Tanger is Back!!

Letang to return to Penguins lineup tonight against Detroit
April 9, 2014 10:52 AM
Penguins defenseman Kris Letang will return to the lineup tonight against Detroit at Consol Energy Center.
By Shelly Anderson / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Penguins defenseman Kris Letang will return to the lineup tonight against Detroit at Consol Energy Center, general manager Ray Shero announced this morning.
Letang, 26, has been out since he had a stroke Jan. 29. He has been practicing with the team for weeks, but it had been unclear whether he would play this season.
Shero said Letang has been pushing to play for some time.
“We don’t take these decisions lightly,” Shero said.
“After a lot of begging and asking me questions and wanting to play, tonight’s the night.”
Shero said Letang and the team have gotten assurances that playing hockey neither caused the stroke nor puts him as risk any more than “going to the grocery store.”
Although Letang still has some bouts of dizziness – “or, what we call unsteadiness,” Shero said – he might have to get used to that being what Shero described as “the new normal.”
Shero said according to Letang’s doctors there’s no way of knowing whether those will bouts will improve or abate.
As for the cause of Letang’s stroke, Shero said most things have been ruled out, including blood clots and heart problems. By process of elimination, things point to the tiny hole in Letang’s heart that was discovered during extensive testing after the stroke.
Letang, a finalist last season for the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman, has been limited to 34 games this season because of knee and elbow injuries and the stroke. He has 10 goals, eight assists.
The timing of Letang’s return is important for the Penguins because the playoffs begin next week. There are three games remaining in the regular season – tonight against the Red Wings, Saturday against Philadelphia and Sunday against Ottawa, all at home. And I hope he can stay through the playoffs. Now if just the rest can get healthy.