It’s been a long and emotional couple of months for Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang, but on Tuesday night, he reminded fans everywhere what he brings to the lineup.
After suffering a stroke in November, Letang has dealt with a lower-body injury and the passing of his father. As a result, the Penguins blueliner spent time away from the team and had not played since December 28.
Well, on Tuesday night, number 58 made his return to the ice, and he showed fans across the NHL exactly what he adds to Pittsburgh’s lineup when healthy. The 35-year-old played 26:29 and made his presence known from the minute that the puck hit the ice.
Kris Letang made an incredible return to the ice for the Penguins.
The Pens went down 2-0 early in their game against the Florida Panthers before Letang picked up an assist on their first goal of the night. Near the end of the first period, Letang buried his third goal of the season to give the Penguins their first lead of the game (3-2).
Of course, the scoring was nowhere near done in this one, as the teams combined for 88 shots and 13 goals in a thriller that required overtime. Oh, and guess who the overtime hero was.
That’s right, Kris Letang, with his fourth goal of the campaign and his second of the game, sent the Pittsburgh crowd home happy with an incredible performance. In total, he had four points, six shots, four hits, and two blocks.
You truly cannot say enough about Kris Letang. He is known as a part of the Penguins’ “Big Three” but has always lived in the shadow of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. That should not be the case, as he has been a vital part of this era of Pittsburgh hockey, and he proved it again on Tuesday.
His impact as a player should not be understated, nor should the magnitude of his moment in his first game back. For two months, it’s been one obstacle after another for Letang, yet he continues to come back better than before.
The Penguins will undoubtedly be thrilled to have their alternate captain back on the ice, and fans will be just as happy to see 58 in the lineup and doing well. It’s hard not to root for someone like Kris Letang.