{"id":1721,"date":"2013-06-05T10:01:00","date_gmt":"2013-06-05T10:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/?p=1721"},"modified":"2015-01-08T17:49:25","modified_gmt":"2015-01-08T22:49:25","slug":"wales-conference-finals-kevin-stevens-guarantee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2013\/06\/05\/wales-conference-finals-kevin-stevens-guarantee\/","title":{"rendered":"Wales Conference Finals & Kevin Stevens\u2019 guarantee"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\" <\/a> <\/div>
\"Kevin <\/a>
Kevin Stevens reads the newspaper accounts of the Penguins victory over the Bruins during practice, May 11, 1991 (Post-Gazette photo) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Kevin <\/a>
Kevin Stevens hold the Prince of Wales trophy high as he skates towards the Penguins dressing room. May 11, 1991. (Photo by Bob Donaldson, Post-Gazette) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Kevin <\/a>
Kevin Stevens and Bruins Chris Nilan greet each other warmly at center ice during the traditional handshake after Penguins 5-3 win, May 11, 1991. (Photo by Bob Donaldson, Post-Gazette). <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Kevin <\/a>
Kevin Stevens struggles for position in front of the Bruins net with Bruins Bobs Sweeney in the 1st period, May 11, 1991. (Photo by Bob Donaldson, Post-Gazette) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

There\u2019s a precedent for this particular Penguins\u2019 predicament \u2013 being down two games to none to Boston in the conference finals, that is \u2013 and there\u2019s a precedent for prying their way out of it.<\/p>\n

In May, 1991, the Penguins returned to Pittsburgh down 2-0 to the Bruins in the Wales Conference finals after getting blown out in Game 1, and absorbing a stinging overtime loss in Game 2.<\/p>\n

Dave Molinari, then of The Pittsburgh Press, wrote<\/a>:<\/p>\n

“It was a numbing defeat for the Penguins, who outplayed and outshot the Bruins but were outscored for the second consecutive time. But the loss seemed to strengthen their resolve.”<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re confident we can beat this team,\u201d left winger Kevin Stevens said. \u201cAnd we will beat this team \u2026 We\u2019ll beat this team. I\u2019ll say it right now, we\u2019ll beat them.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Stevens kept his word.<\/p>\n

The Brockton, Mass., native was a monster in the series, torturing his hometown team with six goals and four assists.\u00a0Stevens opened the scoring in game 3, a 4-1 Penguins victory, and Pittsburgh went on to win four straight to take the series, clinching their first-ever trip to the Stanley Cup Finals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Being down two games to none to Boston in the conference finals has a precedent.<\/p>\n

Look at the picturesWales Conference Finals & Kevin Stevens\u2019 guarantee<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":1723,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"gallery","meta":{"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[944],"tags":[965,980,1187,1182,1035],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/tumblr_mnw2m4atxi1rr5swxo2_1280.jpg?fit=1280%2C839&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1737,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2013\/05\/31\/jaromir-jagr-arrives-in-pittsburgh\/","url_meta":{"origin":1721,"position":0},"title":"Jaromir Jagr arrives in Pittsburgh","date":"May 31, 2013","format":"gallery","excerpt":"Booing him is now a cottage industry here.","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/tumblr_mnmtzeA5Tj1rr5swxo3_1280.jpg?fit=794%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1785,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2013\/05\/15\/mario-lemieux\/","url_meta":{"origin":1721,"position":1},"title":"Mario Lemieux","date":"May 15, 2013","format":"gallery","excerpt":"Mario Lemieux might \u2013 might \u2013 be able to laugh at this picture now.","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/tumblr_mmt79cXl9r1rr5swxo1_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C915&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7736,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2017\/06\/02\/penguins-hoping-their-own-history-repeats-itself\/","url_meta":{"origin":1721,"position":2},"title":"Penguins hoping their own history repeats itself","date":"June 2, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The Penguins\u2019 quest for their fifth Stanley Cup has one thing on its side that the Nashville Predators could not replicate even if they wanted to: historical symmetry. 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