News Article: Letang is a Beast

[Florentino Ariza]

He is physically very gifted, but he needs to get on the machine that corrects bone-headed decisions, because his decision-making is not equal to his physical gifts. Not yet.

 

[SirloinUB]

assuming we do trade Niskanen

Scuderi Letang
Orpik Martin
Despres Bortuzzo/Engelland

PP
would prob have Letang on 1st unit unless he's terrible there, Martin on 2nd unit. Possibly Despres on 2nd unit at times

PK
some combination of our top 4

Thanks for the reply!

 

[SteelFish87*]

last years video was better

 

[Nietzsche Zone Play]

the mistakes Letang was making last season are made by almost every defenseman who likes to control the play/possession. kind of goes along with the idea that the giveaway stat is actually a positive instead of a negative (which I ascribe to). it was compounded because he was playing on an island most of the time, with no solid partner to work with - especially during the playoffs. I'm guessing that by the time the playoffs roll around (having had time to gel with a new partner), and assuming the top 4 stays healthy, he'll look much "smarter" than he did last season.

 

[Stecz]

In regards to his poor decisions and giveaways, it could very well be a product of the Bylsma get it out of the zone as quickly as possible system. Your coach constantly harps on you to get the puck going north ASAP, you're going to do that. I'm not trying to say the Letang has the greatest hockey IQ in the world, but it's worth thinking about.

 

[Pancakes]

The guy has definitely worked very hard to get where he is in the NHL. I often wonder if other players could benefit from similar ones. I don't know what the other Pens do via workouts, but I do know that when Letang plays games for us he rarely seems to tire and his ability to shrug off hits and other players for a guy his size is astonishing. I imagine much of that is due to his insane workout regimens.

Of course I know Crosby has insane workout regimens too and yet Sid seems to tire much easier than Letang during his shifts so maybe Letang just has ridiculous natural cardio to go along with his insane training. I've played with other players like that before where they don't workout any more than I do but have far more stamina. Some people just have insane natural stamina.

 

[Ogrezilla]

In regards to his poor decisions and giveaways, it could very well be a product of the Bylsma get it out of the zone as quickly as possible system. Your coach constantly harps on you to get the puck going north ASAP, you're going to do that. I'm not trying to say the Letang has the greatest hockey IQ in the world, but it's worth thinking about.

I'm not sure what it is, but it doesn't seem to be trying to do things too quickly. If anything, that's what he's good at. He messes up when he has time to overthink things way more than he does when he just reacts.

 

[WhoDaresWins]

Basically the written interview in video form but it shows everything he's doing in the gym. There's commentary from Tanger and Jon Chaimberg.

Keep in mind when they were filming, that was his second workout of the day.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/search.htm?q=kris+letang&tab=video

 

[JTG]

Yeah, he's a physical machine. I hope under Martin, Kris turns into a different kind of defenseman. I'd gladly see him give up 15-20 points a year if he could be relied upon to be a complete shutdown defenseman.

 

[Nietzsche Zone Play]

I'm not sure turning him into a shutdown defender is the best use of his talent. it seems to be working for Doughty, but I don't think he's as important to LA offensively as Letang is here. Voynov is turning into their main offensive guy, whereas short-term (Martin/Orpik/Scuderi) and long-term (Despres?/Harrington/Dumoulin/Maatta) the Pens should be well-stocked with defensive-minded guys that can take the hardest minutes.

I do think he'll continue to get better defensively - especially with a solid partner - so my opinion isn't set in stone. as long as he continues getting better and ends up earning his raise when it kicks in I'll be happy.

 

[stepdad gaary]

you don't take a defensemen who is capable of scoring at nearly a point per game and tell him to stop playing offense. There are tons of shut down defenders in the NHL, there are maybe 2 other players who can put up points like Letang. You make is work with what you have IMO

 

[mpp9]

Letang will put up points no matter what playing with Sid and Geno. I think he just needs to let his offensive game come to him. He's a much better player when he's focusing on cleaning up his own end. He can be a dominant player there as well. We've seen flashes of it over the last few years.

 

[AjaxTelamon]

Letang does not score his points with dangerous pinches and high risk plays. I see no reason why he can't increase his steadiness in his own end simply by adding a steady partner and having a goaltender who isn't fighting the puck all the time.

Letang is going to improve greatly defensively next year for a number of reasons, but I don't expect a major falloff of points. A point per game is too aggressive to expect, but he will still be at the top of the league.

 

[Pancakes]

I feel like Letang does a great job shutting down the other team by making good use of his offensive skills. When Tanger is skating the puck up and making great exit passes that is shutting down the other team in its own right because they don't have the puck and can't get it back because Letang moves it so well.

Yeah Letang is never going to be the greatest at in zone defense or just suffocating teams when they have the puck but he doesn't need to be. His brand of shutdown defense works just fine.

I mean if you look at Chara yeah he suffocates teams better than Letang ever could but Letang moves the puck better than Chara ever could so I think it balances out at least a little bit. My point is good offensive dmen are shutdown players in their own right even if their brand of shutdown d is different from the classic mold. You can shut a team down by having really effective puckmovers.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Letang does not score his points with dangerous pinches and high risk plays. I see no reason why he can't increase his steadiness in his own end simply by adding a steady partner and having a goaltender who isn't fighting the puck all the time.

Letang is going to improve greatly defensively next year for a number of reasons, but I don't expect a major falloff of points. A point per game is too aggressive to expect, but he will still be at the top of the league.

I completely agree. I really don't see Letang's problem being poorly timed pinches or anything that would really make him better off playing safer. That's the part he's good at. His biggest mistakes come when he is playing safe and overthinks what he should do.

 

[maxmn]

Letang is one of the most likable pro athletes out there. I can't figure out a reason to call a guy who works as hard as he does a d bag? Any team in the league would kill for that skill set and work ethic. Look at him. Look at Giroux, bloated and partying. Paunch belly and to injured to go to some meetings???? And Letang gets labeled a d bag for busting ass and being a family man?

 

[mpp9]

I completely agree. I really don't see Letang's problem being poorly timed pinches or anything that would really make him better off playing safer. That's the part he's good at. His biggest mistakes come when he is playing safe and overthinks what he should do.

His biggest problem is playing like a ****ing idiot sometimes. He needs to focus on cleaning up his own end this season. I hope that's what J. Martin and Scuds will help him with. Let everything else take care of itself.

 

[HMPens]

Letang is one of the most likable pro athletes out there. I can't figure out a reason to call a guy who works as hard as he does a d bag? Any team in the league would kill for that skill set and work ethic. Look at him. Look at Giroux, bloated and partying. Paunch belly and to injured to go to some meetings???? And Letang gets labeled a d bag for busting ass and being a family man?

I agree - and calling him a d-bag had to be written by someone who has no idea what they are talking about (but think they do).

 

[JTG]

you don't take a defensemen who is capable of scoring at nearly a point per game and tell him to stop playing offense. There are tons of shut down defenders in the NHL, there are maybe 2 other players who can put up points like Letang. You make is work with what you have IMO

If Letang focuses more on defense while playing smarter and scores less points, it will be a net gain for us.

Also, with Letang's new deal, he is going to have to be that defenseman to live up to it. He needs to be the 1st guy on the ice in every situation...not Paul Martin. That's why the guy is making the big bucks. He has to be the calming defensive force back there like the best defensemen in the NHL are. Not a guy who makes you hold your breath as he's trying to dangle 2 forecheckers with no help to be found...or he's leaving the zone before the puck is even close to being broken out.

 

[Ogrezilla]

If Letang focuses more on defense while playing smarter and scores less points, it will be a net gain for us.

Also, with Letang's new deal, he is going to have to be that defenseman to live up to it. He needs to be the 1st guy on the ice in every situation...not Paul Martin. That's why the guy is making the big bucks. He has to be the calming defensive force back there like the best defensemen in the NHL are. Not a guy who makes you hold your breath as he's trying to dangle 2 forecheckers with no help to be found...or he's leaving the zone before the puck is even close to being broken out.

I really think I watch a different player than you do. Those are not the kinds of mistakes I see him make.

 

[JTG]

I really think I watch a different player than you do. Those are not the kinds of mistakes I see him make.

Then we are watching a different player.

Hell, him leaving the zone early happened in the playoffs a few times. When he's not the puck carrier out of the zone, he's much more prone to start moving up ice than to support the play. Him pinching in on the powerplay with no help back happened a couple times in the playoffs, which is just not simply recognizing what is going on around him.

He needs to quit playing like a cowboy, even if him playing like that is 90% of his appeal. Having him be a rock steady defenseman who can be relied upon to play against the oppositions best and put up 50 points, or there about is much more valuable than him putting up 70 points.

If he can play defense the way Martin did this past season, he'll more than make up for the lack of production he would probably see by not being so run and gun all of the time.

 

[Pancakes]

Then we are watching a different player.

Hell, him leaving the zone early happened in the playoffs a few times. When he's not the puck carrier out of the zone, he's much more prone to start moving up ice than to support the play. Him pinching in on the powerplay with no help back happened a couple times in the playoffs, which is just not simply recognizing what is going on around him.

He needs to quit playing like a cowboy, even if him playing like that is 90% of his appeal. Having him be a rock steady defenseman who can be relied upon to play against the oppositions best and put up 50 points, or there about is much more valuable than him putting up 70 points.

If he can play defense the way Martin did this past season, he'll more than make up for the lack of production he would probably see by not being so run and gun all of the time.

I'm not that concerned about the pinching and starting up ice early stuff because he's got the speed to recover from that more often than not.

To me it's his decision making with the puck that needs to improve. Too often he tries a high risk pass in our own end like Malkin loves to and coughs it up, and we all know how disastrous Letang can be on the powerplay.

 

[#66]

Letang does not score his points with dangerous pinches and high risk plays. I see no reason why he can't increase his steadiness in his own end simply by adding a steady partner and having a goaltender who isn't fighting the puck all the time.

Letang is going to improve greatly defensively next year for a number of reasons, but I don't expect a major falloff of points. A point per game is too aggressive to expect, but he will still be at the top of the league.

That's the thing that drives me nuts about Letang. He doesn't get his points from pinches and taking high risk plays.... but he still takes them and he has a ton of bad habits. I have no problem with him skating in deep at times but skate in and skate out. Don't skate in and then hang around deep in the offensive zone.

At the start of 2011 he looked pretty elite. He played within himself a more and didn't rush the puck as much as he would headman and join the play. IMO that's the best he's ever looked and he was putting up points too. I'm really hoping that Martin can get him back to that level. Just refine his game a bit while letting that skill and compete level come though.