Penguins Can't Say Enough About Letang's Play

Over 10 years ago, Todd Reirden met with Kris Letang to come up with a plan on how he could improve and develop his game to become one of the league's best defensemen.
That's certainly come to pass, as Letang evolved into an elite blueliner who has won three Stanley Cups and holds every single significant team record for a defenseman, both in the regular season and playoffs.
But what most impresses Reirden - who rejoined Pittsburgh's staff during the offseason for his second stint as a Penguins assistant coach - is how Letang continues to exceed all expectations placed on him at the age of 34.

"He really did a great job of beating the odds back then, and then for him to continue to be able to do it in my second tenure here, it's been great to watch," Reirden said. "He's really put the work in, and he deserves all the credit.
Anyone who questioned whether Letang still had what it takes is being emphatically proven wrong, as the defenseman is producing absolutely brilliant hockey in all three zones for the Penguins in their Round 1 matchup against the New York Islanders.
"I feel great," Letang said. "It's fun to be in the postseason. Obviously, it's the hockey that we want to play. And obviously having the crowd back in the building, it makes it even more fun. So pretty happy for that."
He is also happy to be working with Reirden again, as the two of them have a special relationship that really took off in 2010. Under Reirden's tutelage, Letang became a Norris Trophy finalist and NHL All-Star.
"He's a coach and a man that took me under his wing and spent countless hours working on my game," Letang said. "At that age, I was learning so many things."
During Reirden's six seasons with the Washington Capitals from 2014-20, he still kept in contact with Letang, and got the chance to reconnect with him at two different All-Star Games when he was coach of the Metro Division.
When it was announced in September that Reirden would be coming back, Letang was vocal about how excited he was for them to reunite. But since so much time had passed, and Reirden was joining a new staff, he wanted to first take it all in and learn exactly what head coach Mike Sullivan expected.
After Reirden surveyed and evaluated the situation while also reflecting back on how the two of them had success together in the past, he began to spend a lot more time with Letang.
"It's obviously been a little bit more difficult with the COVID restrictions, but certainly we still have the same discussions we've had," Reirden said. "They're a little bit different now than when he was first becoming a father and stuff like that. But it was important to give him and myself space at first, and I think since that first month-plus, he's had a real strong season and has continued that into the playoffs here."
Letang finished tied for third in the league in scoring among all NHL defensemen with 45 points (7G-38A) and a plus-19 in 55 games. It was a tremendous year, and he really has taken it to another level in the playoffs.
Letang opened the scoring and added two assists to give him a three-point night in Pittsburgh's Game 3 victory over the New York Islanders on Thursday night. It was his fifth career three-point performance in the playoffs, passing Larry Murphy for the most by a Penguins defenseman in franchise history.
That came after Letang averaged 29:34 minutes - all tough ones - in the first two games, which the Penguins split. When Reirden assesses why Letang has been so dominant, he said it comes down to patience.
"I think his game has quieted down," Reirden said. "I think he's done a good job as the year has gone on of taking the play that's in front of him and then executing it."
Reirden said for a player like Letang, it's important for him to continue to evaluate his game, whether he's putting up big numbers or big minutes.
"If he focuses on things that he can control and have an influence on how our team plays, then eventually, the offensive numbers will follow," Reirden said. "That's something we always felt when we formed this foundation as a player, was that if we did this stuff well and held ourselves accountable to a certain standard, then the offensive numbers will follow along because he's put in spots to play with great players."
Fortunately for Reirden, he never has to worry about whether Letang is going to put in the requisite work in the video room.
"He is someone who takes a lot of pride in his evaluation of himself and his own game," Reirden said. "He rewatches his games. That's something that we initially used to do together years ago to help understand what things we were working for between the two of us. Now, he has a very good understanding of what that looks like, so he does it on his own."
Though Letang did get some assistance when it came to managing his minutes. Reirden said that was something he was more conscious of this year, with the 24-25-minute mark being the sweet spot. He hasn't deployed Letang on the penalty kill as much, which has helped him stay healthier and fresher since he's not blocking as many shots and playing under such duress.
"But at the end of the day, the division has been so tight the entire year and the playoff games are so closely contested that you want to have your top players out there in those situations," Reirden said. "He's done a great job of meeting that challenge and continues to perform at that age.
"It's been phenomenal for me to be back part of the Penguins, but certainly been great to reconnect with him just in terms of his work ethic and the professionalism and how he continues to grow as a player and as a leader."