Letang and Crosby to represent Pittsburgh Penguins at All-Star Game
The NHL released the rosters for the 2018 All-Star Game. Two Pittsburgh Penguins were selected.
In a season that has seen the Pittsburgh Penguins struggle, they still managed to have two players named to the All-Star weekend festivities.
Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang will represent the Metropolitan division and the Pittsburgh Penguins at the All-Star Game on January 28th.
Sidney Crosby has recorded 15 goals and 28 assists for a total of 43 points in 44 games played. That’s good for second among all Penguin players and 17th in the NHL. He regularly leads Penguin forwards in ice time, with an average TOI of 20:46 per game.
Crosby’s selection will mark his third appearance at an NHL all star game (those this is his seventh time chosen).
Kris Letang leads all Penguin defenseman in TOI with an average of 25:40 per game. He also ranks 15th among all NHL defenseman in scoring with 27 points. This is Letang’s fourth All-Star game appearance.
Letang and Crosby’s selection come as a bit of a surprise, especially when you note the absence of Phil Kessel from the roster.
Letang has played fairly inconsistently all season, and at one point admitted to playing below his potential.
In an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Sidney Crosby didn’t even seem himself making the All-Star team: “I don’t expect to be there, to be honest with you. I haven’t even thought about it. I don’t feel like I’ve had an all-star first half”.
The 2018 Honda NHL All-Star Game festivities will take place at the Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay, Florida. The skills competition is scheduled for January 27. The following day, January 28, the 3 on 3 game will take place.