HOME

PHOENIX

STORM

PENGUINS

IMAGES

LINKS

FEATURES

Before the Storm

‘The Save’

Storm Years

Players Tributes

Fans Tributes

Images

Pittsburgh Penguins Mask

Frank Pietrangelo - ‘The Save’

“I bleed black and gold!” - Frank Pietrangelo

The above quote is taken from an interview carried out just prior to the start of the 2000/01 season by the Official Pittsbugh Penguins website when Frankie was in Pittsburgh to take part in a Penguins alumni golf tournament.

Now, some Storm fans may have been disappointed to hear one of our star players pledging such strong allegiance to a club he hadn’t played for since 1992 but it was Pittsburgh that drafted him, gave him his

first NHL game and it was with the Pens that Frankie made a name for himself in the world of hockey......

First round of the Stanley Cup playoffs 1991, Pittsburgh are trailing New Jersey 3-2 in the series and their number one netminder Tom Barrasso is injured. Frankie, who had spent the full season with the Pens as backup got the chance to start games 6 and 7...

Mario Lemieux

Frank talks about getting to play games 6 and 7 - Realplayer clip

“We struggled in the first round against New Jersey... but we pulled out the series by winning Game 6 in New Jersey and and Game 7 on home ice. Our backup goaltender, Frank Pietrangelo, playing in place of the injured Tom Barrasso, made such a sensational save in Game 6 against Petr Stastny that it became known in Pittsburgh sports lore as “The Save”. Frankie then turned in a shutout in Game 7 and Jiri Hrdina, one of our valuable role players, scored two goals to lead us to a 4-0 victory and into the second round.” - Mario Lemieux, Taken from the book Mario Lemieux - The Final Period

“The Save” - Realplayer Clip   Frank talks about “The Save” - Realplayer Clip

So, ‘The Save’ is how Frankie made a name for himself not only in Pittsburgh but throughout hockey circles. I only recently discovered the clip of this and I found myself watching it over and over again trying to work out how he managed to get his glove to the puck - take a look yourself and you’ll see what I mean!! It looked a certain goal, even the New Jersey fans behind the goal were on their feet celebrating!! If this save had been made during the regular season it would still have been talked about but the fact that it was in a playoff game, in a series that the Pens were trailing in, and they went on to win the first of their back to back Stanley Cups just increases the importance of it and the focus that has been placed on it. ‘The Save’ should ensure that the name of Frank Pietrangelo is never forgotten in Pittsburgh.