- Publish date:
The Vault
EXCERPT | Oct. 15,1984
Leading theMarch
Mario Lemieux putthe Penguins on the winning path
The success of thePenguins traces to one man: Mario Lemieux. From his first scrimmage he liftedthe last-place team—as E.M. Swift reported—and went on to score 1,723 points in915 games, leading Pittsburgh to its only two Stanley Cups. He rescued the teamfrom bankruptcy in 1999 by becoming principal owner and now has the club in itssecond straight finals.
Let posterity notethat the light at the end of the tunnel that is Pittsburgh Penguins hockey wasglimpsed at 2:29 p.m. (EDT) on Sept. 20, 1984, when Mario Lemieux scored hisfirst goal in an intrasquad scrimmage. True, Lemieux's goal came against theNHL's most inept defense—the Pens allowed a league-high 390 goals lastseason—but from the reaction of the 400 Pittsburgh diehards who came to see theNHL's top draft choice, the most highly touted rookie since Guy Lafleur, youwould have thought Lemieux had just scored the game-winning goal in a StanleyCup finals.
Taking a pass inthe slot, the 6'4", 200-pound Lemieux, 19, tapped the puck through adefenseman's skates, sidestepped deftly, then swept up the puck and shot itpast startled goalie Michel Dion. The arena went bonkers—"Our savior hasarrived!" screamed one fan—and for minutes the crowd buzzed as if witnessto a miracle, a penguin taking flight, say. In the next hour Lemieux drew gaspsfrom the crowd half a dozen more times, snaking the puck away from defensemenwith his amazing reach, stickhandling in maddening circles, slithering perfectpasses. "Mario did some great things today, scary things," gushedPenguins scout Bruce Haralson. "He did things only Gretzky can do. That'swhat's scary—to think there might be another one."
SI.COM | BreakingNews | Real-time Scores | Daily Analysis
NFL
MLB
NBA
NHL
RACING
Editor'sChoice
ORLANDO BLOOMS
From SteveAschburner's column on how Dwight Howard and the Magic advanced to the NBAFinals
It's important notto overlook Orlando's utilization of pick-and-rolls to free its primaryoffensive weapons. Or, for that matter, the flappable but effective Stan VanGundy's knack for adjusting and attacking mismatches—even if it leads to anover-reliance on the heretofore erratic Rafer Alston. Defensively, the Magichave become masterful at funneling penetrating opponents into Howard, who ismore adept than your average 7-footer at altering or blocking shots withoutfouling.
MOST POPULAR
SI PHOTOS
Prime Time Smackdown
WWE's Vince McMahon spoofs the Nuggets after a scheduling conflict at Denver'sPepsi Center
PETER KING'S
Monday Morning Quarterback
The NFL off-season can't be dull with Tom Brady, Brett Favre and Terrell Owensin the news
SI PHOTOS
Fashion Forward
A look at what players such as Serena Williams and Roger Federer wear at theFrench Open
ON THE GO
twitter
Tweet Tweet
Follow SI.com writers, including Peter King, Don Banks, Jon Heyman and TimLayden, every day on Twitter. Plus, get Truth & Rumors and regular updatesat the SI_24Seven page.
SI Mobile
Get the latest news, live scores, photos and stories from SI.com writers, pluspersonalize your page with your favorite teams.
Now on SI.com
For a gallery of other memorable covers from this week in past years, and tofind every article that ever appeared in SI, go to SI.com/vault
Check it all outat SI.com/bonus
On the Cover
This Week in SI
1962
Willie Mays helped the Giants get off to a customary fast start, but would theydo their usual fade? No. They'd go to the World Series, then lose to theYanks.
1991
Michael Jordan, in his seventh season, led the Bulls past the Pistons to theirfirst NBA Finals. Next, they would vanquish the Lakers.
2000
Anna Kournikova hadn't won a WTA title, but at 19 she was No. 15 in the worldand, as Frank Deford wrote, maybe the most photographed woman on earth.
GALLERIES
Kobe Bryant
NBA Finals
Chris Osgood
Stanley Cup finals
Jose Canseco
Pop Culture
PHOTO
Photograph by LANE STEWART
EMPEROR PENGUIN Lemieux had 100 points as a rookie in 1984--85, was league MVP in '87--88 and three years later took Pittsburgh to the Cup.
PHOTO
HY PESKIN (MAYS)
PHOTO
MANNY MILLAN (JORDAN)
PHOTO
WALTER IOOSS JR. (KOURNIKOVA)
PHOTO
BOB ROSATO (HOWARD)
PHOTO
ASTRID STAWIARZ/GETTY IMAGES (MCMAHON)
PHOTO
DAMIAN STROHMEYER (FAVRE)
PHOTO
JESSICA KLUETMEIER (WILLIAMS)
PHOTO
JOHN W. MCDONOUGH (BRYANT)
PHOTO
DAVID E. KLUTHO (OSGOOD)
PHOTO
ITSUO INOUYE/AP (CANSECO)
PHOTO
