony Granato
Period 3 & OT	Team White	Todd Reirden
Period 3 & OT	Team Black	Dan Bylsma
Period 3 & OT	Team Black	Tom Fitzgerald
The Penguins started the season with a win over their cross-state rivals the Philadelphia Flyers that propelled Marc-Andre Fleury past Tom Barrasso to become the Penguins' all-time winning goaltender. While the Penguins went on to finish the month with four wins and three losses they did not win a game at home in the seven games in January.
===February===
right|thumb|150px|Sidney Crosby named NHL Second Star of the Month of February
The Penguins started February with a four-game winning streak including their first home victory of the season against the New Jersey Devils. In a game on February 3 against the Washington Capitals, Chris Kunitz set a career milestone for scoring four goals in one game and was then named NHL Second Star of the Week. With 18.7 seconds left in the second period in a game on February 13 against the Ottawa Senators, Matt Cooke went to finish a hit on Erik Karlsson when Cooke's skate blade caught Karlsson on the back of his left leg lacerating his left Achilles. Throughout the first four home games, as part of the special promotion following the lockout, the Penguins organization gave away 52,142 fountain drinks, 33,289 nachos, 26,633 pretzels, 22,258 hot dogs, 22,118 chicken sandwiches and 20,380 hamburgers and sold at half-price 8,680 jerseys, 18,950 T-shirts and 8,776 hats. In a game against the Florida Panthers on February 22, during the third period, Evgeni Malkin was skating toward the Panthers net when he got tangled up with Panthers defenceman Erik Gudbranson and then crashed violently into the boards. Malkin went on to miss the rest of the remaining three games of February and was diagnosed with a concussion suffering from short-term memory loss and retroactively was placed on IR effective the time of initial injury. Sidney Crosby was named NHL Second Star of the Month leading the NHL with 18 assists and 24 points in the 14 games during the month and had six three-point games while obtaining at least one point in eleven of fourteen games. The Penguins lost the last game of February against ex-Penguin Jordan Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes but still finished the month with nine wins and five losses leading the Atlantic Division and second place in the Eastern Conference with twenty-six points.
thumb|left|150px|Chris Kunitz had a career-high five-point game during March.
===March===
The Penguins started out March with a wild game against the Montreal Canadiens that combined for a total of thirteen goals including the Brandon Sutter game-winner in overtime. The game featured Brandon Sutter, Matt Cooke and Chris Kunitz all scoring two goals apiece with defenceman Kris Letang finished with a career-high four assist night. After missing four games, Evgeni Malkin made his return to the lineup against the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 4 where he tallied a goal and an assist before defeating the Lightning 4–3. Chris Kunitz extended his career-long point streak to six games scoring six goals and nine points during the stretch and has at least one point in eighteen of the Penguins' last 23 games. After falling behind the Philadelphia Flyers 4–1 in the first period on March 7, and being outshot 18–4, the Penguins tied the score in the second period 4–4 outshooting the Flyers 12–3 eventually defeating the Flyers 5–4. Chris Kunitz scored twice in the game extending his career-long point streak to seven games as he and his linemates (Sidney Crosby, Pascal Dupuis) combined for three goals and eight points in the game. James Neal scored his sixteenth goal of the season thirty-six seconds into the March 9 game against the Toronto Maple Leafs but despite the early lead the Leafs tied the game and sent the game to a shootout. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped Tyler Bozak and Nazem Kadri with James Neal and Sidney Crosby scoring on James Reimer with James Neal scoring the determining goal. Chris Kunitz saw his career-long point streak end being held without a point against the Leafs. After absorbing a hit from James van Riemsdyk in the third period, Evgeni Malkin left the game with an upper-body injury and did not return.
right|thumb|150px|Tomas Vokoun recorded his 50th Career NHL shutout on March 28, 2013
The Penguins played the next night against the New York Islanders in an offensive showing by the Penguins defeating the Islanders 6–1. The game featured Chris Kunitz scoring his fourth career hat-trick and had a career-high five point game, Pascal Dupuis scoring twice and Sidney Crosby finishing with five assists tying a single-game career-high. Sidney Crosby was named NHL Second Star of the Week scoring two goals, nine assists and eleven points through the week during an eight-game point streak. In a game that seemed likely to be the Penguins first game being shutout of the season, also proved to be one of the Penguins biggest come-back games of the season. After being held scoreless throughout 53:42 minutes of March 12 game against the Boston Bruins, Chris Kunitz scored with Brandon Sutter scoring twice with the game-winner coming with only 2:03 minutes left in regulation. The next game against the Toronto Maple Leafs started out the same way as the last did with the Penguins falling behind and being held off the scoreboard until 7:18 minutes of the third period. The Penguins who were behind 1–0 saw Pascal Dupuis score the tying as well as the game-winning goal with Craig Adams scoring an empty net goal with 9.4 seconds left tallying the Penguins first short-handed goal of the season defeating the Leafs 3–1. On March 16, in a game against the New York Rangers, Marc-Andre Fleury recorded a franchise all-time leading 23rd career shutout in a 3–0 victory.
The Penguins tenth straight win came on March 19 with a 2–1 win over the Washington Capitals when Matt Niskanen scored the game-winning goal late in the third period just nine seconds after the Penguins killed off a four-minute Matt Cooke penalty for boarding and unsportsmanlike conduct. On March 24 the Penguins announced that they acquired 13-year veteran and Dallas Stars captain Brenden Morrow in exchange for Joe Morrow and a 2013 fifth-round draft pick after Morrow waived his no-trade clause to play for the Penguins. Later that evening the Penguins went on to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 2–1 in overtime extending the winning streak to 12 games surpassing the Chicago Blackhawks with the longest winning streak in the NHL this year. The next day the Penguins announced that they acquired defenceman Douglas Murray from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a 2013 second-round draft pick and a 2014 conditional second-round draft pick. The Penguins defeated the Canadiens 1–0 on March 26 with a lone goal from Chris Kunitz in a game that featured Marc-Andre Fleury and Tomas Vokoun combining for a team shutout after Marc-Andre Fleury left that game after the second period when Tyler Kennedy and Brian Gionta got tangled up and crashed into him. The next day defenseman Kris Letang was placed on Injured Reserve and will be out 7–10 days with a lower-body injury.
left|thumb|150px
In the early morning hours on March 28 the Pittsburgh Penguins announced that they had acquired 16-year veteran and Calgary Flames captain Jarome Iginla in exchange for Ben Hanowski, Kenny Agostino and a 2013 first-round draft pick after Iginla also waived his no-trade clause to play for the Penguins. That evening the Penguins went on to defeat the Winnipeg Jets 4–0 which featured Evgeni Malkin making his return to the lineup after missing nine games and goaltender Tomas Vokoun recording his 50th career shutout extending the Penguins winning streak to 14 games. Jarome Iginla filled an immigration petition and was approved to join the team on March 29 in time to be added to the starting line-up against the New York Islanders. The Penguins went on to defeat the Islanders extending the winning streak to 15 games and became the first team in league history to have a perfect record over a calendar month. The Penguins also set a franchise record for longest shutout streak of 208:24 minutes and Vokoun setting a personal and Penguins record for an individual shutout streak with 162:42 minutes. The win came with a price after 50 seconds into his first shift, Sidney Crosby left the game after a shot from Brooks Orpik was deflected and re-directed into his mouth. The next day, head coach Dan Bylsma announced that Sidney Crosby needed to have oral surgery as a result of the injury and was out indefinitely with a broken jaw. Defenseman Paul Martin also underwent surgery on a broken bone in his hand and is projected to miss 4–6 weeks.
===April===
thumb|right|150px|Jussi Jokinen made his Penguin debut on March 5, 2013 scoring the game-tying and game-winning goals.
The Penguins history-making streak came to an end Tuesday night, April 2, 2013, at the hands of the Buffalo Sabres. The team honored Brooks Orpik who played his 622nd game as a Penguin the most games played ever in franchise history by a defenseman. On the day of the NHL trade deadline, April 3, 2013, the Pittsburgh Penguins acquired forward Jussi Jokinen from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a conditional sixth or seventh round draft pick in 2013 with Carolina retaining a portion of Jokinen's salary. 
The Penguins that night went on to drop the second game in a row losing against the New York Rangers. The next game the Penguins beat the Rangers in a game which featured Jussi Jokinen making his Penguin debut and scoring the game-tying and game-winning goal in a shootout. James Neal left the game halfway through the third period after Rangers defenseman Michael Del Zotto turned and caught Neal with an elbow up high and did not return the rest of the game. Neal was later diagnosed with a concussion and would miss the upcoming road-trip with no timetable for his return given while Kris Letang, who missed the last five games, was cleared for team practice. The Penguins defeated the Carolina Hurricanes the next night, 5–3, securing themselves a playoff position. Kris Letang returned to the lineup the next game and defenseman Tanner Glass scored his first goal as a Penguin helping the Penguins defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 6–3. Evgeni Malkin missed the next game against the Florida Panthers and was later classified as day-to-day due to an upper-body injury. The next game against the Montreal Canadiens, defenseman Douglas Murray scored a goal which ended the longest goalless streak in the NHL of 146 games helping the Penguins defeat the Canadiens 6–4.
thumb|left|150px|Jordan Staal as a Hurricane made his return to Pittsburgh on April 27, 2013.
The game scheduled against the Boston Bruins on April 19, 2013 was postponed to April 20, 2013 due to the city of Boston being placed in a state of lock-down while authorities searched the areas for the suspects from the Boston Marathon bombings. The game originally scheduled on April 20, 2013 against the Buffalo Sabres was moved to April 23, 2013 with all tickets for the original game being honored for the rescheduled game. The Penguins went to defeat the Boston Bruins and solidified their spot as the number one seed in the Eastern Conference. The Penguins honored the lives lost and the town of Boston by wearing a special patch on their jerseys with the outline of Boston's downtown with an American flag in the background and the numbers "617" – which is the Boston area code. After the game the jerseys were auctioned off with the proceeds being donated to "The One Fund Boston". The Penguins next win over that Ottawa Senators featured Tomas Vokoun reach his 300th career win in his 700th career game and Dan Bylsma became the fastest coach in NHL history to reach 200 wins (316 games). Evgeni Malkin returned to the line up after missing the last four games but failed to defeat the Buffalo Sabres. Brooks Orpik also left the game after the first period and did not return from a lower-body injury. The Penguins then went on to lose a their last regular season away game against the New Jersey Devils 3–2. The Penguins finished off the last game of the regular season with a home game against the Carolina Hurricanes which featured the return of Jordan Staal to the city of Pittsburgh. In the game's first television timeout, a highlight reel containing some of Staal's best moments as a Penguin aired on the jumbotron. After the video package ended, Staal received a standing ovation. The Penguins defeated the Hurrincanes 8–3.
The Penguins led the League in scoring for the second consecutive year, scoring 162 goals overall (excluding 3 shootout-winning goals). The Penguins also scored at least one goal in all of their 48 regular-season games.https://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_2013.htmlhttps://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_2013_games.html
==Schedule and results==
===Season standings===
=== Detailed records ===
Final
Eastern Conference 	Eastern Conference	Eastern Conference	Eastern Conference	Eastern Conference	Eastern Conference	Eastern Conference	Eastern Conference	Eastern Conference	Eastern Conference	Eastern Conference
Atlantic 	GP 	W 	L 	OT 	SHOTS 	GF 	GA 	PP 	PK 	FO W–L
Pittsburgh Penguins	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
New York Rangers 	5 	4 	1 	0 	149–159 	15 	10 	4–18 	4–16 	147–162
New York Islanders 	5 	4 	1 	0 	144–152 	17 	9 	3–14 	2–18 	174–123
Philadelphia Flyers	4 	3 	1 	0 	116–119 	15 	12 	6–16 	4–16 	125–109
New Jersey Devils 	4 	1 	3 	0 	97–99 	9 	10 	3–15 	4–16 	125–94
Division Total 	18 	12 	6 	0 	506–529 	56 	41 	16–63 	14–66 	571–488
Northeast 	GP	W 	L	OT	SHOTS 	GF	GA	PP 	PK 	FO W–L
Montreal Canadiens 	3 	3 	0	0 	90–111 	14	10	3–11 	0–8 	88–101
Boston Bruins 	3 	3 	0	0 	76–88 	8 	5 	2–11 	2–8 	80–102
Toronto Maple Leafs	3 	2 	1	0 	99–79 	10	10	1–12 	3–14	96–98
Ottawa Senators 	3 	3 	0	0 	88–96 	9 	4 	1–15 	1–12	99–88
Buffalo Sabres 	3 	1 	2	0 	97–95 	7 	11	3–11 	1–9 	91–90
Division Total 	15	12	3	0 	450–469	48	40	10–60	7–51	454–479
Southeast 	GP	W 	L 	OT	SHOTS 	GF 	GA 	PP 	PK 	FO W–L
Washington Capitals 	3 	3 	0 	0 	90–78 	13 	6 	6–10 	3–11 	100–94
Winnipeg Jets 	3 	2 	1 	0 	106–78 	9 	5 	1–4 	1–8 	90–72
Carolina Hurricanes 	3 	2 	1 	0 	95–87 	14 	10 	2–10 	1–11 	98–88
Tampa Bay Lightning 	3 	3 	0 	0 	95–77 	15 	9 	4–11 	4–7 	89–104
Florida Panthers 	3 	2 	1 	0 	96–85 	10 	8 	3–12 	4–13 	87–79
Division Total 	15	12	3 	0 	482–405 	61 	38 	16–47 	13–50 	464–437
Conference/NHL Total	48	36	12	0 	1438–1403	165	119	42–170	34–167	1489–1404
=== Injuries ===
Player 	Injury 	Date 	Returned 	Games missed
Matt Niskanen 	Lower-body-injury (ankle) 	January 29, 2013 	February 13, 2013	8 games
Kris Letang 	Lower-body-injury 	February 7, 2013 	February 13, 2013	3 games
Evgeni Malkin 	Concussion-like symptoms 	February 22, 2013	March 4, 2013 	4 games
Paul Martin 	Lower-body-injury 	March 1, 2013 	March 7, 2013 	2 games
Evgeni Malkin 	Upper-body-injury 	March 10, 2013 	March 28, 2013 	9 games
Kris Letang 	Lower-body-injury 	March 18, 2013 	March 26, 2013 	3 games
Tyler Kennedy 	Illness 	March 22, 2013 	March 24, 2013 	1 game
Marc-Andre Fleury	Undisclosed 	March 26, 2013 	March 30, 2013 	1 game
Kris Letang 	Lower-body-injury 	March 27, 2013 	April 11, 2013 	6 games
Sidney Crosby 	Fractured jaw 	March 31, 2013 	— 	12 games
Paul Martin 	Upper-body-injury (broken hand)	March 31, 2013 	April 27, 2013 	11 games
James Neal 	Concussion 	April 8, 2013 	April 27, 2013 	8 games
Evgeni Malkin 	Upper-body-injury 	April 13, 2013 	April 23, 2013 	5 games
Beau Bennett 	Upper-body-injury 	April 22, 2013 	April 23, 2013 	1 game
Kris Letang 	Food poisoning 	April 22, 2013 	April 23, 2013 	1 game
Marc-Andre Fleury	Personal 	April 22, 2013 	April 23, 2013 	1 game
Brooks Orpik 	Lower-body-injury 	April 25, 2013 	— 	2 games
Joe Vitale 	Lower-body-injury 	April 25, 2013 	— 	2 games
Total 	Total 	Total 	Total 	80 games
==Stanley Cup playoffs==
===Eastern Conference Quarterfinals===
The Penguins started the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs in the first seed of the Eastern Conference facing the #8 seed the New York Islanders. The Penguins defeated the Islanders four games out of five that they faced each other during the regular season, outscoring the Islanders 17–9. The Penguins dominated Game 1 with a score of 5–0 which marked Marc-Andre Fleury's sixth career playoff shutout tying a franchise record and rookie Beau Bennett's first career postseason goal on the first shift of his first game. Sidney Crosby made his return in Game 2 after missing the past 13 games (12 regular season, one playoff) but after taking an early lead the Penguins lost Game 2, 3–4. The Penguins went on to win Game 3 at the 8:44 mark of overtime when Chris Kunitz scored a power-play goal defeating the Islanders 5–4. James Neal opened the scoring in Game 3 after missing the last two games with a lower-body injury but the Penguins lost 6–4 with the Islanders tying the series at two games apiece. Tomas Vokoun replaced Marc-Andre Fleury for Game 5 and also saw the return of Tyler Kennedy and Joe Vitale with Kennedy scoring the game-winning goal in a 4–0 shutout victory taking the lead in the series. Game 6 saw the Penguins behind 3–2 towards the end of regulation when Paul Martin tied the game with 5:17 left in regulation. Unlikely hero, Brooks Orpik scored his first career playoff goal in 78 playoff games defeating the Islanders 4–3 and advancing the Penguins onto the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
===Eastern Conference Semifinals===
The Penguins opened the Semifinals against the seventh-seeded the Ottawa Senators, a team that the Penguins defeated in all three meetings during the regular season, outscoring them 9–4. The Penguins defeated the Senators in Game 1, 4–1, in a physical game that saw a total of 66 hits (40 Penguins, 26 Senators). The Penguins chased goaltender Craig Anderson just 1:15 into the second period of Game 2 after Sidney Crosby's slap shot beat Anderson, with Crosby becoming just the second Penguins player other than Mario Lemieux to notch multiple post-season hat-tricks. With less than a minute to play in regulation of Game 3 and the Penguins on a power-play, the Senators pulled their goaltender for the extra attacker, where captain Daniel Alfredsson scored a shorthanded goal to tie the game with 28.6 seconds left. Game 3 went into double-overtime and 7:39 minutes into the second overtime period, Colin Greening scored on a rebound to give the Senators a 2–1 victory, bringing the series to 2–1. Jarome Iginla and James Neal both scored two goals apiece in Game 4, with the Penguins defeating the Senators 7–3, pushing the Senators to the risk of elimination and bringing the series to a 3–1 score. James Neal added three more goals in Game 5 to record his first career playoff hat-trick, and his fifth goal in the last six periods, eliminating the Senators with a 6–2 win and advancing the Penguins to the Conference Finals. The Penguins outscored the Senators 22–11 and defeated Craig Anderson, who finished the regular season with a 1.69 GAA and a 0.941 save percentage over 24 games but finished the playoffs with a 3.01 GAA and a 0.918 save percentage over ten games total and allowed 20 goals over the five games against the Penguins.
===Eastern Conference Finals===
The Penguins faced the fourth-seeded Boston Bruins in the Conference Finals, the fifth time the two franchises faced off in a playoff series, and the third time in the Eastern Conference Finals. Their most recent meeting was in the 1992 Wales Conference Finals, where Pittsburgh swept the Bruins out of the playoffs. The Penguins had won all three games in this year's regular season series, all three games by one goal. The Pittsburgh Penguins had made it to their third Conference Finals since 2008, while the Boston Bruins were making their second appearance in three years.
The Bruins swept the top seeded Penguins, as Boston goaltender Tuukka Rask recorded his first two career playoff shutouts and only allowed two Pittsburgh goals in the entire series. Penguin stars Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby and the newly acquired Jarome Iginla were held to zero combined points during the series. David Krejci had two goals in the Bruins' 3–0 Game 1 victory, the Bruins recorded six goals in a 6–1 rout in Game 2, Patrice Bergeron scored at 15:19 of the second overtime period of Game 3 to give Boston a 2–1 win, and in Game 4, Adam McQuaid scored the lone goal to give the Bruins a 1–0 win and a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. This series marked the first time since 1979 that the Penguins were swept in a playoff series; notably, it was the same Bruins franchise that swept the Penguins that year.
===Playoff log===
2013 Stanley Cup playoffs	2013 Stanley Cup playoffs	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Eastern Conference Quarterfinals vs No. 8 New York Islanders: Pittsburgh wins 4–2 (Home: 2–1; Road: 2–1)
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
# 	Date 	Time (ET)	Visitor 	Score	Home 	OT	Pittsburgh goals 	Opponent goals 	Decision 	Location/Attendance 	Series
1 	May 1 	7:30 PM 	New York Islanders 	0–5 	Pittsburgh Penguins	 	Bennett, Dupuis, Letang, Dupuis, Glass	None 	Fleury (1–0) 	Consol Energy Center (18,612) 	Pit leads 1–0
2 	May 3 	7:00 PM 	New York Islanders 	4–3 	Pittsburgh Penguins	 	Malkin, Crosby, Crosby 	Moulson, McDonald, Martin, Okposo 	Nabokov (1–1)	Consol Energy Center (18,624) 	Series Tied 1–1
3 	May 5 	12:00 PM 	Pittsburgh Penguins	5–4 	New York Islanders 	OT	Iginla, Kunitz, Dupuis, Murray, Kunitz	Moulson, Cizikas, Okposo, Tavares 	Fleury (2–1) 	Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum (16,170)	Pit leads 2–1
4 	May 7 	7:00 PM 	Pittsburgh Penguins	4–6 	New York Islanders 	 	Neal, Malkin, Sutter, Dupuis 	Strait, Streit, Okposo, Streit, Tavares, Cizikas	Nabokov (2–2)	Nassau Coliseum (16,170) 	Series Tied 2–2
5 	May 9 	7:00 PM 	New York Islanders 	0–4 	Pittsburgh Penguins	 	Kennedy, Murray, Crosby, Letang 	None 	Vokoun (1–0) 	Consol Energy Center (18,636) 	Pit leads 3–2
6 	May 11 	7:00 PM 	Pittsburgh Penguins	4–3 	New York Islanders 	OT	Iginla, Dupuis, Martin, Orpik 	Tavares, McDonald, Grabner 	Vokoun (2–0) 	Nassau Coliseum (16,170) 	Pit Wins 4–2
===Injuries===
Player 	Injury 	Date 	Returned 	Games missed
Sidney Crosby 	Fractured jaw 	From season 	May 3, 2013 	1 game
Brooks Orpik 	Lower-body-injury 	From season 	May 7, 2013 	3 games
Joe Vitale 	Lower-body-injury 	From season 	April 29, 2013	0 games
James Neal 	Lower-body-injury (right ankle sprain)	May 3, 2013 	May 7, 2013 	1 game
Joe Vitale 	Undisclosed 	May 19, 2013	June 3, 2013 	4 games
Brenden Morrow	Undisclosed 	May 22, 2013	May 24, 2013 	1 game
Total 	Total 	Total 	Total 	10 games
==Player statistics==
Final
;Skaters
 Regular Season 
Player 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	36 	15 	41 	56 	26 	16
 	48 	22 	30 	52 	30 	39
 	48 	20 	18 	38 	31 	26
 	35 	5 	33 	38 	16 	8
 	40 	21 	15 	36 	5 	26
 	31 	9 	24 	33 	5 	36
 	34 	6 	17 	23 	14 	16
 	48 	8 	13 	21 	 	36
 	48 	11 	8 	19 	3 	4
 	40 	4 	10 	14 	4 	12
† 	15 	6 	8 	14 	5 	19
 	26 	3 	11 	14 	7 	6
 	46 	6 	5 	11 	 	19
† 	10 	7 	4 	11 	3 	6
† 	13 	5 	6 	11 	2 	9
 	48 	3 	6 	9 	 	28
 	46 	0 	8 	8 	17 	32
 	33 	2 	5 	7 	9 	20
 	42 	0 	6 	6 	5 	54
 	24 	3 	3 	6 	1 	2
 	33 	2 	3 	5 	 	17
 	15 	2 	2 	4 	3 	27
† 	14 	1 	2 	3 	 	9
 	48 	1 	1 	2 	 	62
 	1 	0 	0 	0 	0 	0
 	1 	0 	0 	0 	0 	12
†‡ 	7 	0 	0 	0 	 	2
 	3 	0 	0 	0 	0 	0
 	23 	0 	0 	0 	9 	4
‡ 	3 	0 	0 	0 	 	0
‡ 	5 	0 	0 	0 	2 	0
Total 	Total 	162	279	441	165	547
Team Total	Team Total	162	283	445	165	563
 Playoffs 
Player 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	15 	4 	12	16 	 	26
 	15 	3 	13	16 	2 	8
 	14 	7 	8 	15 	 	8
 	15 	4 	8 	12 	 	16
 	15 	7 	4 	11 	2 	12
 	15 	2 	9 	11 	5 	4
 	13 	6 	4 	10 	 	8
 	15 	5 	5 	10 	 	6
 	9 	2 	3 	5 	6 	2
 	14 	2 	2 	4 	 	8
 	15 	0 	4 	4 	1 	35
 	8 	0 	3 	3 	2 	0
 	15 	2 	1 	3 	 	32
 	8 	0 	3 	3 	3 	4
 	15 	2 	1 	3 	 	0
 	15 	0 	2 	2 	 	11
 	12 	1 	1 	2 	2 	10
 	5 	1 	0 	1 	0 	4
 	6 	0 	1 	1 	 	6
 	6 	1 	0 	1 	2 	0
 	15 	0 	1 	1 	1 	10
 	7 	0 	0 	0 	 	8
 	3 	0 	0 	0 	0 	0
Total 	Total 	49	85	134	−4	218
Team Total	Team Total	49	86	135	−4	222
* Team Total includes Skater Statistics, Goaltender Statistics and Bench Minor Penalties.
;Goaltenders
 Regular Season 
Player	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	33 	31	1,857:45	23	8 	0	74 	2.39	881 	0.916	1	0	2	2
 	20 	17	1,028:32	13	4 	0	42 	2.45	519 	0.919	3	0	2	2
Total 	Total	48	2,886:17	36	12	0	116	2.41	1400	0.917	4	0	4	4
 Playoffs 
Player	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	11 	11	685:13	6	5	2	23	2.01	345	0.933	1	0	0	0
 	5 	4 	290:14	2	2	0	17	3.52	145	0.883	1	0	1	0
Total 	Total	15	975:27	8	7	2	40	2.46	490	0.918	2	0	1	0
†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 Team only.
Bold/italics denotes franchise record.
==Notable achievements==
===Awards===
 Regular Season
Player	Award 	Awarded
 	NHL Second Star of the Week 	February 4, 2013
 	NHL Second Star of February 	March 1, 2013
 	NHL Second Star of the Week	March 11, 2013
 	NHL First Star of March 	April 1, 2013
 Playoffs/Post–season
Player	Award 	Awarded
 	Norris Trophy Finalist 	May 7, 2013
 	Ted Lindsay Award Finalist 	May 9, 2013
 	Hart Memorial Trophy Finalist 	May 10, 2013
 	GM of the Year Award Finalist 	May 13, 2013
 	Masterton Memorial Trophy Finalist	May 14, 2013
 	GM of the Year Award Winner 	June 14, 2013
 	Ted Lindsay Award Winner 	June 15, 2013
===Team awards===
Awarded on April 24, 2013 
Player 	Award 	Notes
Matt Niskanen 	Baz Bastien Memorial Award 	Presented by the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association to the player who the local media of the PHWA want to acknowledge for his cooperation throughout the year. The award is presented in memory of the late Aldege "Baz" Bastien, Penguins general manager from 1976–83. Sponsor: UPMC
Sidney Crosby 	Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy nominee 	The Pittsburgh Chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association votes for the Penguins' Masterton nominee. Each NHL team selects a Masterton candidate from which the overall winner is chosen. The Masterton candidate is nominated as the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. Sponsor: Trib Total Media
Sidney CrosbyMarc-Andre Fleury	A. T. Caggiano Memorial Booster Club Cup	Presented in memory of A.T. Caggiano, long-time Penguins' locker room attendant & Booster Club supporter, the award is presented by Penguins Booster Club members, who vote for the three stars after every home game and tally votes at the end of the regular season.
Simon Despres 	Rookie of the Year Award 	Presented in memory of former Penguins forward Michel Briere to the player who makes a substantial contribution during his rookie season. Sponsor: Highmark
Brooks Orpik 	Player's Player Award 	The players hold a vote at the end of the season for the player they feel exemplifies leadership for the team, both on and off the ice, a player dedicated to teamwork. Sponsor: American Eagle Outfitters
Matt Cooke 	Edward J. DeBartolo Award 	The award recognizes the player who has donated a tremendous amount of time and effort during the season working on community and charity projects. Sponsor: Verizon Wireless
Paul Martin 	Defensive Player of the Year 	This award honors the defensive skills of an individual player on the team. Sponsor: PNC Wealth Management
Sidney Crosby 	Most Valuable Player 	Based on the overall contribution the player makes to the team. Sponsor: CONSOL Energy
===Milestones===
 Regular Season
Player	Milestone 	Reached
 	Franchise Wins Record 	January 19, 2013
 	1st Career NHL Goal 	February 2, 2013
 	1st Career NHL Point 	February 2, 2013
 	1st Career NHL Assist 	February 3, 2013
 	900th Career NHL Game 	February 10, 2013
 	400th Career NHL Assist 	February 13, 2013
 	300th Career NHL Game 	February 13, 2013
 	1st Career NHL Game 	February 15, 2013
 	600th Career NHL Game 	February 15, 2013
 	1st Career NHL Goal 	February 24, 2013
 	1st Career NHL Point 	February 24, 2013
 	200th Career NHL Assist 	February 24, 2013
 	1st Career NHL Assist 	February 26, 2013
 	100th Career NHL Game 	March 14, 2013
 	Franchise Shutout Record	March 17, 2013
 	50th Career NHL Shutout 	March 28, 2013
 	300th Career NHL Game 	April 3, 2013
 	400th Career NHL Game 	April 3, 2013
 	200th Career NHL Point 	April 11, 2013
 	1,100th Career NHL Point	April 17, 2013
 	700th Career NHL Game 	April 22, 2013
 	300th Career NHL Win 	April 22, 2013
 	200th Career NHL Win 	April 22, 2013
 	200th Career NHL Assist 	April 27, 2013
 Playoffs
Player	Milestone 	Reached
 	1st Career NHL Playoff Game 	May 1, 2013
 	1st Career NHL Playoff Goal 	May 1, 2013
 	1st Career NHL Playoff Point 	May 1, 2013
 	1st Career NHL Playoff Game 	May 1, 2013
 	1st Career NHL Playoff Goal 	May 1, 2013
 	1st Career NHL Playoff Goal 	May 11, 2013
 	1st Career NHL Playoff Point 	May 11, 2013
 	100th Career NHL Playoff Point	May 17, 2013
==Final Roster==
|}
===Personnel===
Pittsburgh Penguins 2012–13 Staff	Pittsburgh Penguins 2012–13 Staff	Pittsburgh Penguins 2012–13 Staff	Pittsburgh Penguins 2012–13 Staff	Pittsburgh Penguins 2012–13 Staff	Pittsburgh Penguins 2012–13 Staff	Pittsburgh Penguins 2012–13 Staff
Executive Operations
* Ownership – Mario Lemieux, Ron Burkle
* Chief Operating Officer – Travis Williams
* CEO/President – David Morehouse
* Chairman – Mario Lemieux
* Executive Vice President – Ray Shero	Hockey Operations
* General Manager – Ray Shero
* Assistant General Manager – Jason Botterill
* Head Coach – Dan Bylsma
* Assistant Coach – Tony Granato
* Assistant Coach – Todd Reirden
* Goaltending Coach – Gilles Meloche
* Strength and Conditioning Coach – Mike Kadar
* Player Development Coach – Bill Guerin
* Goaltender Development Coach – Mike Bales	 	 	 	 	
==Transactions==
The Penguins have been involved in the following transactions during the 2012–13 season:
===Trades===
June 22, 2012 	To Carolina Hurricanes: Jordan Staal 	To Pittsburgh Penguins: Brandon SutterBrian Dumoulin1st-round pick in 2012
June 22, 2012 	To Phoenix Coyotes: Zbynek Michalek 	To Pittsburgh Penguins: Harrison RuoppMarc Cheverie3rd-round pick in 2012
January 24, 2013 	To New York Rangers: Benn Ferriero 	To Pittsburgh Penguins: Chad Kolarik
January 24, 2013 	To Dallas Stars: Carl Sneep 	To Pittsburgh Penguins: Conditional draft pick
February 6, 2013 	To Anaheim Ducks: Ben Lovejoy 	To Pittsburgh Penguins: 5th-round pick in 2014
February 13, 2013 	To Winnipeg Jets: Eric Tangradi 	To Pittsburgh Penguins: 7th-round pick in 2013
March 24, 2013 	To Dallas Stars: Joe Morrow5th-round pick in 2013 	To Pittsburgh Penguins: Brenden Morrow3rd-round pick in 2013
March 25, 2013 	To San Jose Sharks: 2nd-round pick in 2013Conditional 2nd-round pick in 2014	To Pittsburgh Penguins: Douglas Murray
March 28, 2013 	To Calgary Flames: Ben HanowskiKenny Agostino1st-round pick in 2013 	To Pittsburgh Penguins: Jarome Iginla
April 3, 2013 	To Carolina Hurricanes: Conditional 6th- or 7th-round pick in 2013 	To Pittsburgh Penguins: Jussi Jokinen
April 3, 2013http://bluejackets.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=664033	To Columbus Blue Jackets: Patrick Killeen 	To Pittsburgh Penguins: Future considerations
June 24, 2013 	To Anaheim Ducks: Alex Grant 	To Pittsburgh Penguins: Harry Zolnierczyk
=== Free agents ===
Player 	Acquired from 	Lost to 	Date 	Contract terms
Jeff Zatkoff 	Manchester Monarchs 	 	July 1, 2012 	2 year/$1.05 million
Riley Holzapfel 	Syracuse Crunch 	 	July 1, 2012 	1 year/$525,000
Tanner Glass 	Winnipeg Jets 	 	July 1, 2012 	2 year/$2.2 million
Dylan Reese 	New York Islanders 	 	July 1, 2012 	1 year/$600,000
Warren Peters 	Minnesota Wild 	 	July 1, 2012 	1 year/$600,000
Trevor Smith 	Tampa Bay Lightning 	 	July 1, 2012 	1 year/$575,000
Arron Asham 	 	New York Rangers 	July 1, 2012 	2 year/$2 million
Colin McDonald 	 	New York Islanders 	July 2, 2012 	1 year/$700,000
Steve Sullivan 	 	Phoenix Coyotes 	July 4, 2012 	1 year/$1.85 million
Philippe Dupuis 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	 	July 5, 2012 	1 year/$600,000
Benn Ferriero 	San Jose Sharks 	 	July 13, 2012 	1 year/$700,000
Cal O'Reilly 	 	Metallurg Magnitogorsk	July 18, 2012 	2 year
Ryan Craig 	 	Springfield Falcons 	July 19, 2012 	1 year
Alexandre PicardTSN Alexandre R. Picard 	 	Lev Praha 	July 25, 2012 	undisclosed
Jayson Megna 	University of Nebraska Omaha	 	August 1, 2012 	2 year/$1.85 million
Richard Park 	 	HC Ambri-Piotta 	August 7, 2012 	2 year
Boris ValabikTSN Boris Valábik 	 	Kometa Brno 	August 14, 2012 	1 year
Scott Munroe 	 	Adirondack Phantoms 	August 23, 2012 	1 year
Marc Cheverie 	 	Binghamton Senators 	September 6, 2012 	1 year
Casey Pierro-ZabotelCasey Pierro-Zabotel	 	Gwinnett Gladiators 	September 27, 2012	undisclosed
Dylan Reese 	 	Amur Khabarovsk 	June 15, 2013 	1 year
Philippe Dupuis 	 	Hamburg Freezers 	June 27, 2013 	1 year
Chad Kolarik 	 	Linkopings HC 	June 28, 2013 	2 year
=== Waivers ===
Player 	Claimed from 	Lost to 	Date
Brian Strait 	 	New York Islanders 	January 18, 2013
Zach Boychuk 	Carolina Hurricanes	 	January 31, 2013
Zach Boychuk 	 	Nashville Predators	March 5, 2013
Tom Kostopoulos	 	New Jersey Devils 	March 6, 2013
=== Signings ===
Player 	Date 	Contract terms
Brad Thiessen 	June 30, 2012 	1 year/$525,000
Matt Niskanen 	June 30, 2012 	2 year/$4.6 million
Sidney Crosby 	July 1, 2012 	12 year/$104.4 million (contract extension)
Steve MacIntyre	July 1, 2012 	2 year/$1.25 million
Carl Sneep 	July 11, 2012 	1 year/$525,000
Keven Veilleux 	July 11, 2012 	1 year/$525,000
Robert Bortuzzo	August 30, 2012 	1 year/$525,000
Alex Grant 	August 30, 2012 	1 year/$525,000
Brian Strait 	August 30, 2012 	1 year/$605,000
Eric Tangradi 	August 30, 2012 	1 year/$726,000
Olli Maatta 	September 12, 2012	3 year/$2.775 million
Derrick Pouliot	September 12, 2012	3 year/$2.775 million
Mark Eaton 	January 23, 2013 	1 year/$725,000
Tom Kostopoulos	January 23, 2013 	1 year/$600,000
Harrison Ruopp 	April 4, 2013 	3 year/$1.952 million
Eric Hartzell 	April 14, 2013 	1 year/$925,000
Anton Zlobin 	April 24, 2013 	3 year/$1.825 million
Nick D'Agostino	May 18, 2013 	2 year/$1.250 million
Evgeni Malkin 	June 13, 2013 	8 year/$76 million (contract extension)
Chris Kunitz 	June 27, 2013 	3 year/$11.55 million (contract extension)
===Other===
Name 	Date 	Contract terms
Dan Bylsma	June 12, 2013	2-year (contract extension)
;Notes
* – Two-way contract
* – Entry-level contract
==Draft picks==
Pittsburgh Penguins' picks at the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on June 22 & 23, 2012.
Round	# 	Player 	Pos 	Nationality	College/Junior/Club Team (League)
1 	8 	Derrick Pouliot 	Defense 	 	Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
1 	22 	Olli Maatta 	Defense 	 	London Knights (OHL)
2 	52 	Teddy Blueger 	Center 	 	Shattuck-Saint Mary's (Midget AAA)
3 	81 	Oskar Sundqvist 	Center 	 	Skelleftea AIK Jr. (J20 SuperElit)
3 	83 	Matt Murray 	Goaltender 	 	Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)
4 	92 	Matia Marcantuoni	Center/Right wing	 	Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
4 	113	Sean Maguire 	Goaltender 	 	Powell River Kings (BCHL)
5 	143	Clark Seymour 	Defense 	 	Peterborough Petes (OHL)
6 	173	Anton Zlobin 	Right wing 	 	Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL)
;Draft notes 
* The Carolina Hurricanes' first-round pick went to the Pittsburgh Penguins as a result of a June 22, 2012, trade that sent Jordan Staal to the Hurricanes in exchange for Brandon Sutter, Brian Dumoulin and this pick.
* The Phoenix Coyotes' third-round pick (originally Philadelphia Flyers' pick) went to the Pittsburgh Penguins as a result of a June 22, 2012, trade that sent Zbynek Michalek to the Coyotes in exchange for Harrison Ruopp, Marc Cheverie and this pick.
* The Columbus Blue Jackets' fourth-round pick went to the Pittsburgh Penguins as a result of a November 8, 2011, trade that sent Mark Letestu to the Blue Jackets in exchange for this pick.
* The Pittsburgh Penguins' seventh-round pick went to the Washington Capitals as the result of a June 4, 2012, trade that sent Tomas Vokoun to the Penguins in exchange for this pick.
== See also ==
* 2012–13 NHL season
* 2012–13 NHL transactions
== References ==
Category:Pittsburgh Penguins seasons
Pittsburgh Penguins season, 2012-13