Analysis: Remembering Feb. 14, 2007 and what it means to the Penguins

Empty thoughts on the Penguins’ recently concluded streak of 633 consecutive games with a sellout and their 2-1 shootout loss to the Dallas Stars:

It might be hyperbole to say Tuesday brought the end of an era. Because as long as Sidney Crosby is an active member of the roster, the current era of Penguins history will remain in forward motion.

But a pretty lengthy chapter in the story of this franchise was completed on Tuesday.

For the first time in over 14 years, the Penguins did not sell out a regular season or postseason game.

Yes, the numbers were always goosed a bit with student rush sales as well as tickets that were withheld for special guests. And the pandemic dramatically limited what seats the team could sell last season.

And the pandemic is largely why the streak came to an end on Tuesday. Expensive ticket prices and a product missing a hobbled Crosby do not help matters either.

Regardless, the fact that this franchise was able to cobble together such a streak is no small thing.

Especially when you look at it through the scope of Feb. 14, 2007.

That was the first day of the streak.

That was also a time when the Penguins’ arena situation was not squared away and many questions about the future of the franchise, specifically where it would be located, were very much up in the air.

It was also a time that was not very far removed from the Penguins of Rico Fata and Mike Eastwood entertaining less than 3,000 spectators a night at the Mellon Arena.

The first game of the streak — a 5-4 comeback shootout win against the Chicago Blackhawks at the Mellon Arena — was very emblematic of what the Penguins have offered in the era of Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

It was a compelling, energetic back-and-forth battle that gripped your soul and made you realize how entertaining this sport could be.

Here’s the box score:

And here are the lineups via Hockey Reference:

The highlights:

A few things to point out:

• Shootout goals by Malkin and forward Erik Christensen gave the Penguins a victory.

• Crosby was 19. Malkin was 20.

• Only five players from that game are still active in the NHL. In addition to Crosby and Malkin, former Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury and forward Jordan Staal and former Blackhawks defensemen Duncan Keith are still skating.

(Oddly, Fleury was in net for the last game of the streak as well, this time as a member of the Blackhawks, in Saturday’s 5-2 win by the Penguins. He gave up four goals in both games, with wildly different results.)

• Forwards Ronald Petrovicky, one of the toughest Slovakians in NHL history, and Michel Ouellet, who usually had a tough time hitting the net, each had goals for the Penguins.

• Michel Therrien was the coach.

• This was a very long time ago for the Blackhawks too. Franchise icons Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews had not yet made their NHL debuts.

• Peter Flipping Bondra was in the lineup for the Blackhawks at age 38. He had been a thorn in the Penguins’ side for a decade and a half by that point. In the early 1990s, he had done battle regularly as a member of the Washington Capitals against the Penguins of Mario Lemieux, Kevin Stevens and Mark Recchi.

• Recchi, by the way, was in the lineup for the Penguins during his third tour of duty with the franchise.

• Penguins defenseman Kris Letang was not in the lineup that night. And for good reason. He was still playing junior hockey for the Val-d’Or Foreurs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

• The Penguins were still wearing the original version of their black and Vegas gold jerseys before the hideous Reebok redesign that was introduced later that summer.

• The Ruutus — Pittsburgh’s Jarkko and Chicago’s Tuomo — were brothers and that fact was pointed out no less than 194,752 times by the broadcaster, which went by Fox Sports Pittsburgh at the time.

• The late great John Barbero was still handling the public address duties.

Even looking outside of hockey, this game feels like it happened a lifetime ago. For instance:

• The iPhone, a device that has changed seemingly every fundamental way we communicate with one another, was introduced to the public five weeks before this game.

• Tumblr was launched five days after this game.

• Senator Barack Obama announced his candidacy to be President four days earlier.

• “Irreplaceable” by Beyonce was the top song on Billboard’s charts that week.

• Eddie Murphy’s “Norbit” was the top movie in the box office that week.

• Gas was pretty dang expensive back then too with a national average of $2.96 per gallon.

So much has happened in the world over the past 14 years. Heck, the past 19 months have been enough to fill a lifetime.

This franchise and the way the sport is viewed in this region are in very different places than February of 2007. You can look at the Penguins’ recently concluded 633-game streak of consecutive sellouts and arrive at that notion.

Feb. 14, 2007 is a long time ago. But the journey the Penguins — and hockey in Western Pennsylvania — have taken since then should not be overlooked.

Statistically speaking

As for Tuesday’s game, here are the numbers:

• The Stars had a 29-28 edge in shots.

• Letang and Stars forward Tyler Seguin each led the game with five shots.

• Letang led the game with 27:21 of ice time on 26 shifts.

• Defenseman Esa Lindell led the Stars with 24:28 of ice time on 26 shifts.

• The Stars controlled faceoffs, 28-20 (58%).

• Stars forwards Jamie Benn and Radek Faksa were each 7 for 11 (64%).

• Penguins forward Teddy Blueger was 5 for 11 (45%).

• Faksa led the game with four blocked shots.

• Letang and defenseman Chad Ruhwedel each led the Penguins with two blocked shots.

Randomly speaking

• If the Penguins had more games like Tuesday’s display over the past 14 years, they would not have sold out 633 consecutive games.

This was some boring hockey. To be clear, it was a pretty well-played game on both sides. Each squad was pretty committed to its scheme and didn’t color outside the lines. But that approach induced quite a bit of yawning. Of the four games the Penguins have played this season, this was the least enjoyable just from an entertainment standpoint.

• Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry was pretty tuned in. That was never more apparent than at the 10:25 mark when he denied Stars forward Jacob Petersen on a brilliant chance on a two-on-one rush:

He’s only played three games so far but Jarry has largely been what the Penguins need him to be this season.

• There were only two penalties in this game and they were offsetting roughing minors in the third period. So neither team enjoyed a power-play chance. That contributed to the stale nature of this game.

• Penguins defenseman Mike Matheson made his regular season debut after being sidelined since the preseason due to an undisclosed injury. He logged 18:10 of ice time on 23 shifts and recorded three shots on three attempts while primarily skating on the third pairing with Chad Ruhwedel.

• Penguins defenseman John Marino has put together a tidy four-game scoring streak to open the season (one goal, three assists).

Historically speaking

• The Penguins paid tribute to the wonderful Mike Lange throughout the night:

It's Mike Lange's world, we're all just living in it. pic.twitter.com/e98OiSQz3C

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 19, 2021

Visually speaking

• Game summary.

• Event summary.

• Highlights:

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