The Penguins are about to enter a new decade and if it's anything like the one that's ending, it will be a busy one.
And one featuring a lot of things that won't be forgotten anytime soon.
We're taking a two-part look back at 19 of the most memorable events of the past 10 years, including Nos. 1-9 below:
9. See you again next spring
The Penguins might not always have lasted as long as expected in the playoffs -- their four-game loss to the New York Islanders in Round 1 last April is proof of that -- but they qualified for the postseason every year during the decade that's winding down.
In fact, they own the longest active streak of playoff appearances in the league, having earned one every year since 2007, which was Sidney Crosby's second as a pro.
8. A folk hero departs
Marc-Andre Fleury, the Penguins' go-to goalie for most of the past decade, had what had been looking like a career-long stay with them end abruptly because of the NHL's decision to add an expansion team in Las Vegas.
Rules of the 2017 expansion draft compelled teams to expose at least one goaltender who met certain critiera, and Fleury and Matt Murray were the only ones in the organization who qualified. Because Murray is nine years younger than Fleury, Jim Rutherford opted to keep him and work out a deal with Golden Knights GM George McPhee to claim Fleury.
Although Fleury had some disappointing performances to go with his many achievements during his time here, he had a large and loyal following because of his upbeat personality and extensive charitable work, as well as all he accomplished on the ice.
7. A folk hero arrives
When Rutherford acquired Phil Kessel from Toronto in June, 2015, he thought he was picking up someone who could add a dimension to his offense, and he was correct.
Kessel's skating, shooting and underrated playmaking proved to be major assets during the Penguins' Stanley Cup runs in 2016 and 2017. And while he was making a serious contribution on the ice, Kessel earned a devoted following off it, as a large segment of the franchise's fan base embraced him with a fervor usually reserved for the likes of Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
That's not necessarily something a lot of people anticipated when Rutherford sent Kasperi Kapanen, Scott Harrington, Nick Spaling, and conditional first- and third-round draft choices to Toronto for Kessel, Tyler Biggs, Tim Erixon and a conditional second-round draft choice.
6. Sullivan comes aboard
Rutherford's first major move after he replaced Ray Shero as GM was to hire Mike Johnston, who had NHL experience as an assistant coach and was highly regarded for his work as coach and GM of Portland in the Western Hockey League, as coach.
It proved to be Rutherford's first major mistake with the Penguins, and remains one of his biggest.
Rutherford recovered nicely, though, replacing Johnston with Mike Sullivan in December, 2015. The move paid off in the franchise's fourth Stanley Cup a half-year later and No. 5 12 months after that.
5. Three of a kind
Although Philadelphia is -- and probably always will be -- the Penguins' most detested rival, Washington has emerged as a solid No. 2 on that list, thanks in part to some memorable meetings in the postseason.
There was, of course, that epic second-round collision in 2009, when Fleury's glove save on an Alex Ovechkin breakaway early in Game 7 set the tone for a series-clinching victory in Washington, but three consecutive meetings in Round 2 in recent years took things to a new level.
The Penguins knocked off the Capitals in 2016 and 2017 en route to the franchise's fourth and fifth Stanley Cups, and the Capitals countered with a six-game victory over their own in 2018, when they ultimately earned Washington's first (and still only) NHL championship.
4. Kunitz comes through
The Penguins scored, and allowed, some dramatic goals during the past 10 years, but none matched the significance of one Chris Kunitz got on May 25, 2017.
That's because it came in double-overtime of Game 7 against Ottawa in the Eastern Conference final and hoisted the Penguins into the Stanley Cup final for the second year in a row.
Kunitz took a feed from Crosby and hammered a slap shot past Senators goalie Craig Anderson at 5:19 of the second overtime to give the Penguins a 3-2 victory.
3. Crosby's concussions
Crosby has been widely recognized as the NHL's top player during the past decade, and his list of accomplishments -- both individually and as captain of the Penguins and Canada's Olympic team -- is unmatched.
It's hard to imagine how much more he might have achieved if he'd been healthy for most of those 10 years.
But Crosby -- currently recovering from surgery to repair a sports hernia -- never has appeared in every game during a season since breaking into the NHL in 2006, and has been sidelined for extended stretches several times.
While he had to overcome a number of physical issues in recent years, from mumps to a broken jaw, the biggest threat to Crosby's career came from a severe concussion he sustained on a blindside hit by Washington's David Steckel on a game at Heinz Field Jan. 1, 2011.
He played against Tampa Bay a few nights later, but missed the next 68 (including seven in the playoffs) before returning to the lineup in November. After dressing for eight, he was sidelined again when a hit by Boston's David Krejci led to a return of Crosby's concussion symptoms.
2. The drought ends
When the Penguins won the franchise's third Cup in 2009, it was widely believed that they had a chance to pile up several more championships in the seasons that followed.
Didn't happen.
The Penguins couldn't claim No. 4 until 2016, when they beat San Jose in a six-game final. Their only disappointment was failing to win Game 5 at Consol Energy Center, which would have given them their first-ever Cup-capturing victory on home ice.
1. Have another Cup
Winning a Cup never is easy, but the Penguins' route to their fifth was even more challenging than most.
They entered the playoffs without No. 1 goalie Matt Murray, who was injured during warmups before Game 1 of the first round against Columbus, and cornerstone defenseman Kris Letang, who was recovering from surgery to repair a herniated disc in his neck. During Round 2, they lost Crosby for a game after he was cross-checked in the head by Capitals defenseman Matt Niskanen during Game 3.
Despite all the adversity, the Penguins persevered and knocked off Nashville in six games during the final to become the only team during the decade -- indeed, the only one since Detroit in 1997 and 1998 -- to win consecutive Cups.
Yesterday: Nos. 10-19
