Mark Madden: In win over Flyers, Kris Letang showed again that he's a one-of-a-kind talent for Penguins

Center Sidney Crosby is the Pittsburgh Penguins’ best player.

Defenseman Kris Letang is their least replaceable player.

That was evident in Thursday’s 3-2 overtime victory over Philadelphia at PPG Paints Arena. Letang won that game by any and every means that it’s possible to do so.

Letang literally decided the outcome by scoring a replay-confirmed winner in OT.

In addition, he played almost 29 minutes, anchoring a horribly undermanned Penguins team from the back.

Letang dominated despite having just recovered from covid. I just shook covid, too, and I can’t gather enough energy to walk steps. Letang had the symptoms. Covid didn’t give him a free pass.

Letang played nearly a half-hour of inspired hockey. It’s testimony to Letang’s conditioning but even more so his will. He shouldered the defensive load and the leadership burden.

Letang’s postgame analysis: “I have to be better.” Like most great players, all he ever wants is more.

It would be inaccurate to say Letang never put a skate wrong Thursday because that’s not his style. Witness three giveaways. But reward justifies risk.

When Letang doesn’t play, who does what he does? Who plays all those minutes while combining speed, skill, physicality, involvement in the attack and special-teams acumen? Who serves as the Penguins’ one-man breakout when they get penned in?

It’s not John Marino. Not yet.

Marino is 24, has scads of talent and may have a bright future. But he seems to be trying to keep up with Letang’s template. That’s too much, too soon.

The Penguins have only one Letang. His small cadre of vocal critics can’t wait until he leaves. That could happen as early as the next trade deadline. (Letang is a free agent at year’s end.)

Wait and see what happens when Letang is gone.

If it comes down to extending Letang or Evgeni Malkin, who will also be a free agent, Letang is the obvious choice. What Letang does can’t be duplicated.

The same applies to Malkin, except the Penguins also have Crosby at center.

The point is moot. Barring hometown discounts, Letang and Malkin are both gone by the offseason at the latest.

When a mediocre talent like Edmonton defenseman Darnell Nurse gets an eight-year deal with an average annual value of $9.25 million, how can Letang not go fishing in those waters?

Enjoy Letang while you can. Thursday night was vintage.

The Penguins are 4-3-2 despite a plethora of illness and injury. That’s OK, especially missing Crosby for all but one game. The Penguins’ 3-3-1 mark at PPG Paints Arena is disappointing but, again, understandable given the circumstance.

Goaltender Tristan Jarry is still a question mark. He made 36 saves on 38 shots vs. the Flyers but didn’t necessarily look comfortable doing it. He scrambles and stabs. (But Jarry was out on top of his crease. That’s the first thing to look for. If he’s on the edge of the blue paint, that’s one battle won.)

Jarry’s stats on the year are solid: 2.12 goals-against average, .930 save percentage. It depends how much you value the eye test. (Results count more, to be sure. Especially playoff results.)

The primary worry about the Penguins is their style.

For the first two-plus games, they were structurally sound as befits a team missing key components and perhaps slowing a bit organically.

But they’ve since been hell-bent for the attack. Breakdowns are frequent. The Penguins too often make bad decisions at both blue lines. They don’t adjust according to score and situation.

Case in point: The Penguins had three forwards at Philadelphia’s goal line late in Thursday’s game with the score tied. None of them was Crosby.

But all’s well that ends well. Thursday ended well thanks to Letang.

The Penguins are 3-0-2 with Letang, 1-3 without. The numbers don’t lie, and they spell disaster for you at Sacrifice.