 During the regular season , the Penguins finished second in the Eastern Conference , behind the Montreal Canadiens . With a 12 – 2 record in the playoffs , the team eliminated the Senators , the New York Rangers and the Flyers , on their way to the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals , the franchise 's first in 16 years . The team was defeated in the Stanley Cup Final by the Detroit Red Wings in six games . 
