Pittsburgh Penguins forward is playing like a man possessed after life-changing personal news

Most guys in the bottom six just try to survive the trade deadline.

Lizotte? He just planted a flag.

With a brand new three-year, $6.75 million contract extension in his back pocket and his wife Abby expecting their first child, the 28-year-old is playing with the kind of freedom that makes GMs look like geniuses.

Kyle Dubas didn't hand out that $2.25M AAV because he felt generous.

He did it because this team essentially forgets how to function when Lizotte isn't buzzing around the ice.

The numbers don't lie, and they are genuinely startling.

The Penguins are an impressive 20-9-6 when Lizotte suits up this season.

Without him? It's a different, uglier story.

He's eating up over two and a half minutes of shorthanded ice time per game, anchoring a penalty kill operating at an elite 85% clip.

You can't quantify "heart" on a spreadsheet, but you can definitely see it when he drags the team into the fight.

Check out the vibe check on his massive life update here:

This is the ultimate vindication for a guy who was never supposed to be here.

Undrafted out of St. Cloud State, Lizotte has clawed for every inch of ice he's ever earned.

At 28, he's no longer just a scrappy underdog; he's a core piece of the locker room's soul.

His stat line, 6 goals and 13 points in 41 games, won't win him a Hart Trophy.

But that's not the point.

The "incredible" numbers are in the wins column and the blocked shots.

Fans were skeptical about giving term to a fourth-liner, but the tune has changed.

When you watch him disrupt plays and frustrate opponents, you realize he's the exact type of player you need when the games get tight in April.

Dubas made a bet on character, and it's paying off.

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