The Pittsburgh Penguins fell short in their run for hockey's Stanley Cup this weekend. The Montreal Canadiens followed a trend that saw underdogs Ottawa and Buffalo winning their best-of-seven series to keep their seasons alive. Adding insult to injury, the Pens lost 3-0 to the Canadiens on Sunday, the first time the team has been shut out in a playoff game since 1994. With the elimination, a controversial year came to a close.

The season began with many detractors claiming that the team would be "nothing wihout Mario." In fact, the Pens were constantly reminded that the legendary Mario Lemieux had indeed retired. First from the media and then from the fans. A six-game winless streak in early November had local media discussing the "end-of-an-era." A six-game winning streak immediately after, was all but ignored by fans who missed Lemieux.

An offensive-minded team in the past, new coach Kevin Constantine stressed defense. In turn, players like Jaromir Jagr had difficulty adjusting and often took their frustrations public.

Going into the Olympic Break the Penguins were on a roll. Arguably the hottest team in the league, Pittsburgh only lost once in the 11 games leading up to the break. Unfortunately, more disputes between Constantine and Jagr combined with 8 players involved in the Olympic Medal rounds made the end of the season difficult.

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