Ruutu Shines in Crosby's Return to Ice

Sidney Crosby has been gone for two months, but the way his teammates have stepped up, his absence hasn’t hurt them much. Last night marked the golden boy's long-awaited return, but it was Jarkko Ruutu's who stole star of the game honors in the Pens 3-1 win over the Islanders, netting a goal and an assist for a career-high three points, reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

"He's so complete," Crosby said. "He's drawing penalties. He's playing physical, scoring goals, setting them up." Pittsburgh—which has already clinched a playoff spot—sits one point ahead of Montreal in the Eastern Conference. The Penguins are also well on their way to clinching the Atlantic Division, sitting six points ahead of the second-place New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers. (More NHL stories.)