Two of OHL's Top Scorers Snubbed from USA WJC Squad Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MTk0MzU0MzQ2MzcxMDY1NTIx/usatsi_19520877.jpg] Update: Kris Letang is back in the lineup and on the ice for the Pittsburgh Penguins 12 days after suffering a stroke. It was great news to hear he was back on the ice just days after the second stroke of his career when he was reported to be out indefinitely. But to see him back in action against Buffalo, making hits, going for shot blocks and playing lots of minutes is incredible. Of course, he had to be cleared first to return to practice, and there was no rush to rejoin the lineup as the main priority is to ensure he's healthy. But the stroke was said to be smaller than his first one in 2014 which kept him out of action for more than two months, according to team physician Dr. Dharmesh Vyas. It goes to show the passion and dedication Letang has for the game as he helps the team remain in a playoff spot and turn heads in the process. The story below has been updated. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For a while in late October, the Pittsburgh Penguins were looking like their number was up as far as being a perennial playoff team. They’d won four of their first five games this season, but followed that with a seven-game losing skid in which they were outscored 33-16. Some began questioning the tactics of coach Mike Sullivan and called for GM Ron Hextall to begin making roster alterations. The Pens had doubled down on their core of talent last summer, re-signing stars Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang to lengthy, lucrative contract extensions, but it felt like the modern golden era of the franchise might be over. However, since Nov. 5, the Penguins have looked like a completely different, vastly-improved group. In the 14 games that followed the seven-game losing streak, they’ve gone 11-2-2 and have won nine of their past 11 games (9-1-1). And it isn’t just that Pittsburgh is winning – it’s how they’re winning. Even without the services of Letang in the past five games heading into Saturday, the Pens are once again an offensive dynamo. In eight of their past 10 victories, they’ve generated four goals or more. And their defense is coming around as well: in six of their most recent 10 wins, they’ve limited the opposition to two goals or fewer. And better yet, Letang, who suffered a stroke last week, is already back in the lineup with the team after Sullivan said [https://twitter.com/PensInsideScoop/status/1601699198776508417?s=20&t=qljXwd11PI-9D0OKpY1_TA] he's cleared to return to the lineup Saturday night. At the start of the season, you looked at the Metropolitan Division and picked out the Penguins and Washington Capitals as the two teams most likely to take a step back this year. Washington still looks like they’re not going to have the horsepower to get them back in the post-season, but Pittsburgh is now closer to the second-place Carolina Hurricanes (who they trail by just two standings points) than they are to the sixth-place Capitals (who they lead by four points, and hold two games in hand on the Caps). This is why teams are often patient to a fault with their players. For instance, the Penguins got only eight goals and 17 points out of veteran winger Jason Zucker in 41 games last season. But this year, Zucker has six goals and 18 points in 25 games. The 30-year-old is back to being an important component of Pittsburgh’s second line, and he’s given them the type of secondary scoring they need to succeed. Similarly, in the brief absence of Letang, blueliner Marcus Pettersson stepped up his offensive game. The 26-year-old had 17 assists and 19 points in 72 games last season, but this year, he’s got 10 points in 27 games. Meanwhile, we’d be remiss if we didn’t note the amazing contributions of superstar center Sidney Crosby. Nobody should be surprised by anything the all-time great does anymore, but this season, Crosby is off to a rip-roaring start on offense, amassing 15 goals and 35 points in 27 games. That puts the 35-year-old on a pace to finish the year with 45 goals and 106 points, which would be his second-best totals in goals and the third-best points total of his storied career. When you consider that Crosby is target No. 1 in the opposition’s defensive game plan, his performance this season is all the more astounding. There’s still a long way to go this season, and the Penguins need to stay healthy if they’re going to continue near the top of the Metro. But for now, there’s a huge sigh of relief in Pittsburgh. Not only are they not looking like age has caught up with them, but they’re also playing like they’ve rediscovered the fountain of youth. It’s an impressive feat for any organization but look at the Chicago Blackhawks for an example of a once-glorious team now mired in misery. The Penguins are nothing like that. And they’re looking once again like a group you won’t want to face come the post-season.
