Pittsburgh Penguins: Kris Letang scores first goal in win over Capitals

Kris Letang scored his first goal in eight months as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Washington Capitals 3-2 tonight.

When he’s healthy, Kris Letang of the Pittsburgh Penguins is one of the best defensemen in the NHL. Don’t let his team winning the Stanley Cup without him fool you. Any Penguins fan will tell you the defense suffered mightily without him.

Early in Wednesday’s game against the Washington Capitals, the defenseman scored his first goal in nearly eight months. Letang’s goal didn’t just give the Penguins an early 1-0 lead, it was his first since a February 4 tilt against the St. Louis Blues.

The Penguins stud offensive defenseman did not play last season after the Penguins February 21 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. A neck injury that was initially reported as day-to-day eventually led to serious surgery, ending his season prematurely. Meanwhile the Penguins went on to win their second consecutive Stanley Cup.

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This isn’t the first time the defenseman has struggled with health problems. In addition to a myriad of injuries, Letang suffered a stroke midway through the 2013-14 season. 26 years old at the time, it was a baffling development. The Penguins didn’t just worry about a potential playoff run, but his longterm well being.

Letang has had a tough go early in his return, with an even-strength CorsiFor% of just 48.8 through three games. That includes a terrible night against the Blackhawks that left our writers wondering what the team had left. While the team bounced back Saturday against the Predators in Nashville, Letang had another rough outing.

Still, at 30 years old, he is a creative defenseman with plenty left in the tank. In his goal tonight, we see Letang edge off the right wing boards near the hashmarks. He crashes the net and backhands a rebound off of Bryan Rust’s shot to score.

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Despite his early struggles, Penguins fans should be relieved to see Letang on the score sheet tonight. His health will be a major story line for a Penguins team that lost some depth from their recent championship squads.