2007–08 Pittsburgh Penguins season
The 2007–08 Pittsburgh Penguins season was the franchise's 41st season in the National Hockey League (NHL). Their regular season began on October 5, 2007, against the Carolina Hurricanes and concluded on April 6, 2008, against the rival Philadelphia Flyers. The Penguins looked to improve upon their progress in the 2006–07 season after being eliminated in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs by the Ottawa Senators. During the season, the Penguins wore gold patches with "250" on them, honoring the city of Pittsburgh's 250th anniversary in 2008.
| 2007–08 Pittsburgh Penguins | |
|---|---|
Eastern Conference champions | |
Atlantic Division champions | |
| Division | 1st Atlantic |
| Conference | 2nd Eastern |
| 2007–08 record | 47–27–8 |
| Home record | 26–10–5 |
| Road record | 21–17–3 |
| Goals for | 247 |
| Goals against | 216 |
| Team information | |
| General manager | Ray Shero |
| Coach | Michel Therrien |
| Captain | Sidney Crosby |
| Alternate captains | Sergei Gonchar Ryan Malone Gary Roberts |
| Arena | Mellon Arena |
| Average attendance | 17,089 (100.7%) |
| Team leaders | |
| Goals | Evgeni Malkin (47) |
| Assists | Evgeni Malkin (59) |
| Points | Evgeni Malkin (106) |
| Penalty minutes | Georges Laraque (139) |
| Plus/minus | Sidney Crosby (+18) |
| Wins | Marc-Andre Fleury (19) |
| Goals against average | Marc-Andre Fleury (2.33) |
Evgeni Malkin scored 106 points in the regular season, helping to offset the gap left while Sidney Crosby was injured. Goaltender Ty Conklin replaced Marc-Andre Fleury, who was also injured, to win 18 games. The team surpassed their record for total attendance, selling out all 41 home games for the first time in franchise history. The Penguins also participated in the AMP Energy NHL Winter Classic, which set the NHL single-game attendance record.
During the regular season, the Penguins finished second in the Eastern Conference, behind the Montreal Canadiens. With a 12–2 record in the Eastern Conference playoffs, the team eliminated the Senators, the New York Rangers and the Flyers, on their way to the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals, the franchise's first in 16 years. The team was defeated in the Stanley Cup Finals by the Detroit Red Wings in six games.