Penguins' Letang interested in wins, not statistics
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang isn't interested in statistics - only standings.
So while Letang has collected four goals and eight assists over the last eight games he's played, his eyes remain focused on Pittsburgh's sixth-place predicament in the Metropolitan Division. And don't even get Letang started on his minus-14 rating prior to his return to action following an undisclosed injury.
What does mean something is Letang's recent hot stretch, which differs greatly from his relatively slow start to the season when he scored one goal and set up 13 others in his first 25 games. The 28-year-old Quebec native has 26 points (five goals, 21 assists ... and yes, a minus-11), moving him nearly halfway toward last season's career-best total of 54.
A third-round pick of the 2005 draft, Letang has recorded 71 goals and 240 assists in 524 career contests - all with the Penguins.
Pittsburgh (20-16-6) has dropped three of its last four and wraps up a four-game road trip against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday. The Penguins, who are netting 2.33 tallies per contest, have mustered just eight goals during the trek.