I wasn’t overly-critical of the eventual game-saver, but I wondered how healthy he was for much of the game.
At our Pens bar, a few of us were commenting on how sloppy Kris and Sarge were at receiving passes, especially near the blue line. Chalk some of it up to the Caps getting sticks into passing lanes, but both guys struggled at keeping the pucks in the offensive zone for several stretches during the game.
So naturally, we had to wonder if Letang was 100% healthy. He had been a game-time decision with the lame shoulder from Game 2, and we couldn’t tell if that was the reason he wasn’t as crisp as normal. At that time, you have to pick your poison. Do you go with a less than 100% Letang, or a rested guy with less overall talent like Boucher?
As I said, we weren’t being mean and hating on Kris…just wondering if having him in the game was the right decision. We got out answer at 11:23 of the overtime period.
Overtime wins have a way of curing all that ails. All of a sudden, the worry about Letang’s health faded into a moment of pure ecstasy. Kinda like in the Finals, when Petr Sykora was getting hammered for not having a shot on net through all 3 periods and the first 2 overtime sessions. Then, he wins it on a called shot from the slot, and he’s a hero in Pittsburgh for all time.
So I tip my hat to Kris Letang. He obviously heard our worries here in NYC, and responded with an assist and a game-winning OT goal. And that’s good enough to shelve my health concerns.
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