Brian Dumoulin have been put back as the Pittsburgh Penguins first line defense, not matter what kind of season they're having.
PITTSBURGH - Ever since returning to the lineup, Kris Letang has been riding as the Pittsburgh Penguins top defenseman, and has again paired with a familiar face.
After being apart for much of the season, the Penguins have gone back utilizing Letang with Brian Dumoulin on the top pair.
It was a strange decision for fans to see considering the season Dumoulin has had up to this point; it hasn’t been pretty and everyone, including Dumoulin himself, are aware of it.
If one half of the duo isn’t meeting expecations, why go back to the Dumoulin/Letang pairing?
For head coach Mike Sullivan, the two compliment each other well when they share the ice.
“They’ve been a pair for a long time, my whole time here as coach,” Sullivan said. “I think they have real complimentary skill sets.”
While the two have been a successful combination for many years, things just aren’t the same in 2023.
Despite that, Sullivan has decided to go back to the well for his first defensive line.
“Tanger’s a guy that has an element of unpredictability in his game,” Sullivan said. “He’s a real instinctive player. He’s good offensively.”
Letang’s offensive ability can’t go unnoticed and when he is on the ice, it takes a defensive minded player to be a calming presence.
“He’s a very predictable predictable, stay at home… reliable guy,” Sullivan said. “When they’re at their best that’s what they both bring. I think Dumo has been a lot better within the last three or four weeks.”
That’s a fair assessment of Dumoulin, he’s had flashes of improved play recently, but it’s been far from ideal still.
That being said, there is a sense of familiarity between the players and that helped bring Letang back to the fold in a positive way.
“Brian simplifies the game for me and the team,” Letang said just prior to his return. “You can always rely on him when you’re leaning on offense.”
For Sullivan, he saw the improved play of Dumoulin and a familiarity with Letang as good cause to again pair up the two longest tenured players on the Penguins blue line.
“When Tanger came back, we thought we would try that pair again.”
Fans may not enjoy it and criticize the decision making, but it’s what Sullivan is rolling with.
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