PITTSBURGH -- Kris Letang darted down the Consol Energy Center ice, the defencemans black hair flicking out from underneath his helmet. nfl jerseys cheap. Everything looked in place. The speed. The agility. The slick stickwork. Yet for as polished as Letang appeared during his first workout alongside his teammates in nearly two months on Monday, the 26-year-old remains uncertain when hell be able to pull his No. 58 sweater over his head and suit up in an actual game. Consider it part of the fallout from the scariest moment of Letangs life. Seven weeks after a stroke blindsided him, Letang remains optimistic he will play again this season but too cautious to throw out a date. "I was on the ice today because I want to return," Letang said. "Ill be able to play again. I dont know when." Neither does his coach. Dan Bylsma pointed out that unlike defenceman Paul Martin -- who remains sidelined with a right hand problem -- concrete signs of progress for Letang are tougher to glean. Throwing an arbitrary timeline out there wouldnt do any good because things can change in an instant. "Theres no date to be determined for Kris," Bylsma said. "Right now hes back in a full practice. Thats a good thing." One the Penguins hope will send a bit of a jolt through a constantly churning lineup that has stagnated in Letangs absence. The Penguins are just 7-5-2 since Letang fell ill on Jan. 28 and while their spot atop the Metropolitan Division remains secure, they have ceded the top spot in the Eastern Conference to the Boston Bruins. The slide includes a home-and-home sweep by Philadelphia over the weekend in which Pittsburgh was dominated for the first four periods before salvaging some dignity in the final 40 minutes of a 4-3 loss on Sunday. Not exactly the best way to build momentum heading into the last month of an interminable regular season. Though the Penguins have lost an NHL-high 413 man games to injury this season, they are trying to avoid excuses. They steamrolled through the first four months of the season before falling since Letangs third trip to the injured list. They can play well even as Bylsma plays mix-and-match with his lines. "I think now with the amount of time left in the season its about rounding our game into form for the post-season," defenceman Rob Scuderi said. "Its something you cant flip a switch overnight. You always want wins, but Id be OK if wed play the right way." Having some familiar faces around would help. Letang wasnt the only player back on the ice Monday. Forward James Neal (concussion) practiced, as did wingers Chris Kunitz (lower body) and Beau Bennett (wrist). Thats plenty of additional firepower for a team that already has Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, though the duo has played with limited effectiveness recently while skating without familiar faces by their side. Neal and Bennett likely wont be available until later in the week, though Kunitz has a chance to play on Tuesday night when the Penguins host Dallas. The 34-year-old is tied with Crosby with a team-high 31 goals, and his ability to make something happen in front of the net was missed as Pittsburgh found itself dominated by the Flyers over the weekend. Still, Pittsburghs Stanley Cup playoff chances could rest on Letangs health. One of the fittest players in a league of fit players admits hes still stunned by his stroke diagnosis. Doctors said there was a "0.01 chance" of Letang suffering a stroke, odds so slim Letang refuses to say hes in the clear from it happening again. Letang would rather not talk about it. Hed rather just focus on skating and getting himself ready for whenever doctors give him the go-ahead to play. He confessed to being tired, but not overwhelmed during a spirited 60 minutes on the ice. At one point he could sense his teammates taking it easy on him. He ordered them to get back to work. "Guys were being really careful when wed go into the corner," Letang said. "I told them they can go as hard as they can. Thats the main reason why Im out there. I want to get to the same place I was before." A place that makes Letang one of the best at his position when healthy. A Norris Trophy finalist a year ago, Letang has 10 goals and eight assists in 34 games this season, though his general presence is missed as much as his production. The feeling is mutual. Letang understands the fixation on his return. Trust him, hes just as concerned as everybody else. "Even the day I had the stroke I asked the doctor when I would be able to play again," Letang said. "It never crossed my mind that I could have a stroke at 26. It could (happen again) because it happened once. Who knows? Im not going to worry about that." cheap china jerseys.com) - Speed skating has belonged to the Netherlands at the Sochi Olympics and that did not change on Tuesday. cheap nfl jerseys sale . John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Harry Reid (D-Nev. RENTON, Wash. -- Earl Thomas was late to the announcement for his own contract extension, proving the Seattle Seahawks All-Pro free safety isnt just fast on the field. Driving a little too speedy to the Seahawks facility on Tuesday morning made Thomas late after getting pulled over. "I didnt try and bulldog him and say, My name is Earl Thomas. Because then he would be like, This dude is cocky, and give me a ticket," Thomas joked. "He let me off. Thats the moral of the story." Thomas was locked up through the 2018 season when the Seahawks announced a four-year contract extension making him the highest-paid safety in the NFL. The deal is worth $40 million over four years and includes $27.7 million in guaranteed money. Thomas wanted the title of highest-paid safety. He also wanted the responsibility that comes with that. Thomas was hoping to get a long-term deal in place before the Seahawks start organized team activities later this month so there were no distractions heading into the 2014 season. "I compete in everything that I do and I want to set the bar. That was my goal," Thomas said. Thomas was Seattles second first-round pick in the 2010 draft, the first with coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider leading the franchise. Its turned out to be one of the most important selections the team has made since starting a makeover with the duo in charge of moulding the Seahawks into a championship club. Thomas is a two-time first-team All-Pro selection and regarded as the top safety in the NFL. The Seahawks would be a different defensive team if they didnt have Thomas skills at their disposal. His speed allows Thomas uncommon range in coverage. Hes become more disciplined staying within Seattles defensive framework, and Thomas has remained reliable at cleaning up any problems in the back. "II think the thing that comes to the front for me is this program has always been based on competition. cheap jerseys cc. When we look for players and coaches to add to our club were always looking for great competitors," Carroll said. "When we had the chance to take Earl, I dont know that I appreciated it as much as I do now the great competitor that he is. He has throughout the time hes been with us as a very young man, has played at the highest level he can generate every single day that hes played for us in this organization." Thomas gets the second major extension Seattle has announced this off-season after locking up Carroll through 2016. Now the question is if the Seahawks can get an extension done with All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman. Staying in-house has been the Seahawks priority this off-season; they also took care of bringing back defensive end Michael Bennett. "Sherm has everything under control. Hell take care of it," Thomas said. Schneider said the commitment to Thomas is another signal that Seattle doesnt intend on being a contender or a champion just once. "I think youre seeing an evolution of our development in terms of acquisition and how were building this team to be a consistent championship-calibre team," Schneider said. "We talk about it all the time we dont want to be a team that cruises in and cruises out." Thomas wanted to share the day with those close to him. He made sure one of the photo ops before the formal announcement included most of the defensive coaching staff, along with teammate Kam Chancellor, who signed an extension through 2017 last off-season. "Thats my family. Thats the people that have helped me," Thomas said. "... You learn from everybody, every opportunity you get. 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