Letang not concerned about Caps bringing the hurt

4:57 PM ET

ARLINGTON, Va. — That Kris Letang is a major focal point of the Washington Capitals’ forecheck surprises absolutely no one. But it’s how the star Pittsburgh Penguins blueliner deals with it in this series that’s going to have a major impact on the outcome of it.

Right from puck drop in Game 1 Thursday night, the Caps took their licks on Letang whenever they could, sometimes even going out of their way to lay a hit on him. It’s about a seven-game investment, hoping to wear down the most important player in Pittsburgh’s speedy transition game.

In other words, cut off the head of the snake and you’ll come out on top.

The strategy is as old as dirt.

“I think back to the 1974 Cup final between Philadelphia and Boston,” legendary coach Scotty Bowman said Friday. “Everyone used to keep the puck away from Bobby Orr but [former Flyers coach] Fred Shero said no, put the puck near him and put everyone on him. He wanted to target Orr so that they knew where the puck was going, they didn’t want him to carry it, they wanted him to be forced to move it. Everyone was shocked when it happened. No one had ever done that with Orr.”

The Flyers went on to win that series and the Cup, so it’s a practice that’s been copied ever since.

From the eight-time Norris Trophy-winning Orr to the seven-time Norris Trophy-winner Nicklas Lidstrom, the idea of wearing down the opposing stud blueliner, putting pucks in his corner and making him pay a price while retrieving it has been a go-to for teams.

“In a playoff series, you figure it out pretty quick that they might be trying to put the puck in your corner a little bit more, or they’re coming after you to finish checks a bit later than maybe they normally do,” Lidstrom said Friday over the phone from his native Sweden.

“From Game 1, you figure it out pretty quick. In my case, I always tried, first of all to move my feet, but also expect to be hit. You know you’re going to be hit, you know you’ve got to go back and move the puck. I played with some good partners over the years, you tried to move the puck real quick and make a good first outlet pass. But just expecting to get hit, you know it’s going to be a grinding series, where they’re going to come after you more than they do in the regular season. Really expecting to get hit really helps your …

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