PITTSBURGH — The Olympic break gave the Pittsburgh Penguins the fresh start they had hoped for.

As the Penguins returned to practice Wednesday after a 10-day layoff, coach Michel Therrien said he was pleased to be able to put his players through a "mini-training camp."

"That's the way we like to approach it," Therrien said.

All but two players — Olympians Sergei Gonchar of Russia and Tomas Surovy of Slovakia — went through a typical workout at a suburban ice rink. The mood among the players was one of renewal and optimism to finish the final 23 games strong.

"We came back here refreshed," veteran forward John LeClair said. "Everyone's in a good mood in (the) locker room. Hopefully, we can keep it up."

The Penguins have the worst record in the NHL at 14-34-11 and little hope of earning a playoff berth. But they insist they are playing for more than just pride.

With eight rookies on the roster — a number that could grow if some veterans are dealt by the March 9 trade deadline — many young players are auditioning for roster spots next season and beyond.

"We're just going to keep giving a huge chance to these young players to establish themselves," Therrien said. "We want to know where they're going to be in the puzzle we're trying to work on for next season. For the young players, this is a great opportunity to show what they've got."

Therrien said he and his staff are stressing their system to the players. With only two players in Turin, Italy, for the Olympics, he has a chance to build some continuity that many other organizations do not have through this week of practice before games resume March 1.

Therrien, known as a disciplinarian, will conduct an off-ice workout today that includes a conditioning test to ensure the players are not too out of shape. Many used the break to take vacations with family.

"It's like training camp again," said forward Colby Armstrong, one of the rookies considered on the bubble for work next season. "Everyone wants to be playing their best now and working hard to show we belong here."

Like most of the luck the Penguins have endured this season — one that saw perhaps their two most accomplished players retire within weeks of each other — the timing of the break came when the Penguins were playing some of their best hockey.

Pittsburgh tied a season-high with a two-game winning streak Feb. 10-11, winning two road games, including a 4-3 win at Carolina, the team with the best record in the league at the time.

"We want to use that as momentum," star rookie Sidney Crosby said. "It's important to keep that going as we prepare for our next game."

That comes next Wednesday against Ottawa, the team tied for the third-most points in the NHL.

"We'll have some quality practice time," Therrien said. "This year, the schedule is so compact with so many games in such a short period of time that will be nice to get to work on our system."