"Despite missing three games, Letang’s 19 giveaways are third-highest total."

Is this third highest on the team, in the league, or out of the entire hockey playing population of the universe? Also, do the "giveaways" count all the shots that completely miss the net, and wrap right around the other side of the ice for a free breakout for the opposing team because whoever happens to be Letang's defensive partner at the time is caught flat-footed expecting that a 3.5-million dollar defenseman should maybe perhaps be able to at least hit the net a majority of the time?

At least it seems the trophy talk for this guy has diminished. Not sure if that's just because of the shortened season, or if people are wising up to the flaws in Letang's game.

Here are some very simple solutions to improve all of Letang's issues:

1) Shooting practice - Chain him to the ice for a few days and don't let him leave. Maybe that will teach him where the net is (although he leads the rush so often you would think he'd already know this...).

2) Move him up to wing - Why on Earth does a team this loaded up front with offensive talent need some sort of Orr or Coffey type? Just because the Oilers did it in the eighties doesn't mean the Penguins have to copy them over twenty years later. I know I'd feel a lot better if the premier defensemen on the team was a stay-at-home defensive guy.

3) Get a damn haircut - 'Nuff said.
- Kineada

1). Letang is 3rd in the league in giveaways. However, this stat is less instructive about how well a player is taking care of the puck and more instructive regarding how much a player has the puck on their stick. Letang is joined in the top 10 by guys like Kovalchuk, Coburn, Markov, St. Louis, Seabrook, Tavares, Karlsson, Hedberg and Byfuglien. All guys who play big minutes and have the puck a lot.

2). Giveaways do not account for missed shots. And in terms of missed shots, Letang is right there (20) with Weber, Yandle, Pietrangelo and Doughty, and Karlsson was out in front with 25 before getting hurt.

2) Move him up to wing - Why on Earth does a team this loaded up front with offensive talent need some sort of Orr or Coffey type? Just because the Oilers did it in the eighties doesn't mean the Penguins have to copy them over twenty years later. I know I'd feel a lot better if the premier defensemen on the team was a stay-at-home defensive guy.
- Kineada

No. Letang is one of the best skaters in the league and the fastest skating backwards. When tanger leads the rush one of the forwards needs to cover for him.

I chuckled at the idea to move Letang to wing. I have to stop coming here and reading this nonsense.

I chuckled at the idea to move Letang to wing. I have to stop coming here and reading this nonsense.
- dbell646

Yea i shouldnt have responded. Although i couldve wrote a book on why tanger should play D so at least it was a short response lol

I chuckled at the idea to move Letang to wing. I have to stop coming here and reading this nonsense.
- dbell646

Who does he think our coach is, Michel Therrien??????

C'mon, Kulemin is an amazing talent. He should warrant 2 1st round picks and a top 6 winger............Maple Leaf trade logic.
- cap1681

Who does he think our coach is, Michel Therrien??????
- cap1681

I was just talking about that yesterday. Orpik was mishandled so poorly and disrespected by Therrien which in essence was the organization and he stuck around. Lot of respect for him.

I was just talking about that yesterday. Orpik was mishandled so poorly and disrespected by Therrien which in essence was the organization and he stuck around. Lot of respect for him.
- dbell646

Maybe Whitney should have stayed at wing.

So we use poor play (giveaways and missed shots) by other players in the league, nevermind that some of the players mentioned don't even play defense (and one goalie?), as an excuse for a defenseman on the Penguins to be held to a lower standard for defensive play?

And no...I don't want to see Letang moved to wing. I get it, sarcasm doesn't translate well to the Internet. I want to see Letang learn better defensive decision making that leads to fewer giveaways and results in fewer times where he has to utilize his speed to hustle back and correct his errors (and also maybe practice hitting the net some). Letang is what...25? Sooner or later, he's going to start slowing down. His speed won't make up for his lapses in defensive minded play. At that point, he'd better learn real fast, or find himself out of a job. Wouldn't it be better to start learning now?

Finally, not a single damn one of you had a valid response to the haircut, so yeah...it needs to be done.

So we use poor play (giveaways and missed shots) by other players in the league, nevermind that some of the players mentioned don't even play defense (and one goalie?), as an excuse for a defenseman on the Penguins to be held to a lower standard for defensive play?

And no...I don't want to see Letang moved to wing. I get it, sarcasm doesn't translate well to the Internet. I want to see Letang learn better defensive decision making that leads to fewer giveaways and results in fewer times where he has to utilize his speed to hustle back and correct his errors (and also maybe practice hitting the net some). Letang is what...25? Sooner or later, he's going to start slowing down. His speed won't make up for his lapses in defensive minded play. At that point, he'd better learn real fast, or find himself out of a job. Wouldn't it be better to start learning now?

Finally, not a single damn one of you had a valid response to the haircut, so yeah...it needs to be done.
- Kineada

I'm hoping this last part in another attempt at sarcasam..........if not, I'm guessing you didn't watch hockey in the early 90s. Letang's got great "flow"

Maybe Whitney should have stayed at wing.
- Gunner Staal

Whitney should have stayed in bed.

I'm hoping this last part in another attempt at sarcasam..........if not, I'm guessing you didn't watch hockey in the early 90s. Letang's got great "flow"
- cap1681

How dare you compare that girlie-mess of a haircut to the majestic and powerful mullet? A mullet screams business in the front, party in the back, not 'I'm an empowered feminist who wants to be slightly feminine' the whole way around...

So we use poor play (giveaways and missed shots) by other players in the league, nevermind that some of the players mentioned don't even play defense (and one goalie?), as an excuse for a defenseman on the Penguins to be held to a lower standard for defensive play?

- Kineada

I meant Hedman but typed Hedberg.

Point is that if the puck is always on your stick, the giveaways will come. Like a PG in basketball leading the team in turnovers. Why? Not necessarily because they're less careful with the ball, but because it's in their hands for more often. Same thing here.

And if you're a team's top offensive defenseman, you're going to miss shots because you're going to be taking a lot of shots. It's all about context. Letang gets blasted because 37% of his shots miss the net, but it's only because he takes so many shots, and because he's Kris Letang. Niskanen misses the net 37% of the time, and Martin 36% of the time, but they don't get criticized for it.

I'm hoping this last part in another attempt at sarcasam..........if not, I'm guessing you didn't watch hockey in the early 90s. Letang's got great "flow"
- cap1681

nothing wrong about Letang's hair but he definitely could play wing at a high level if he wanted to..but let him play his D. We are better off like this

How dare you compare that girlie-mess of a haircut to the majestic and powerful mullet? A mullet screams business in the front, party in the back, not 'I'm an empowered feminist who wants to be slightly feminine' the whole way around...
- Kineada

C'mon.........



Great flow

And if you're a team's top offensive defenseman, you're going to miss shots because you're going to be taking a lot of shots. It's all about context. Letang gets blasted because 37% of his shots miss the net, but it's only because he takes so many shots, and because he's Kris Letang. Niskanen misses the net 37% of the time, and Martin 36% of the time, but they don't get criticized for it.
- hardnosed

Letang doesn't get blasted for missing 37% of the time. Letang gets blasted for missing the net so damn high and so damn hard that the resulting position of the puck ends up being a nearly free breakout for the other team. Yes, I get the logic. If a player takes a lot of shots, there's going to be a higher percentage of misses. But for crying out loud, dial it back just a bit so that every missed Letang shot isn't followed by a mad scramble back to stop a breakaway by the opposing team...

Letang is one of the top 10 (if not higher) defensemen in the league.Yes, like most players he has some shortcomings. The frustrating part for fans, is that these shortcomings are usually mental mistakes, so we view them as easily fixable.

He's the only player that I can think of that is known as an offensive defensmen, but watching him every night, you notice that he is one of the best defensive defensemen in the game.And his skating and transition game are as good as anyone, but he just makes some bad decisions in the offensive zone.

But then there are plays like he made setting up Dupuis' tying goal Sunday, that very few defensemen in the league could pull off.

So, you take the good with the bad, and the good usually outweighs the bad by a pretty large margin.

C'mon.........



Great flow
- cap1681

When Letang starts Ovechkin's career on the downward spiral (well, further down than Ovechkin has managed on his own) the way Kaspar contributed to put Lindros out of the league, THEN I'll accept Letang's girlie bob hairdo (of course, I'm also willing to admit Letang and all the girls I'm sure he gets don't give a crap about my opinion on his hair).



And even Kaspar knew he needed bangs!

Letang is one of the top 10 (if not higher) defensemen in the league.Yes, like most players he has some shortcomings. The frustrating part for fans, is that these shortcomings are usually mental mistakes, so we view them as easily fixable.

He's the only player that I can think of that is known as an offensive defensmen, but watching him every night, you notice that he is one of the best defensive defensemen in the game.And his skating and transition game are as good as anyone, but he just makes some bad decisions in the offensive zone.

But then there are plays like he made setting up Dupuis' tying goal Sunday, that very few defensemen in the league could pull off.

So, you take the good with the bad, and the good usually outweighs the bad by a pretty large margin.
- rival22

You could see they were a different team against the Devils without him in there.

You guys see that Brian Strait broke his ankle and is out for a while? Sucks for him, things were going well after being picked up.

You guys see that Brian Strait broke his ankle and is out for a while? Sucks for him, things were going well after being picked up.
- rival22

He did get a three year deal though, so that's good for him. It'd be a bit of a different story if he'd have been headed for FA after this year. Tough break though. I hope he has a quick recovery. He's a solid guy and will be good for them.

You guys see that Brian Strait broke his ankle and is out for a while? Sucks for him, things were going well after being picked up.
- rival22

It's that Nassau ice, nobody even touched him.

He did get a three year deal though, so that's good for him. It'd be a bit of a different story if he'd have been headed for FA after this year. Tough break though. I hope he has a quick recovery. He's a solid guy and will be good for them.
- HopintheCordoba

Good point.

Speaking of that, Elliotte Friedman had this as one of his weekly "30 thoughts":

24. It was an under-the-radar move, but Pittsburgh Penguins GM Ray Shero did a huge favour for defenceman Ben Lovejoy. Lovejoy is the kind of player who really could have been screwed by the lockout. At age 28, he is making $525,000 and in just the second year of his NHL career, he hasn't been on a two-way deal. An unrestricted-free-agent-to-be on a deep Pittsburgh blue-line, Lovejoy was looking at the loss of NHL salary security. But in Anaheim, he's got three assists in six games and is playing five more minutes a night. If Lovejoy turns this into full-time future employment, he should send Shero a nice watch.

and just for good measure:
25. So who was Shero watching last week in Minnesota? He attended Avalanche/Wild game the night before Pittsburgh won in Winnipeg. You know who has Penguin written all over him? Matt Cullen.

Good point.

Speaking of that, Elliotte Friedman had this as one of his weekly "30 thoughts":

24. It was an under-the-radar move, but Pittsburgh Penguins GM Ray Shero did a huge favour for defenceman Ben Lovejoy. Lovejoy is the kind of player who really could have been screwed by the lockout. At age 28, he is making $525,000 and in just the second year of his NHL career, he hasn't been on a two-way deal. An unrestricted-free-agent-to-be on a deep Pittsburgh blue-line, Lovejoy was looking at the loss of NHL salary security. But in Anaheim, he's got three assists in six games and is playing five more minutes a night. If Lovejoy turns this into full-time future employment, he should send Shero a nice watch.

and just for good measure:
25. So who was Shero watching last week in Minnesota? He attended Avalanche/Wild game the night before Pittsburgh won in Winnipeg. You know who has Penguin written all over him? Matt Cullen.
- rival22

He's right and that would be a terrific pick up for this team.

Good point.

Speaking of that, Elliotte Friedman had this as one of his weekly "30 thoughts":

24. It was an under-the-radar move, but Pittsburgh Penguins GM Ray Shero did a huge favour for defenceman Ben Lovejoy. Lovejoy is the kind of player who really could have been screwed by the lockout. At age 28, he is making $525,000 and in just the second year of his NHL career, he hasn't been on a two-way deal. An unrestricted-free-agent-to-be on a deep Pittsburgh blue-line, Lovejoy was looking at the loss of NHL salary security. But in Anaheim, he's got three assists in six games and is playing five more minutes a night. If Lovejoy turns this into full-time future employment, he should send Shero a nice watch.

and just for good measure:
25. So who was Shero watching last week in Minnesota? He attended Avalanche/Wild game the night before Pittsburgh won in Winnipeg. You know who has Penguin written all over him? Matt Cullen.
- rival22

We don't need a third line center. We already have one.