PITTSBURGH -- Kris Letang darted down the Consol Energy Center ice, the defencemans black hair flicking out from underneath his helmet. Fake NHL Jerseys . 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." Stitched NHL Jerseys . Villar connected off Joe Saunders (11-14), sending a drive well over the left-field fence for his first career homer. The Astros scored six times in the first three innings to chase Saunders. Fake Adidas NHL Jerseys . With nothing tangible at stake, the Raptors turned in their most impressive outing of the fall in their seventh and second to last exhibition tilt against their stiffest competition yet, but they lost a couple starters in the process. http://www.cheapnhlcustomjerseys.com/ PITTSFORD, N.Y. -- Bills general manager Doug Whaleys patience is growing thin after starting defensive tackle Marcell Dareus experienced his latest off-season setback by failing a pre-training camp conditioning test. "Its cause for concern," Whaley told The Associated Press after the Bills held their first practice -- minus Dareus -- in suburban Rochester on Sunday night. "You always are disappointed when one of your guys isnt ready. But we think hes not far off. So hopefully sooner than later." Whaley then expressed confidence in Dareus, whose string of troubles include drug possession and reckless driving charges in two separate arrests in May. "His mindsets better once hes here," Whaley said, referring to the practice field. "And I think well find out with his actions. And I think hes ready to disprove all this stuff that hes a bad seed." The Bills placed Dareus on the active/non-football injury list on Saturday because the 2011 first-round draft pick did not report to camp in shape, coach Doug Marrone announced shortly before the start of practice Sunday. Marrone declined to say whether he was disappointed in Dareus latest setback. "I just think right now he just needs to focus on getting himself ready, getting on the field, and focusing on football," Marrone said. "And I think thats what hell be ready to do." Dareus was not present for practice and has not been spotted at the teams training camp facility since players began reporting on Friday. Under the observation of trainers, he must now work himself back into shape, and then pass the tests to be cleared for practice. This isnt a good start for a player who has encountered a series of on- and off-field problems over the past seven months. In early May, Dareus was arrested in his native Alabama and charged with possession of synthetic marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Fourr weeks later, he was allegedly racing teammate Jerry Hughes when he crashed his 2012 Jaguar into a tree near a busy intersection not far from Ralph Wilson Stadium. Authentic NHL Jerseys Cheap. Dareus was charged with reckless endangerment and ticketed for several traffic violations, including drag racing. The NFL could potentially discipline Dareus for his off-field troubles with a fine or suspension. After the crash, Dareus consulted with Marrone and decided to take two weeks off from voluntary practices. He returned for the teams three-day mandatory minicamp in mid-June, but did not speak to reporters. Dareus troubles date to the end of last season when he was benched for parts of the final two games for breaking team rules. Marrone had previously taken responsibility for mentoring Dareus. "I just want to make sure that Im clear that everyone understands that I believe in Marcell, and I will do everything I can to make sure that we can get him on the right track," Marrone said in June. "Im going to do everything I can to help a 24-year-old man make better decisions." And yet, its unclear whether the player is listening. Even Dareus teammates have publicly expressed concerns over his poor decision-making. Veteran defensive tackle Kyle Williams, last month, said he hoped the car crash was a wake-up call for Dareus. "Hopefully, its to a point where its kind of an epiphany, and he comes alive and turns the corner and does his best," Williams said then. NOTES: LT Cordy Glenn, who is on the active/non-football illness list, watched from the sideline. DT Alan Branch, also on the illness list, did conditioning drills on the sideline. ... LT Seantrel Henderson did not return after being escorted to the locker room an hour into practice. WR Marquise Goodwin also did not return after being escorted off. The Bills had no updates on the players status. ' ' '