Kristopher Letang could soon become the third Quebec defenseman in National Hockey League (NHL) history to amass 700 points. If he finds himself in this situation today, it is because of his hard work.
Only Raymond Bourque (1579) and Steve Duchesne (752) are 36 years ahead of the bottom in this regard. The Pittsburgh Penguins player has a good chance of one day overtaking the second as he still has good years ahead of him, even if his role has changed.
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Since the arrival of Erik Karlsson – one of two active defensemen with more than 700 career points – Letang no longer plays on the first power play unit and spends more time on the penalty kill.
“The game needs to slow down a bit, but I feel pretty good physically. I play a slightly different role as I have more time for the penalty shootout this year. I have a good feeling about it,” he said. His comments were posted on the website NHL.com on Wednesday.
The sacrifices and hard work that Letang does greatly pleases the other members of the Penguins. Heading into Thursday night’s game against the New Jersey Devils, he had eight points in 14 games and an average time on ice of 24:32.
His teammate Ryan Graves, with whom he works regularly, didn’t hesitate to compare him to another great: Sidney Crosby.
“You see that a lot of guys, as they advance in their careers, they don’t stay on the ice as long. In a way, you lose your youthful energy. I’ve known Sid for a while. I know that’s how he is and that he loves this sport. “Tangers is kind of the same thing, they don’t look or act like men their age,” Graves said.
Letang has nothing left to prove after winning three Stanley Cups and playing over 1,000 games at the highest level. The Montrealer leads the Penguins in most defensive categories.
“When you look at our star players, including Kris, I think I’ve had the privilege of watching them on a daily basis for almost a decade,” said head coach Mike Sullivan. I have so much admiration for the work they do. I would say that “Tanger” is a guy with an incredible work ethic because of the way he trains but also on the ice when he shows his skills.