1976–77 Pittsburgh Penguins season



The 1976–77 Pittsburgh Penguins season was their 10th in the National Hockey League. They finished 3rd in the Norris Division for the third season in a row and lost in the Preliminary round to the Toronto Maple Leafs 2 games to 1.

Pre-season
The Penguins had five exhibition games against teams from the WHA, winning four and losing one:

September 21, 1976: Pittsburgh Penguins 5, Houston Aeros 1 September 23, 1976: Pittsburgh Penguins 7, Calgary Cowboys 3 September 24, 1976: Winnipeg Jets 5, Pittsburgh Penguins 3 September 26, 1976: Pittsburgh Penguins 3, Edmonton Oilers 1 September 30, 1976: Pittsburgh Penguins 6, Indianapolis Racers 4

Regular Season
Despite the fact that Pierre Larouche, Jean Pronovost and Syl Apps were unable to reproduce their franchise record-setting offensive output of the previous season the team finished with a similar regular season record on the strength of improved defensive prowess and the goaltending of Dunc Wilson and Denis Herron, who was re-acquired from the Kansas City Scouts in the off-season.

General Manager Wren Blair, who had been part of the ownership group which bought the club from the NHL in July 1975 until February 1976, was removed from his position December 3, 1976. Aldege 'Baz' Bastien, the man who had coached the American Hockey League's Pittsburgh Hornets to a Calder Cup championship in 1967, was named Blair's replacement.

Co-owners Al Savill and Otto Frenzel sold the club to shopping mall magnate Edward J. DeBartolo, Sr. in February 1977, less than two years after having bought the team from the NHL.

Toronto Maple Leafs 2, Pittsburgh Penguins 1
The Penguins' opponent in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs was once again the Toronto Maple Leafs. Whilst the Penguins' offensive output greatly improved to ten goals scored (compared to 1976's three goals), the Maple Leafs once again dispatched the Penguins in three games with the away team winning every game in the series.

Skaters
Note: GP= Games played; G= Goals; A= Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalties in Minutes †Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Penguins. Stats reflect time with the Penguins only. ‡Traded mid-season

Goaltenders
Note: GP= Games played; TOI= Time on ice (minutes); W= Wins; L= Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals Against; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals Against Average

Awards and Records

 * The Penguins did not receive any awards this season.

Transactions
The Penguins were involved in the following transactions during the 1976–77 season:

Additions and Subtractions
†Colin Campbell was loaned to the Rockies for one season. He was returned to the Penguins in 1977.