The Pittsburgh Penguins have struggled recently with giving a full 60-minute effort PITTSBURGH - The Pittsburgh Penguins return home from a five-game road trip but will be without one of their top defensemen. As the Penguins took to the ice for warm ups prior to their matchup against the Boston Bruins, Kris Letang did not take the ice. Following a practice, head coach Mike Sullivan stated that Letang was out with an illness, but did not role him out for the game. After the morning skate, Sullivan said that Letang would be a game-time decision. While an undisclosed illness, it is enough to keep Letang away from the team for multiple days and is forcing him to miss the first game of a back-to-back situation. In the first year of a new six-year contract, Letang has had an inconsistent start to the season. Through nine games Letang hasn’t scored a goal but picked up four asssits. This will be his first game missed of the season and big tests for the rest of the defensive core. All eyes turn to Brian Dumoulin, P.O. Joseph and Marcus Pettersson to see how they fill the void left by the veteran Letang. Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins [http://insidethepenguins.com/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more! Penguins Face Issues with Regression of Brian Dumoulin [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/pens-talk/pittsburgh-penguins-brian-dumoulin-regression] Penguins Looking for Quick Start, Full 60-Minute Effort Against Bruins [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-quick-start-full-sixty] Penguins Excited to Be Back on Home Ice [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-excited-home-ice] Jeff Carter Ruled Out for Penguins vs. Bruins [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-jeff-carter-ruled-out] 3 Things to Watch: Penguins vs. Bruins [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/pens-talk/pittsburgh-penguins-watch-boston-bruins] * undefined * undefined
