Letang on 900 Games with Penguins: "It's Just Been an Unbelievable Ride"

If you would have told Kris Letang when he was a kid that he would become the fourth player to appear in 900 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins, joining Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Mario Lemieux - he wouldn't have believed you.

"It's just been an unbelievable ride, you know?" the defenseman said following the milestone game. "Winning three Cups with these guys, being part of this organization… it's special. As a kid, you don't think it's gonna happen. Now here I am, just playing with one of the best players to ever play the game."
Letang was drafted the same day the Penguins captain went first overall, with the Montreal native out of the QMJHL's Val d'Or going in the third round (62nd overall). It's truly remarkable to think about how the Penguins ended up with not just one, but two franchise players at the same time.
Letang now owns every single significant team record for a blueliner in addition to those three championships won in 2009, '16 and '17, along with numerous other achievements while dealing with significant injuries and serious health issues along the way.
"He's been a great guy - especially for me - and for the rest of us to watch and see how he takes care of his body and how he plays each game," Brian Dumoulin said. "With all the injuries that he's had, how he keeps his body in tip top shape, how he plays 25-plus minutes a game - he's always ready. It's fun to watch. It's fun to be his defensive partner, and it's cool to see him reach that milestone. Obviously he's still got a lot left in the tank, and he's proving it this year."
That's exactly what stands out the most to head coach Mike Sullivan, who can't say enough about how the 34-year-old is still hungry for more and puts the work in to keep his game at its very best.
"I know he loves being a Penguin," Sullivan said. "He loves to win. I think his legacy here speaks for itself. But what impresses me about him is just his desire for more. I know he's not a satisfied guy; nor are some of the other guys that he's played beside for such a long time here in Pittsburgh. And that's what I've really grown to admire about the core group here, Tanger being one of those guys."

Letang has certainly been doing his part to help the team win this season. He had a career-long point streak ended at 10 games in Pittsburgh's 3-2 shootout win over Winnipeg on Sunday, which is the longest total point streak by a defenseman this season.
Letang, who recorded two goals and 13 assists over that span, is one of just three defensemen in team history to record a point streak of 10 or more games - and one of just five defensemen in NHL history to string together a 10-plus game point streak at age 34 or older.
"When a team is having a lot of success, usually individual success comes," Letang said. and I think it's a teamwork. A lot of guys are benefiting of the fact that we're playing well as a team. It's easier to play when everybody's going like this."
But it's not just the point totals that are standing out. It's how Letang has been doing such a great job of taking what the game gives him and not forcing plays. He talked with assistant coach Todd Reirden about being more reliable while going up against team's top players, saying experience and getting older was the catalyst for adapting his game.
As Letang put it, guys are better and better offensively, and they have more speed and skill, so it's harder and harder to recover from turnovers.
"We looked at this as maybe a time to take less chances and try to calculate when to go, when not to go, especially at the end of the night," Letang said. "If you're reaching 26, 27, 28 minutes, you want to be able to perform to a high level in every one of those."
That's what Letang has done, and continues to do.
"He's been playing at a high level for a long time," Kasperi Kapanen said. "I think he's one of the most underrated defensemen out there. So I'm really happy for him, and hopefully he plays another 900 more."
And to be honest, with the way that Letang
takes care of himself
, that certainly isn't out of the question.