"It's in the nature of most high-level athletes to play through pain and rush back from injury when possible.

Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik has been there, done that, but now he's taking a different approach as he comes back from his second offseason surgery to repair an abdominal hernia.

"I'm just trying to learn from the past, be patient with it rather than trying to play through it -- which obviously led to other things," Orpik said after participating in the team's morning skate at Rogers Arena.

"Just be patient with it and wait until it clears up.""