Editing Mario Lemieux (section)

===1988–1992: 199 points===
In the [[1988–89 NHL season|1988–89 season]], Lemieux led the league with 114 assists (tied with Gretzky) and 85 goals for 199 points; he is the only player to approach Gretzky's mammoth 200+ point seasons.<ref name="HHOF honoured">{{cite web |url=http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/LegendsMember.jsp?mem=p199701&page=bio#photo |title=Honoured Player—Lemieux, Mario |publisher=Hockey Hall of Fame |access-date=November 16, 2007 |archive-date=June 21, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130621024515/http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/LegendsMember.jsp?mem=p199701&page=bio#photo |url-status=live }}</ref> Lemieux finished the season a close second to Gretzky in voting for the Hart Trophy, and set several milestones and records in the process, becoming the second player to score 70+ goals in two seasons, the fourth player to score [[50 goals in 50 games]], and the only player to score 13 shorthanded goals in one season.<ref name="espn timeline">{{cite news |title=Mario Lemieux—Career Timeline |url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/news/story?id=2304706 |agency=Associated Press |date=January 24, 2006 |access-date=November 16, 2007 |archive-date=April 30, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430043642/http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2304706 |url-status=live }}</ref> Buoyed in part by Lemieux's performance, the Penguins made the playoffs for the first time in seven years.

Perhaps the defining moment of Lemieux's season was on December 31, 1988, in a game against the [[New Jersey Devils]].<ref name="HHOF honoured"/> In that game, Lemieux scored eight points and became the only player in NHL history to score a goal in all five possible game situations in the same game: even-strength, power-play, shorthanded, penalty shot, and empty-net.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/five-goals-five-ways/c-568611|title=Five Goals, Five Ways|website=National Hockey League|access-date=May 5, 2017|archive-date=August 9, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809211734/https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/five-goals-five-ways/c-568611|url-status=live}}</ref> Lemieux had another five-goal, eight-point performance in a 10–7 victory during the postseason against the [[Philadelphia Flyers]] on April 25, 1989.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1989/04/25/Lemieux-Powers-Penguins-Past-Flyers-10-7/8839609480000/ |title=Lemieux Powers Penguins Past Flyers, 10-7 |website=UPI |date=April 25, 1989 |access-date=September 17, 2024}}</ref> He tied the NHL record for most goals and points in a postseason game, most goals in a postseason period (four in the first), and most assists in a postseason period (three in the second).<ref name="day in history">{{cite web |url=http://flyers.nhl.com/team/app?service=page&page=NewsPage&bcid=1961 |title=This Date In Flyers History ... April 25 |website=Philadelphia Flyers |date=April 25, 2005 |access-date=November 16, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070912091402/http://flyers.nhl.com/team/app?service=page&page=NewsPage&bcid=1961 |archive-date=September 12, 2007 }}</ref> However, the Penguins lost the series 4–3.

During the [[1989–90 NHL season]], Lemieux scored at least one point in 46 consecutive games before he ended the streak by leaving a game due to injury.<ref>{{cite news | first=Joe | last=Sexton | title=Rangers and Bad Back End Lemieux's Streak | date=February 15, 1990 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/15/sports/rangers-and-bad-back-end-lemieux-s-streak.html | work=The New York Times | access-date=May 16, 2010 | archive-date=November 13, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113221341/http://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/15/sports/rangers-and-bad-back-end-lemieux-s-streak.html | url-status=live }}</ref> The streak's length was second only to Gretzky's 51-game streak.<ref>{{cite news|last=Rossi |first=Rob |title="He's still Mario Lemieux": the Penguins superstar has a renewed sense of purpose as he aims to win another scoring title, save hockey in Pittsburgh, and perhaps catch Gretzky – again |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCM/is_3_31/ai_94767660/pg_1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011220024/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCM/is_3_31/ai_94767660/pg_1 |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 11, 2008 |publisher=Hockey Digest |page=4 |date=January 2003 |access-date=November 16, 2007 }}</ref> Lemieux won his third All-Star Game MVP with a four-goal performance.<ref>{{cite book|title=Mario|last=Martin|first=Lawrence|year=1993|publisher=Lester Publishing|location=[[Toronto]]|isbn= 1-895555-45-0|page=[https://archive.org/details/mario0000mart/page/186 186]|url=https://archive.org/details/mario0000mart/page/186}}</ref> Although he missed 21 games, he finished fourth in the league in scoring with 123 points (45 goals, 78 assists).<ref name="espn timeline"/> The Penguins did not qualify for the playoffs.

Lemieux's back injury progressed into a [[Spinal disc herniation|herniated disc]], which subsequently developed an infection. On July 11, 1990, Lemieux underwent back surgery to fix the disk, and he missed 50 games in the [[1990–91 NHL season]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-09-28-sp-1246-story.html |title=Back Injury May Sideline Lemieux for 3 Months |website=Los Angeles Times |date=September 28, 1990 |access-date=September 17, 2024}}</ref> In his absence, the Penguins acquired players [[Joe Mullen]], [[Larry Murphy (ice hockey)|Larry Murphy]], [[Ron Francis]], and [[Ulf Samuelsson]] in hopes of becoming serious contenders for the [[Stanley Cup]]. Despite significant back pain, Lemieux scored 16 goals and 28 assists for the playoff lead, and led the Penguins over the [[Minnesota North Stars]] for their first Stanley Cup.<ref name="espn timeline"/> Lemieux won the [[Conn Smythe Trophy]] as the playoffs' most valuable player. His 44 playoff points rank second only to Gretzky's 47 in 1985.

One of the most famous goals in NHL history is the goal Lemieux scored in the second period of game two. Receiving the puck in the Penguins' zone, Lemieux skated solo into the North Stars' zone facing two defencemen and the goalie by himself. Lemieux skirted the puck through one of the defenders' ([[Shawn Chambers]]) legs, skated around him, forced the goaltender to commit left, then switched the puck to his backhand side and slid the puck in before crashing into the net himself. The brief video of the goal has been since featured on recent{{when|date=June 2019}} Stanley Cup promo ads by the NHL (played in reverse), as well as the opening montage of ''Hockey Night in Canada'' broadcasts.{{Citation needed|date=April 2012}}

Lemieux played only 64 games in his injury-plagued [[1991–92 NHL season|1991–92 season]]. Despite missing several games, he won his third Art Ross Trophy with 131 points. During the second game of the [[Patrick Division]] finals, the [[New York Rangers]]' [[Adam Graves]] slashed and broke Lemieux's left hand; Lemieux missed five games, but still led the playoffs with 16 goals and 18 assists.<ref name="espn timeline"/> The Penguins swept the [[Chicago Blackhawks]] in the Stanley Cup Finals to earn their second consecutive Stanley Cup, and Lemieux won the Conn Smythe Trophy for the second consecutive postseason. Lemieux racked up an astonishing 78 combined points during the 1991 and 1992 playoffs, a two-year total second only to Gretzky's 82 points as his Oilers won their first and second Stanley Cup titles in 1984 and 1985.<ref>[https://www.hockey-reference.com/play-index/ppl_finder.cgi?request=1&match=single&year_min=&year_max=&age_min=0&age_max=99&birth_country=&franch_id=&is_active=&is_hof=&pos=S&handed=&c1stat=&c1comp=gt&c1val=&c2stat=&c2comp=gt&c2val=&c3stat=&c3comp=gt&c3val=&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&order_by=points Player Playoff Finder] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150603140330/http://www.hockey-reference.com/play-index/ppl_finder.cgi?request=1&match=single&year_min=&year_max=&age_min=0&age_max=99&birth_country=&franch_id=&is_active=&is_hof=&pos=S&handed=&c1stat=&c1comp=gt&c1val=&c2stat=&c2comp=gt&c2val=&c3stat=&c3comp=gt&c3val=&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&order_by=points |date=June 3, 2015 }}. Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved July 23, 2013.</ref>