For the Penguins, Saturday started as a somber but celebratory hockey afternoon in Pittsburgh as the team paid tribute to the late Mike Lange at PPG

Mike Lange reminded the Pittsburgh Penguins of some of their bygone glories Saturday afternoon. The Washington Capitals spent a good chunk of the few hours that followed reminding the Penguins just how far they are from doing anything more than talking about being a championship contender.

From “It's a hockey night in Pittsburgh” to “Elvis has left the building” to “he beat him like a rented mule," Lange's distinctive turns of phrase made his voice instantly recognizable.

If Bob Prince was Baseball in Pittsburgh, Mike Lange was hockey. Cope spoke the Burgh and Rosey Rowswell made a show of his Bucs play-by-play. Mike Lange – was the longtime iconoclastic hockey Voice of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Legendary Pittsburgh Penguins play-by-play announcer Mike Lange died on Wednesday. He was 76 years old. Lange served as Penguins’ broadcaster in 1974 and again from 1976 to 2021 before announcing his retirement.

Through his decades-long career, Lange became known for his goal calls, quirky catchphrases and colorful play-by-play announcing that, according to the team in a statement, "brought Penguins hockey to life.

"My product was hockey, and to get you interested in coming to a game. If we could do that, that was important to me," Mike Lange told Guy Junker in 2017.

Longtime Pittsburgh Penguins broadcaster Mike Lange called the team's five Stanley Cup championships and was known for his colorful sayings.

The Pittsburgh Penguins honored Hall of Fame broadcaster Mike Lange during an emotional ceremony before their game against Washington.

Lange, the voice of Penguins hockey for nearly 50 years, cast an everlasting shadow over a city and its hockey team.

Lange, who died at age 76 on Wednesday, spent 46 years calling games for the Penguins, initially educating, entertaining and growing a relatively non-existent fan base during the franchise’s dark days, and then eventually chronicling, celebrating and punctuating championships won by Hall-of-Famers.