dekedangle_rpfanon | #24 – Not Sure If Serious or Playing Dumba

#24 – Not Sure If Serious or Playing Dumba

This is the twenty-fourth post of Deke Dangle RPF Anon, a community for all your ice hockey anon meme needs.

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I'm not a Pens fan but I don't get why he's so popular. He just seems to lose his mind every period or so? I get that some people are into that but as an actual fan of the team who then ends up on the PK all the time it seems like you'd want him to chill out once in a while.

It depends on what you mean by 'popular,' but he's an elite defenseman who's currently logging between 27 and 32 mins a night, so in terms of "person I'm glad is on my team" he's right up there, even though I don't have any feelings about him in the fannish sense. And as has been said elsewhere in this thread, he's a lot more disciplined under Sullivan than he's been under any other coach I've seen him play under.

Meh. He's a mixed bag for me. He's very good at what he does offensive defenseman-wise. And he has absolutely zero chill. Zero. Maybe even negative chill.

And his kid is adorable.

There are times I appreciate the negative chill, like when Toronto didn't give Kessel a tribute video and Letang was salty about it on Twitter.

ayrt

Oh yes. I think he's a very good teammate.

The positives outweigh the negatives. Same with Geno, who has similar weaknesses (stupid penalties and injury trouble). And they've both been better at keeping their tempers in check under Sully.

He's the third leading defensemen in scoring, got a lot of Norris votes, and his PIM/games is down this year from last year. He does have a history of concussion and injury, but when he's healthy he's pretty great.

2015-6: 66/71 = .93
2014-5: 79/69 = 1.14
2013-4: 16/37* stroke = .4
2012-3: 8/35* lockout = .2
2011-2: 34/51 = .66
2010-1: 101/82 = 1.23

People with higher PIM per game this season include OEL (1.28), Buff (1.47), PK (1.1). So, of top 10 scoring defensemen this year, he is ranked 4 in PIM per game, which kind of contradicts the eye test of he's losing his mind and taking dumb penalties. I'll grant that double minor was stupid yesterday, but like, the numbers don't bear out the claim.

SA
To clarify, Norris votes last year.

It's probably a sample size issue, where every time I put on a Pens game there's Letang looking like he's trying to murder someone, and also my personal circle of Pens people seems to be in love with him for precisely that reason.

Yeah, honestly, he gets attention for doing stuff like that, but mostly he's not trying to murder people - he's scoring. I am surprised there's no stat I can find simply for PIM/game or PIM adjusted for TOI. Well, there probably is, but I can't find it and I'm sure another deker will correct me.

Not a Pens fan, but he's a very good defenseman. People will make a lot of concessions for the lack of chill and taking bad penalties if a player generally does more to help the team than harm it. They'll still get pissed about the penalties and stupid moves, but it's more of a "why must you be like this?" than a "I want this guy off my team NOW". My team has a player who has a similar habit of losing his temper (although he's been better lately *knocks on wood*), but he's also a talented player, and most of the fans I know, myself included, just sort of have a long-suffering reaction when he pulls something dumb.

I think there's also the fact that Letang has an adorable family, seems like a really good teammate, and a lot of people (both Pens and non-Pens fans, based on what I've seen) feel endeared to him because of his medical issues and him having overcome some adversity there.

There's also Catherine's miscarriage, can't forget that.

Part of me wonders if his stroke/concussion history played a factor in that. There's so little research out there about the short and long term effects of both especially at his age.

NA

In her miscarriage? No, I'm pretty sure his concussion history did not cause that.

+100
WTF, AYRT.

I've had 2. They just happen, for often no apparent reason, in about 20% of pregnancies. We don't need to drag this into the dramatically cursed legend of the Pens, jesus.

DA

I think that was just awkward wording from the AYRT, and they meant that his stroke/concussion history might play into Letang's anger/lack of chill issues. Catherine's miscarriage would be a separate issue. That's how I read it, anyway.

(frozen comment) Re: Fandom Venting

(Anonymous) - 2016-05-21 16:07 (UTC) - Expand

You know he wasn't the one that was pregnant, right? How the hell would his health issues cause his wife to miscarry?

The quality of a man's sperm can have an effect. But a concussion is unlikely...to do anything to his sperm.

Yeah pretty much this. When I see he does something stupid on the ice I'm like 'come on Tanger' and when he does something dangerous, I call him an idiot, but he is good at his job.

And yes, his negative chill when someone insults a teammate (and him being willing to show this negative chill on instagram), his adorable kid and his beautiful wife are all plus points to him as well.

Why would his beautiful wife be a plus point to him?

Wasn't she a reality show star/personality? Also, for the same reason that TJ Oshie's wife is a plus to him - beautiful, media savvy, etc. People like beautiful families with adorable children.

Re: Fandom Venting

(Anonymous) - 2016-05-21 17:03 (UTC) - Expand

Ayrt

Partly because I'm shallow and she takes gorgeous pictures. But I also love her instagram and I wouldn't have known about it if she hadn't been with him.

Mte, yeah she's beautiful and his kid is cute but that has nothing to do with Letang's behavior and it certainly won't make me dislike him less.

Re: Fandom Venting

(Anonymous) - 2016-05-21 18:24 (UTC) - Expand

I'd add that love of Letang seems to coincide with love the of the core and their friendship, particularly the Crosby-Letang-Flower trifecta. There is a goldmine of friendship material for them and they all really love each other. It's easy to love Letang when you know how much (and how loudly) Crosby and Fleury love him.

I'm also a huge fan of his personality and I think he's not so secretly a giant dork. His hotheadedness can be a double-edged sword but I think it's a) not as uncommon or unique to Letang as people portray it as and b) is more justifiable than even Neal's crap was. Neal used to just get angry and hurt people. Letang is almost always going after someone who messed with the goalie, or Maatta, or Dumoulin.

What's the difference between losing your temper and slashing someone, which happens a billion times a game on every team, and crosschecking them in a scrum because they pissed you off? One just gets more attention. I don't think he loses his cool more than any other hotheaded hockey players, but because he has a reputation for it it gets talked about a lot. See how Crosby is still the only captain int he history of the NHL who ever whines to the refs.

Do you happen to be a Colorado fan?

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