Ranking the Top Moments of 2014 for the Pittsburgh Penguins

Looking back on 2014, it was a year that went beyond just wins and losses for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The year included plenty of dark days, like the playoff collapse against the New York Rangers and the firings of general manager Ray Shero and head coach Dan Bylsma. Additionally, on the health front, we had Olli Maatta's cancer scare, Kris Letang's stroke, Pascal Dupuis' knee surgery and blood clots, then those darn mumps cropping up everywhere.

There were good times, too—and there could be more on the horizon in the new year.

Here are five of the best Penguins moments from the last 365 days.

5. Penguins Debut Throwback Third Jerseys

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It doesn't add points to standings, but the Penguins' new third jerseys were an instant hit when they debuted the retro black-and-gold look on Oct. 22 against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Harkening back to the Stanley Cup-winning teams of the early '90s, the throwbacks evoked fond memories of the best Penguins players of all time. They look super sharp, too.

An improvement from the powder blue Winter Classic ensembles, the new look is one of best alternate uniforms in today's NHL. An absolute winner.

The Penguins will wear their third jerseys 12 times this season.

4. Kris Letang Returns to Action After Suffering a Stroke

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With all the injuries and illnesses that have plagued the Penguins over the past year, we've seen some tremendous displays of courage and resilience, as players have overcome their challenges to get back on the ice.

Olli Maatta's speedy return after surgery to remove a tumor in his neck in early November was superhuman. Pascal Dupuis was a warrior coming back from a serious knee operation early in the year—only to get knocked out of the lineup again after 16 games with blood clots. 

Most impressively of all, Kris Letang returned to the blue line just a couple of months after it was announced that he'd suffered a stroke in late January. 

Letang hasn't let his heart condition slow him down. In fact, he's come back better than ever. He leads all Penguins defensemen in scoring and in ice time in 2014-15 and is currently on pace for a career-best 19 goals and 55 points this season.

3. Sidney Crosby Wins 2013-14 Hart and Art Ross Trophies

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To the relief of Penguins fans, 2014 was the year that Sidney Crosby reasserted himself as one of the NHL's top talents.

Finally past a string of injury issues that have plagued him ever since the 2011 Winter Classic, Crosby took his place at the top of the scoring race early last season and never let go.

Finishing out 2013-14 with a 17-point cushion over second-place Ryan Getzlaf and as the only player in the league to break the 100-point plateau, Crosby collected his first Art Ross Trophy since 2006-07 and matched it up with his second career Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player.

Welcome back, Sid!

2. Pittsburgh Wins Metropolitan Division, Beats Columbus Blue Jackets in Round 1

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Crosby's stellar year helped anchor an excellent overall 2013-14 season. The Penguins finished at the top of their division with 109 points, 13 better than the second-place New York Rangers and the second-highest total in franchise history.

With high playoff expectations, the satisfaction of a feisty first-round win over the Columbus Blue Jackets turned to dark disbelief just two weeks later when the Rangers bounced back from a 3-1 series deficit to advance on their way to the Stanley Cup Final.

The loss triggered changes in management, coaching and player personnel in the hope that they will boost the team's postseason fortunes going forward.

1. Marc-Andre Fleury Sizzles in Net

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A magnet for criticism throughout his 11 seasons with the Penguins, goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury is playing the best hockey of his life in 2014-15. His .928 save percentage, 2.12 goals-against average and six shutouts are all career bests.

Fleury has been consistently good all season long, even as the team in front of him has suffered one injury after another. Unlike most of his teammates, he has been impressively durable over the years, according to The Hockey News.

The question for 2015: Can Fleury keep up his excellent play down the stretch run and, most importantly, into the playoffs? At this point, there's every reason to think that he can.

All stats courtesy of NHL.com.