2017–18 Pittsburgh Penguins season 2017–18 Pittsburgh Penguins season The 2017–18 Pittsburgh Penguins season was the 51st season for the National Hockey League ice hockey team that was established on June 5, 1967. They entered the season as two-time defending Stanley Cup champions. It was the first season since the 2002–03 season in which the team played without goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who was drafted to the Vegas Golden Knights in the expansion draft. The Penguins failed to defend their title, after being eliminated in the Second Round of the playoffs by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals, ending their chances of a possible three-peat,
Traditions and anecdotes associated with the Stanley Cup Stanley Cups; conversely, the San Jose Sharks' Joe Pavelski stayed true to the general tradition and did not touch the Campbell Bowl. Pittsburgh then went on to defeat San Jose in six games to win the Cup. The same occurred to the Nashville Predators when captain Mike Fisher refused to touch the Campbell Bowl one year later. One possible reason for Crosby lifting the trophy is that the Penguins have had good luck winning the Stanley Cup after lifting the Wales trophy; this was evident when Mario Lemieux lifted the Wales en route to the Penguins' 1991 and 1992 Cup