Kris Letang joins greats Paul Coffey and Bobby Orr in exclusive club after THIS amazing feat against Islanders

Kris Letang became the seventh defenceman in NHL history to record six assists in a game during Penguins 7-0 triumph against Islanders.

Kris Letang joins greats Paul Coffey and Bobby Orr in exclusive club after THIS amazing feat against Islanders

Paul Coffey (L). Kris Letang (C) and Bobby Orr (R) [Image via DK Pittsburgh Sports/ NBC Sports/SI]

In the sport of ice hockey, several players had left the fans amazed with the extraordinary goals they scored. This sport has seen several attackers make a huge name for themselves. However, some defencemen have contributed equally to their team’s success, not just with their defensive capabilities but with their attacking skills.

Several defenders have scored goals and assists on the rink. On Wednesday night, Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman Kris Letang joined Hall of Famers Paul Coffey and Bobby Orr in an exclusive club. His six-assist performance against the Islanders saw him become the seventh player in the league to register six assists in one game.

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Having six assists in one game is in itself difficulty. For a defenceman to do it is something else. Letang is now the first defenceman to achieve this feat since Gary Suter did in 1986, almost 37 years ago.

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Another interesting stat was that the 36-year-old registered five of these six assists in the opening period itself. This is the most any defenceman has ever had in one single period. As the Penguins raced away to a thumping 7-0 win, Letang had etched his name in NHL folklore.

The other three defencemen to have accomplished his extraordinary feat include Babe Pratt, Pat Stapleton, and Ron Stackhouse. He though was not the only Penguins player celebrating surpassing a milestone. His long-time teammate Evgeni Malkin scored twice to become the second-highest Russia-born scorer behind Alex Ovechkin.

Sidney Crosby congratulates teammates Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin on record-breaking night

In the years gone by, the trio of Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, and Evgeni Malkin have become the ‘Core Three‘ of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The trio have been teammates since 2005 and spent 18 seasons together. At the start of this season, they surpassed the trio of MLB greats Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, and Mariano Rivera as the longest-tenured teammates in North American sports history.

From the highs of back-to-back Stanley Cup triumphs to the lows of early-round elimination, this trio has seen it all together. On a record-breaking night against the New York Islanders, both Letang and Malkin scripted history leading to Crosby applauding both of them.

Kris Letang, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin
Kris Letang, Sidney Crosby, and Evgeni Malkin (Image via Sportsnet)

Speaking on the record of Letang, Crosby said:

It’s just cool. Whether you’ve played with someone for a long time or just to witness that … There’s a lot of years that have gone into the NHL, over 100. For that never to have been done and be part of that is cool.
Sidney Crosby on Kris Letang recording six assists as per Pittsburg Hockey Now.

He would later laud the efforts of Malkin who overtook his childhood hero Sergei Fedorov, as the second-highest Russian scorer. The Penguins captain claimed that Malkin does not often get the credit he deserves in the first place.

He probably doesn’t get the credit that he deserves for what he’s done over his career... He’s a competitive guy. He’s shown that year after year. Happy to see him move up the list.
Sidney Crosby on Evgeni Malkin in the post game conference.

Crosby himself celebrated a huge milestone recently as he played his 1200th career game against the San Jose Sharks. Despite the age of 36, he continues to entertain and charm the audiences like he used to do all the years back.

The Penguins are having a mixed season where inconsistent performances have led to a 16-13-4 record. These performances have once again raised the question of whether this aging trio can lead the team to success once again. The ways things have gone so far this season, they might have to work a little harder to get the positive results they desire.

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