Penguins captain Sidney Crosby's triumphant return to the lineup last week following a 61-game injury absence earned him the NHL's 'First Star' award for the week ending Nov. 27.
Crosby, who made his season debut against the NY Islanders on Nov. 21, tallied nine points (2G-7A) and a league-best plus-7 rating in four games last week to edge out a pair of goaltenders — Vancouver's Cory Schneider and Brian Elliott of the St. Louis Blues.
Crosby began the week by registering his 21st career four-point game against the Islanders with two goals and two assists — including a goal on his second shift of the night. Crosby also had a game-high eight shots and won 14 of 21 faceoffs.
After being held scoreless against St. Louis on Nov. 23, Crosby finished the week with back-to-back multiple-point games against Ottawa and Montreal. Crosby picked up three assists on Friday against Ottawa and followed that up by recording a pair of helpers the next night in a 4-3 come-from-behind win against the Canadiens.
Crosby's return helped the Penguins go 3-0-1 last week, propelling them to the top of the NHL's overall standings with 32 points.