Penguins' Kris Letang: Statue on defense in loss to Caps

Letang went a team-worst minus-5 without so much as a shot on goal in Wednesday's 7-1 rout at the hands of the Capitals. He did, however, pick up four PIM, five hits and five blocked shots.

Analysis:

The Caps simply wouldn't be denied in this one -- not that Marc-Andre Fleury or Matt Murray helped in goal. Letang certainly did some good things defensively, including getting credited with a pair of takeaways, but it's still hard to excuse such a poor statistical performance. With nine points in the 11 games he's been healthy enough to suit up for this year, Letang's still offered plenty of value; look for him and the Pens to bounce back Friday against the Islanders.