Pittsburgh Penguins: Jordan Staal and James Neal Injuries Hurt the Pens

To say the Pittsburgh Penguins have been decimated with injuries this season would be a huge understatement. 

Just when you thought things couldn't get worse for the Pens, who have lost four straight games and are now fourth in the Atlantic Division, James Neal and Jordan Staal are reportedly out for weeks.

So now what for the Pens?

Can they survive with an injury-riddled team much like they did last year?

We already know about Sidney Crosby, but injuries to Staal and Neal really crush the Penguins' offense. That being said, this happened last year when the Pens played half the season without Crosby and Evgeni Malkin; the team still finished with 106 points and made the playoffs.

But this year is different because of one significant injury that may end up doing the Penguins in.

Kris Letang's concussion has caused him to miss 16 games; in those 16 games, the Penguins are 7-9-0. His injury might have a more devastating impact on the Penguins than even Crosby's.

The Pens have won without Crosby, and they've even won without Malkin—but without their best defenseman, who knows how much longer the Pens can stay afloat.

The Penguins need to have Letang back as soon as possible. He helps the team carry the puck into the opposing team's zone the same way Sergei Gonchar used to. He's also a leader and a vital component on the power play. 

Letang's return will be a huge boost for the Penguins. Having Zbynek Michalek, Paul Martin and Brooks Orpik stay healthy is also key.

Now that the Penguins don't have the offensive firepower they once did, they need to rely on their defense. Michalek, Martin and Orpik are going to have to play their best hockey in the second half of the season.

The Pens will continue to get good goaltending from Marc-Andre Fleury. He may show signs of shakiness like he did several days ago against the New York Rangers when his puck-handling gaffe led to a game-sealing goal for the Rangers, but ultimately, he's going to dictate how far the Pens go.

The Penguins need to play .500 hockey while Neal and Staal recover. It's OK if they fall out of the playoff picture, as Staal and Neal are only out temporarily; they'll be back. 

But even with them in the lineup, the Penguins were still struggling. As mentioned before, the team has lost four straight, and considering the fact that they were doing well without Crosby, the team's struggles can't be completely blamed on No. 87; the loss of Letang has a lot to do with it. 

Strong defense, secondary scoring and solid goaltending will only do so much. We all know Neal and Staal will return, and the Pens will start scoring again. 

At the end of the day it's going to be Letang's recovery that will get Pittsburgh back on track. The Pens' play without Letang has shown that his loss is just as significant as Crosby's absence. 

The Pens find themselves in a major hole, and with all their injuries, the only thing they can do right now is do their best to play .500 hockey until bodies return—most significantly Letang and Crosby. It's only these players' returns that will propel the Penguins into a Stanley Cup contender again.

Follow Andre Khatchaturian on Twitter.