GETTING HEALTHY

The Penguins hit the ice for practice on Wednesday, and as I sat in my front row seat (excuse the quality of my cell phone picture) at the Consol Energy Center, I couldn’t help but think where this team would be with a little good luck on the injury front. Practice included a scary moment, when forward Richard Park took a puck to the face, getting nailed just below his right eye. Practice went silent for a few seconds, but incredibly, Park was back on his skates, and continuing with practice in a matter of moments. Park told me later that he didn’t think it wasn’t a big deal, adding, “it’s what we do.” There was some positive news for one of the Pens fighting back from injury. Defenseman Kris Letang was on the ice for the second consecutive practice, and said afterwards, “I feel pretty good.” There’s a decent chance that Letang will return to the lineup against the Rangers. He hasn’t played in a game since late November, when he suffered a concussion in a game against Montreal. Just as Park did after getting hit by the puck in practice, Letang returned to the game against the Canadiens and scored the winning goal in overtime. It’s what they do! Bigger questions still need to be answered. What’s the latest on Sidney Crosby and when might he return to the lineup? I’ll have more on that soon with details of my sit-down interview with Penguins Coach Dan Bylsma.