Pittsburgh Penguins: 1991 Gallant Game Winning Goal Scorers

A few players who scored multiple GWG in 1991 with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

On May 25, 1991, the Pittsburgh Penguins claimed the first Stanley Cup in the team’s history with an 8-0 victory over Minnesota in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Four players scored multiple game-winning-goals during the Penguins siege to reach Stanley and here is a look back at those players.

Mark Recchi

Recchi amassed 577 goals in 1652 games played (GP) with Pittsburgh, Philidelphia, Montreal, Boston, Carolina, Atlanta, and Tampa Bay. Recchi also won three Stanley Cups (1991, 2006, 2011) and was named to the Hockey Hall of Fame (HHOF) in 2017.

Of Recchi’s 577 regular-season goals, 91 of them were game-winning goals (GWG).

Recchi made the postseason in 15 of his 22 seasons and scored 61 (11 GWG) in189 playoff games. Recchi registered multiple GWG’s in 1998, 2006 and during the Penguins Cup run 1991.

Recchi’s first career GWG playoff goal occurred in Game 3 of the Patrick Division Semi-Final vs. New Jersey. Recchi opened the scoring in the first period and notched the game-winner with less than a minute left in the game to the Penguins a 4-3 win.

Recchi’s scored the second GWG of his career ( which was the also series-clinching goal) and second of the playoffs, in the Penguins 5-3 win over Boston in Game 6 of the Prince of Wales Conference Finals. Recchi also assisted on Gordie Roberts’ game-tying goal in the third period.

Bryan Trottier

Trottier appeared in 1279 games over 18 seasons with the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins. During his career, Trottier scored 524 goals (69 GWG), won six Stanley Cup Championships and was named to the HHOF in 1997.

Trottier made the playoffs in 17 of 18 years in his career and scored 71 goals (12 GWG) in 221 games played. Trottier collected four multi-GWG’s four times in his career (80,82,87), including the 1991 playoffs while he was a member of the Penguins.

Trottier scored one goal and one assist (Paul Stanton) in the Penguins 7-2 win in Game 5 of the Prince of Wales Conference Final vs. Boston. Trottier’s goal gave the Penguins a 3-1 lead and served as the game’s GWG.

Trottier’s second GWG of the 1991 playoffs occurred in the second period of Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final vs. Minnesota. The goal gave the Penguins a 4-1 lead and the team held on to take the game 5-3.

Ron Francis

Francis is the third player on our list to also be an HHOF inductee.

Francis was named to the hall in 2007 after playing 23 years and 1731 games and scored 549 goals (79 GWG) over his career with Hartford, Pittsburgh, Carolina, and Toronto.

Francis appeared in 171 playoff game through 17 seasons and scored 46 goals with 11 GWG and had three seasons where he scored multi-GWG’s in the playoffs (1992,2002) including the 1991 playoffs where Francis had four GWG’s.

Francis scored a GWG goal in each of the Penguins four series:

• Game 6 of the Patrick Division Semi-Finals vs. New Jersey
• Game 5 of the Patrick Division Finals vs. Washington (Also series-clinching goal)
• Game 3 of the Prince of Wales Conference Finals vs. Boston (Also earned an assist)
• Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals vs. Minnesota (Also earned an assist)

Kevin Stevens

Stevens has yet to be named to the HHOF, but the possibility always exists for one of the most prolific American born skaters.

Stevens made appearances in 874 games through 15 seasons with Pittsburgh, New York, Los Angeles, Boston and, Philidelphia. Stevens scored 329 goals, with 35 GWG.

In the postseason Stevens played in 103 games over seven seasons (all with Pittsburgh) and scored 46 goals with nine GWG.

Stevens rattled off the GWG in three consecutive games (two, three and, four) during the Patrick Division Finals vs. Washington. The biggest goal of the three was the overtime goal Stevens scored in Pittsburgh’s 7-6 victory in overtime of Game 2.

Stevens fourth GWG of the 1991 playoffs occurred in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final vs. Minnesota, where the Pittsburgh Penguins took the game 4-1 to tie the series up at one game apiece.

It is also worth noting that Stevens 17 goals in the 1991 playoffs rank him fourth on the NHL’s all-time list and first on the Penguins all-time list for most goals scored in one playoff season.