Five years later, Crosby wants another Cup win

By Josh Yohe 
http://triblive.com/sports
Published: Tuesday, April 15, 2014, 11:00 p.m.

He isn't really Sid the Kid anymore.

Of course, he hasn't touched the Stanley Cup since he was a kid.

Sidney Crosby, now 26, will attempt to cap a dream season by claiming the Stanley Cup for the first time in five years.

Another Olympic gold medal was his in February. He won the Art Ross Trophy in a runaway, and the Hart Trophy almost certainly belongs to him in June.

There is another trophy awarded in June.

“I've learned to appreciate the opportunity that the playoffs present,” Crosby said.

Last man standing

The early portion of Crosby's prime years has been dominated by serious injuries. He missed the 2011 postseason because of a concussion, wasn't 100 percent during the 2012 postseason because of lingering concussion problems and never displayed dominance in the 2013 postseason because of a broken jaw.

Now Crosby enters the playoffs healthy.

“I'm happy for him because I see him work in the summer, and I see the dedication he has to being the best player in the world,” right wing Chuck Kobasew said. “He's the best on and off the ice, and I'm happy to be on the same side as him when the playoffs start.”

Unlike their Stanley Cup team in 2009, these Penguins are not deep. The third and fourth lines have been a revolving door of unproductiveness. Center Evgeni Malkin, right wing James Neal and defenseman Kris Letang have struggled to stay in the lineup.

Through it all, Crosby took the NHL scoring lead in his fifth game of the season and never relinquished it, becoming the only player to eclipse 100 points. Such consistent dominance from the Penguins' captain almost certainly will be required for the Penguins to win a championship this spring.

“Yeah, there's pressure,” said Crosby's former right wing Bill Guerin, the Penguins' player-development coach. “But I never bet against him when there's pressure. He's been dealing with it since he was 12. It has never stopped him.”

New and improved

Crosby still produces points at prodigious levels, still provides highlight-reel material and universally is regarded as hockey's finest player.

Guerin sees something more.

“What's different now,” he said, “is that Sid isn't just the best player now. He's in control of the game now. There's a difference.”

Guerin, who skated with Crosby when the Penguins claimed the Stanley Cup in 2009, expects a spectacular spring.

The Penguins aren't as deep as in previous seasons, but Guerin insists Crosby's refined game, his physical prime seems to be meshing with experience and wisdom — gives them a chance for postseason glory.

“I see things now that I never saw before,” Guerin said. “Just little things. He's so much more calculated now. He knows what's at stake, and he's so smart. See, he knows he has to be at his best in the playoffs. Great players always understand that. They time it. He's been preparing himself for this postseason for a while.”

A growing captain

Crosby was named Penguins captain at 19, and the Penguins never have missed the playoffs during his tenure. Growing evidence suggests he has emerged as more of a vocal leader than in previous seasons.

Rookie Olli Maatta said one of the biggest reasons for his immediate impact on the Penguins is traceable to Crosby.

“I still remember my first few games and the way Sid talked with me,” Maatta said. “He always wanted me to be at my best. He made that really clear to me. Especially in my first 10 games, he would pull me aside on the bench and tell me what my options were, what I did well and maybe what I could have done better. It was a great help.”

The time is now

Crosby joked during the NHL lockout in 2012 that “maybe I'll be like a race horse who gets better later in his career” because of the injuries that had robbed him of playing time.

Four postseasons in his 20s remain, and while Crosby's legs might be fresher than most his age, he sounds hungry to pounce on another championship.

“Each year you get banged up more and more,” he said. “You appreciate how hard it is to win it all. It's not easy. It really isn't.

“I just want to make the most of a chance like this. I like this team. We got pretty close last year. But expectations here are higher than that.”

Crosby, when reminded he hasn't lifted the Cup in five years, said no one should be shocked.

“It's hard,” he said. “Look around. Look at Boston, San Jose, Chicago, St. Louis, Anaheim, Los Angeles. There are a lot of great hockey teams.”

But there is only one Crosby. And while he's hardly one to boast, he sounds inspired to make a splash in these playoffs.

“I won't be able to say when I was at my best until later in my career,” Crosby said. “But I know one thing: I feel pretty good right now.”

Josh Yohe is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at jyohe@tribweb.com or via Twitter @JoshYohe_Trib.

Playoff scoring

All-time NHL playoff points per game (minimum 50 games):

1. Wayne Gretzky 1.84

2. Mario Lemieux 1.61

3. Sidney Crosby 1.28

4. Mark Messier 1.25

5. Bobby Orr 1.24

6. Mike Bossy 1.24

7. Evgeni Malkin 1.17

8. Jari Kurri 1.16

9. Gilbert Perrault 1.14

10. Peter Forsberg 1.13

Source: NHL.com

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First-round preview: Penguins - Blue Jackets

By Scott Burnside | ESPN.com
http://espn.go.com/nhl
April 14, 2014



Marc-Andre Fleury #29 of the Pittsburgh Penguins knocks the puck away from Matt Calvert #11 of the Columbus Blue Jackets during the second period on March 28, 2014 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

If all you looked at was the regular-season series between these two geographic rivals -- thrown together in the same division this season thanks to realignment -- then you'd presume the star-studded Pittsburgh Penguins will have their way with the underdog Columbus Blue Jackets after winning all five regular-season games. And it might yet turn out that way, but I don't think so.

No team has highlighted the disconnect that can sometimes exist between regular-season success and a long playoff run than the Penguins in recent years. They were swept last spring by Boston in the Eastern Conference finals, which was the first time they'd advanced beyond the second round since their magical march to the 2009 Stanley Cup. At the crux of whether the high-scoring Pens (fifth in the league, second in the Eastern Conference in goals per game and second overall on the power play) can return to contender form starts in goal with Marc-Andre Fleury. His recent playoff hiccups have become the stuff of legend. But in some ways, perhaps being somewhat off the "contender radar" for the first time in years will work in the Penguins' favor.

The Blue Jackets, meanwhile, are entering just their second playoff tournament and have never won a postseason game, although they are coming off a season during which they established franchise records for wins and points. The offense is deceiving, as they ranked 13th in goals per game, they have one of the hottest young stars in the game in Ryan Johansen and have the defending Vezina Trophy winner in Sergei Bobrovsky.

Spotlight On

Penguins: Marc-Andre Fleury

Let's begin and end with Fleury. The former No. 1 overall pick had 39 wins -- second in the league -- and was for the most part excellent for a team that was the league leader in a landslide in man games lost to injury. But he was given the hook after four playoff games last season in favor of Tomas Vokoun and never started another playoff game. There is no safety net this season, with Vokoun just now recovering from surgery to deal with blood clotting issues and backup Jeff Zatkoff in his first full NHL season. The Pens will sink or swim with the man who won 30 postseason games between 2008 and 2009.

Blue Jackets: Inexperience in postseason

When the Blue Jackets take the ice Wednesday night, 13 players will be stepping into their first playoff competition. The rest of the roster has only modest playoff experience, as the only player with a Stanley Cup ring, Nathan Horton, is out of action having undergone surgery for an abdominal injury. Horton's loss might be more symbolic than real, given his injury-plagued season (he played in only 36 games), but the challenge for head coach Todd Richards, who got his pro start with the Penguins' organization and actually hired Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma as an assistant with the team's AHL franchise, will be keeping his team on task, especially in the first couple of games, where emotions will be high and the Penguins can be expected to try to get to the inexperienced Blue Jackets early on.

Hero In Waiting

Penguins: Kris Letang

To say this season has been an emotional roller coaster for defenseman Kris Letang would be a gross understatement. Uneven play kept last season's Norris Trophy finalist off the Canadian Olympic team, and then he suffered a stroke at the end of January that threw his career into doubt. But Letang returned late in the regular season and has played well in the two games in which he appeared, averaging almost 23 minutes in ice time and picking up a goal and two assists. He did not have a good playoff a year ago, turning the puck over with alarming regularity, but has the potential to be a difference-maker for the Penguins.

Blue Jackets: Boone Jenner

Ryan Johansen was the team's leader in goals and points by a wide margin, and it's clear the Penguins will be focused on limiting his chances to continue his offensive dominance, which is why the Blue Jackets will have to find other sources of offense. Well, what about big Boone Jenner? The 20-year-old, 6-foot-2 center has been a catalyst to the Blue Jackets' late-season surge. He had three goals and three assists in his last five games and has been a dangerous presence around opposing nets at crucial times in recent games.

Fatal Flaw

Penguins: Defense

Although the Pens finished a respectable 10th in goals allowed per game, the reality is that they have a penchant for going sideways in terms of their defensive structure. Now, part of that is a function of having missed important defensive pieces Paul Martin, Rob Scuderi,Brooks Orpik and Letang at various points, which means rookies such as Olli Maatta have had to take on roles they might not otherwise have filled. As we mentioned, Fleury is key to keeping the puck out of the net, but he has to have help from his comrades in terms of not making egregious turnovers, not being careless with the puck in their own zone and picking up opposing shooters.

Blue Jackets: Offensive star power

Johansen led the team with 33 goals and no one else on the Blue Jackets' roster had more than 22. Can an offense by committee work? Sure. But that means the committee has to be engaged and take advantage of the opportunities presented, whether that's on the power play, which ranked 10th, or 5-on-5, where they were 15th in the league. If not, well, this one could be over in a hurry.

Prediction

The Blue Jackets are one of the feel-good stories of this season and the response from the local fans has been tremendous. We're expecting this to be a tough, entertaining series. But we think Fleury will steady the ship and the Penguins will simply be too much for the playoff newbies from down the road. Penguins in 6

Crosby wins NHL scoring title for second time

By Wes Crosby - NHL.com Correspondent

http://www.nhl.com/

April 13, 2014

PITTSBURGH -- Sidney Crosby wrapped up his second Art Ross Trophy on Sunday despite sitting out the Pittsburgh Penguins' season finale against the Ottawa Senators.

SIDNEY CROSBY

CENTER - PIT

GOALS: 36 | ASST: 68 | PTS: 104
SOG: 259 | +/-: 18

Crosby led the NHL with 104 points, the third-highest total of his nine-year career and the most since he had 109 during the 2009-10 season. His other scoring title came in 2006-07, his second season, when he had a career-high 120 points.

With Crosby winning again, 15 of the past 26 NHL scoring titles have been won by a member of the Penguins. The Los Angeles Kings have the second-highest total during that span with three.

"I'm not sure we know how fortunate we have been to have leading scorers and MVPs here in Pittsburgh for a long time," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said.

Crosby's 17-point margin over Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf is the largest since then-Penguins forward Jaromir Jagr won the title in 1998-99 by 20 points over Teemu Selanne. The Penguins own the four largest margins of victory since 1996-97.

"I'm not sure how that happens," Bylsma said. "Sid, to get over 100 points, to have the lead over Getzlaf as he does, there's so much more to his game than just scoring. But it is pretty amazing to see how much he's put behind him -- some great players, great goal scorers, point-getters for their team and in such a huge fashion.

"I think it's pretty amazing just to even fathom that he is 17 points ahead of the next-best guy, and I have a lot of respect for Ryan Getzlaf."

Crosby tied teammate Evgeni Malkin for the third-most scoring titles in Penguins history with two, four behind Mario Lemieux and three behind Jagr. He played in 80 games this season after playing in 41 or less in the each of the previous three, including 36 during the shortened 2012-13 season.

The 26-year-old also led the NHL with 68 assists. He finished with 18 multi-assist games, including four games with three assists.

Playoff Matchups Important For Penguins

By Mark Madden 

Special to The Beaver County Times 

http://www.timesonline.com/sports/

April 13, 2014

James Neal #18 of the Pittsburgh Penguins battles for the loose puck against Jason Spezza #19 of the Ottawa Senators on April 13, 2014 at Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/NHLI via Getty Images)

Refreshing playoff notes! A short trip to Coumbus. A short series will follow.

- The Penguins can’t beat Boston and probably wouldn’t beat Philadelphia. The Penguins aren’t as good as they were last year. The Bruins are better than last year, when they beat the Penguins in four straight. The Flyers may have permanent residence inside the Penguins’ heads: 9-1-1 at Consol Energy Center. Boston and Philadelphia are both grittier and more physical.

- If the Penguins do play Boston or Philadelphia, the last thing they should do is try to out-hit either. It’s also exactly what they will probably try.

- If the Penguins play Columbus, the New York Rangers and Montreal in consecutive playoff series, they will make the Stanley Cup final. And that could very easily happen. It’s all about matchups.

- If the Penguins lose and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury is perceived as responsible, he gets traded in the off-season. Otherwise, he gets a new contract.

- Fleury’s recent playoff past is bound to make fans flinch once the postseason starts. Allowing a shaky overtime goal to Philadelphia Saturday didn’t help.

- It doesn’t matter who the backup goalie is. If Fleury gets hurt or falls apart, the Penguins can’t beat a good team. Tomas Vokoun couldn’t. Jeff Zatkoff can’t.

- If the Penguins make the Stanley Cup final, the current model will remain largely unchanged. If the Penguins fall short of the Eastern Conference final, major adjustments will be made. If the Penguins lose in the conference final, what happens is anybody’s guess.

- If Evgeni Malkin is unavailable for the first round, the Penguins could lose to Columbus.

- If Malkin is unavailable past the first round, the Penguins won’t beat anybody.

- Brandon Sutter has played well for the best part of a month. That must continue. He needs to be the Penguins’ third-line rock.

- Rob Scuderi has had a subpar season, one fraught by injury. Scuderi must regroup and be that classic defensive defenseman needed to win in the playoffs.

- Brooks Orpik is already playing how he needs to. Orpik struggled for part of this season, but he knows what time it is. If these playoffs are Orpik’s swan song with the Penguins, he’ll serve as the team’s conscience throughout. Like always.

- Robert Bortuzzo is a playoff-style defenseman. But who gets scratched to make room?

- If Malkin and Sidney Crosby don’t produce at their usual level, the Penguins won’t win. That’s been proven. The bottom-six forwards offer no unlikely heroes.

- James Neal is streaky. Entering the playoffs on a tear is invaluable.

- Is the Penguins’ breakout too complicated? It can take three passes to move the puck 10 feet. The Penguins definitely fudge too many clearing attempts.

- The Penguins’ bottom-six forwards can’t be on the ice for goals against. They pose little offensive threat. If you can’t help, don’t hurt.

- The Penguins need a Plan B. Last year’s demise was fueled by stubbornness and an unwillingness to adjust. Over a best-of-seven series, the Penguins are too easy to draw a bead on.

- For the Penguins, last year’s playoffs were a failure. They eliminated the postseason’s two worst teams and never got totally untracked against either. They got swept out by Boston. There is no way to rate that as anything besides unacceptable. The Penguins had a loaded team.

Mark Madden hosts a radio show 3-6 p.m. weekdays on WXDX-FM (105.9).

Letang back in form

By Joe Starkey 
http://triblive.com/sports/
Published: Saturday, April 12, 2014, 10:10 p.m.

Kris Letang #58 of the Pittsburgh Penguins moves the puck in front of Wayne Simmonds #17 of the Philadelphia Flyers on April 12, 2014 at Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/NHLI via Getty Images)

On Wednesday, Kris Letang returned to the Penguins' lineup.

On Saturday, he returned to form — thanks to a visit from the Philadelphia Flyers.

“It was good for me to play a team like that,” Letang said after what some might consider one of the best losses in franchise history: a 4-3 overtime defeat that meant the Penguins will avoid the Flyers in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

I get the feeling Letang would welcome a return engagement as soon as possible. Barely 10 weeks removed from a stroke, he looked like the wild-man Letang that Penguins fans have come to love and dread.

You know that Letang — the helmet-off, hair-flying, hit-making, risk-taking, faster-than-anyone-skating Letang. Say what you will about his chancy play, the Penguins need an energized Letang if they are going to get where they want to go.

You should have heard teammates raving after Letang played 23 minutes, 42 seconds (second on the team), scored his career-best 11th goal, assisted on another, nearly won the game on a 3-on-3 overtime breakaway and mixed it up with the ever-popular Scott Hartnell (more on that in a minute).

“His skill set, and the way he jumps up into the play and can shoot the puck ... he was all over the place,” said winger James Neal. “That's the way we like him. He's back to himself.”

Back to himself two games into a return from a stroke?

It really looked that way.

“It's unique,” coach Dan Bylsma said. “And it's a spectacle. I mean, the way he skated up to the net in overtime there with what could have been the game-winning goal (before Ray Emery stopped Letang's backhander) … It's pretty awesome to see him back playing at that level.”

Nobody seemed to like it much when Hartnell knocked Letang down from behind in the middle of the third period, breaking up a scoring chance. Letang angrily confronted him. Hartnell hissed back (but did not bite Letang, which was an issue in a long-ago confrontation, you'll remember). The two went off for roughing, and the crowd went nuts.

Letang didn't seem to mind any of it.

“It's part of the game,” he said, smiling. “I got hit from behind, and I turned around. It was not really a shock.”

Just seeing the Flyers' orange and black was good for his spirits.

“Different team, more emotion in the game,” Letang said, comparing it to the Detroit game. “It felt pretty good to get hit a lot.”

Bylsma made waves when asked whether the Letang-Hartnell confrontation caused him any “pause.” After saying “a little bit” and recounting the play, Bylsma joked that Hartnell was “a guy picking on a guy who had a stroke.”

It came off as ill-timed because of the subject matter but also as tongue-in-cheek. To make sure, I asked Bylsma after his news conference, and he said the comment “absolutely” was made in jest. He was in no way incriminating Hartnell.

Bylsma acknowledged that while he is concerned for Letang the way a father might be for a son, Letang is fair game if he's on the ice.

The Penguins did not feel the need to go overboard in protecting Letang, either, and why should they have? It was two guys doing what hockey players do.

Sidney Crosby was asked whether there is an instinct to protect Letang more than usual, given what he has been through.

“Not more than usual,” Crosby said. “We do know he's a guy they're going to target. You stick up for teammates, of course. And you're aware of the fact that teams might target him even more. But we know he's OK now.”

People outside the locker room will make a big deal about such things. Inside, the Penguins know the big story from this game was seeing wild-man Letang back in form.

“He's our most talented defenseman,” fellow blue-liner Matt Niskanen said. “He helps with some of the things we've been struggling with. Getting out of our zone quick is one of the biggest things. Some of (the solution) is breaking out with the puck on our stick clean. Some of it is ending plays quickly. Kris is a pretty good defender. He manhandles people in the corners, grabs the puck and heads the other way.

“We've missed that a little bit.”

Quite a lot, actually.

Joe Starkey co-hosts a show 2 to 6 p.m. weekdays on 93.7 FM. Reach him at jraystarkey@gmail.com.

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Munchak ready to teach Steelers' O-linemen

By Scott Brown
http://espn.go.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers
April 10, 2014

PITTSBURGH -- The six Lombardi Trophies that line the front of the library at Steelers headquarters are impossible to miss even for those used to walking past them on a regular basis. 

They have already made an impression on new offensive line coach Mike Munchak, who has done everything in football but win a Super Bowl. 

“I’m here to see if we can get that seventh Super Bowl trophy in that case and help these players become as good as they can be,” Munchak told Steelers.com on Thursday. “From what I can see on tape, this is a good, young group that wants to be the best and it’s going to be fun working with them. I see myself as a teacher.” 

[+] Enlarge

AP Photo/Wade PayneMike Munchak is aiming to help the Steelers improve off of consecutive 8-8 seasons.

Munchak should find more than willing pupils -- whether it is in the meeting room or on the practice field -- since no offensive line coach can match his combined chops as a coach and a player. 

Munchak is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and is considered one of the best guards in NFL history. The nine-time Pro Bowler spent 14 seasons coaching the offensive line for the Oilers/Titans before becoming the head coach for the only franchise he had ever worked or played for prior to joining the Steelers. 

That the Scranton, Pa., native became available at about the time the Steelers were looking to stop the revolving door at offensive line coach proved ideal for both sides. 

“It is hard to pick up and move,” said Munchak, who was fired in January after three seasons as the Titans' coach, “but if you’re going to do that this is a great place to end up.”

Elation may be too strong to characterize the general feeling around the Steelers regarding the addition of Munchak. But not by much. 

The offensive line came together nicely at the end of last season and it returns every starter, including Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey, who played eight snaps in 2013 before tearing his ACL. 

Pouncey has been working out at the Steelers’ practice facility -- he was here again on Thursday -- and he is among the linemen who could elevate their play under Munchak's tutelage. 

If the line shows significant improvement in 2014 -- and, of course, stays healthy to some degree -- the offense could be good enough to carry a defense that is in transition. 

And carry the Steelers back to the playoffs following 8-8 seasons. 

Munchak, the perfect coach to pull everything together for a line that doesn't have a projected starter over 28, said he wants his players to take an even-keeled approach to the game while also exhibiting toughness and selflessness. 

He figures to be more teacher than taskmaster but he won't have to yell to get his players' attention. His credentials alone will do that -- and help Munchak impart a message that has guided since his days as an All-American at Penn State. 

“You don’t want to be that weak-link guy,” Munchak said. “Be accountable and if you don’t have a good ethic we’re not going to be very good. I’m big on being prepared, being prepared for the moment. It’s a young group, so I’m looking forward to getting to know them and working with them and getting the job done.”

Take a second to celebrate Sid

By Dejan Kovacevic 
http://triblive.com/sports/
Published: Thursday, April 10, 2014, 10:06 p.m.

Photo Credit: USA Today Sports Images

Sidney Crosby has 16 more points than anyone else in the NHL. That's 103 to the 87 of the Ducks' Ryan Getzlaf.

He broke the 100-point barrier last week in a season where only five others are sure to break 80.

He's about to win his second Art Ross Trophy as scoring champion, and he'll probably end up with the greatest gap between himself and second place since 1998-99, when Jaromir Jagr beat out Teemu Selanne by 20 points.

He'll win his second Hart Trophy as league MVP by what absolutely must be a unanimous vote by the Pro Hockey Writers Association. They probably shouldn't even bother inviting the other two finalists to the ceremony in Las Vegas. When Canada's TSN network polled 16 NHL coaches this week to ask their choice, just for fun, 16 picked Crosby.

He's scored or set up 36.3 percent of the Penguins' even-strength goals, 59.4 percent of their power-play goals. The power play is No. 1 in the league.

He is so far ahead of the pack that the typically fuss-raising Hart debate has been reduced to headlines like this one from Yahoo! Sports: “Will Foolish Voters Deny Sidney Crosby's MVP season?” Or this from Canada's National Post: “Can Claude Giroux Steal Some MVP Votes from Crosby?” That's steal votes, not steal the prize.

He'll have done all of the above despite what his most tenured teammate, Brooks Orpik, calls “just relentless checking, a pounding night after night. But that's Sid. He keeps battling through it.”

He'll have done all of the above despite losing his longtime right winger, Pascal Dupuis, a player and friend who understands him like few others, to a knee injury in December.

His replacement right wingers at even-strength, as the result of Dupuis' injury, have included 170 minutes of Lee Stempniak, 142 of Brian Gibbons, 59 of Craig Adams, 50 of Chuck Kobasew, 11 of Matt D'Agostini and six of Chris Conner.

He's also been denied the broader offensive support of Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Paul Martin and James Neal for long stretches.

He captained the Penguins to the Metropolitan Division title. They've won 51 games. If they win one more this weekend, that will be the second-highest total in franchise history. Chris Kunitz, flanking his left side through all that and a golden run in Sochi, called Crosby “the generator for our team, the one who makes us go, a guy who gets us at least one scoring chance just about every time he's on the ice. It doesn't matter who he's playing with, what the circumstances are for himself or for the team. He doesn't complain. He's the best player in the world.”

He's the best player in the world. Again. Or, as Kunitz put it, “I don't think there ever was a debate. Who else has gotten it done like Sid year after year?”

He has led, in his own way, whether it's pulling aside Malkin for a private pick-me-up after a devastating Olympics or simply setting the right example. Listen to Jussi Jokinen: “I think a lot of people are looking at what Sid is doing and saying, ‘Well, of course, it's Sid.' But for me, I see the best player in the world every day, and I watch and learn from the best. It's been a great experience for me to see what he does, to see how hard he works, how consistent he is.”

He's produced at least a point in 59 of his 79 games.

He'll essentially log a full season for the first time since 2009-10, having buried the concussion issue so deep it's barely an afterthought anymore.

He'll want absolutely nothing to do with any part of this discussion. “My best regular season?” he replied to the question Wednesday. “I don't know. I'm definitely happy to get a good chunk of the year in. It's been a while. But I don't know. It's really hard to gauge. I feel like there are certain points where I could have been better. But I don't remember what I felt like in seasons four or five years ago. Consistency's always what you want, and I feel like I've got a pretty good feel for what that takes now. I'm not guessing as much as maybe I was in the past. But I honestly don't know if this has been my best season.”

He'll want even less to do with the topic of being the best player in the world: “I don't know. That's different for everybody.”

He's about to cap, no matter what he says, one of the greatest individual regular seasons in our city's history. It's right up there with some of the finest work of Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Terry Bradshaw, Troy Polamalu, Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell.

And we aren't talking about any of this why, exactly?

Dejan Kovacevic is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at dkovacevic@tribweb.com or via Twitter @Dejan_Kovacevic

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Letang's return one for the heart

By Dejan Kovacevic 
http://triblive.com/sports
Published: Wednesday, April 9, 2014, 11:21 p.m.

Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review

The Penguins' Kris Letang defends on the Red Wings' Riley Sheahan in the first period Wednesday, April 9, 2014 at Consol Energy Center.

Kris Letang has a hole in his heart, but don't dare doubt its size or strength.

At 8:08 p.m. Wednesday, as soon as his skates once again touched Consol Energy Center's ice — and yes, they really do make contact — the crowd let out a loud roar to welcome back the Penguins' franchise defenseman 10 weeks after the stroke that had cast his career in doubt.

Check that, his life.

And in that moment, know that Ray Shero cringed from his suite high above.

As did Letang's family and friends watching from the seats or TV sets in Quebec.

As did you and I and so many others who care far more about the person than the player. Even on a day when our emotions had been put through the wringer of the stabbings at Franklin Regional High School, this came with a queasy feeling.

As for Letang himself?

“I'm nervous because it's been a long time since I've played,” he was telling us after the morning skate. “About my situation? Not at all.”

Believe that. Really.

For one, Letang says so. And has shown it. From the day he received his initial clearance from doctors to play anytime he felt comfortable — two weeks ago — he's been a relentless rink rat, same as ever. He's even tagged along with the team on the road. You should have seen him after the victory last week in Winnipeg, seated in a full suit next to Sidney Crosby and gushing to the captain about the game as if he'd just logged 30 minutes.

For another, he reported no problems at all following the 4-3 shootout victory over the Red Wings. He logged a fairly normal 22:30 of ice, had a couple hiccups in the Penguins' end but also made a trademark rush up ice to set up Jussi Jokinen's go-ahead goal in the third period. Stops, pivots, acceleration, the whole deal.

“I felt fine,” Letang said afterward. “The only issues were my timing, like I expected, but that will come. Overall, it was OK.”

He seemed much more moved by the affection he was shown by the 18,620 on hand, many of whom brought welcome-back signs and banners.

“It's one thing we always say about Pittsburgh, how great the fans are,” he said. “The ovation, it was pretty great. I really appreciate it. All through this, the fans were very understanding with me taking my time. It was …”

He paused for a moment.

“It was pretty emotional.”

Hear that?

Letang doesn't just want to return. He needs it. He doesn't love hockey. He lives it. Say what you will about athletes' often irrational drive to play through injury and illness, but this confidence has to start there.

“I wanted to come back,” he said when asked about his first thought after the stroke.

What's infinitely more important here, though, is that Letang couldn't be better informed about his condition. He's heard, read and learned about just about everything. He's been put through tests by some of the region's best cardiologists. He's been put through practices Dan Bylsma called “no different than those for any of our guys,” then monitored for effects. He's been in touch “almost every day” with doctors, per his account.

At the same time, no one is perfect, including doctors. So I'm guessing I'm no different than you in wondering how anyone could give the thumbs-up for a recent stroke victim to resume playing hockey at its highest level, the Stanley Cup playoffs, just three months later. To be honest, it wasn't until Shero spoke the words Wednesday morning — “Kris Letang will return to play tonight” — that I'd begun to process the possibility.

Even now that he's back, it seems ... wow, incredible. I mean, we're talking about a hole in the heart. A stroke. A scene in January in which Letang was found on his floor by his mother. Not to mentions a few episodes of dizziness that followed, related or not.

Not exactly “upper-body” territory.

And that's undoubtedly why Shero called the Penguins part of Letang's “family” and sounded more like a father in describing how he repeatedly rejected Letang's pleas to return the past two weeks. He just wanted to wait.

“I guess the easiest question anyone can ask me is, well, why don't we just wait and try this again in October or whatever?” Shero said. “Hockey did not cause the stroke. Returning to play will not cause a stroke. Playing tonight vs. waiting until October or 10 years from now is not going to change that. Resting and playing Xbox is not going to make him better.”

That notion clearly meant a lot to Shero. So I asked: Did doctors tell him hockey didn't cause the stroke?

“Correct,” he replied.

And the natural follow-up: How could doctors determine such a thing?

“I think, with all their medical testing, there was nothing that showed it was caused by anything,” Shero said. “All the heart functions, blood vessels, everything, it's all still really good. His return to ice hockey … he's at no further risk than if he went to the grocery store.”

Letang essentially backed that: “Right from the start, they told me it's something that can happen whenever.”

I hope they're right. But it's only human to look at this scenario and worry, whether rational or not, medically supported or not.

Be sure Shero will be worrying for a long time. Admirably, he stepped forward Wednesday so that we could all see the call, the responsibility was his.

“How will I feel?” Shero asked, looking ahead to faceoff. “I'll be a little nervous. I told Kris that.”

Be sure that Letang's family — wife Catherine and infant son Alexander — as well as all his loved ones will worry.

“My family is scared,” Letang said, “I had to make sure they understand the situation. I had some doctors talk to my family to reassure them.”

But Letang needs to worry, too, at least to the extent that he stays open and honest with doctors. Shero called this “the new normal for Kris,” and Letang must accept that. No playing hero. Not now and not for Game 7 against the Flyers. This is, as defense partner Rob Scuderi put it, “an incredibly serious issue, and he needs to be aware of it the rest of his life.”

One stride at a time.

Read more: http://triblive.com/sports/dejankovacevic/dejancolumns/5905159-74/letang-shero-doctors#ixzz2yTqZ0oNP 
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