Did Fleury Melt In The Heat Of The Finals?
Matt Bodenschatz | Pittsburgh Penguins
Jun 10, 12:09 PM | Hype this story!
Marc-Andre Fleury’s playoff performance this season elevated his status from goalie of the future to goalie of the present, but his play in the Stanley Cup Finals was far from what many were expecting – despite an unbelievable performance in Game Five.
One writer even suggested that Fleury was the reason the Penguins lost.
According to Stan Fishler, Fleury is receiving much unearned praise.
“Let’s not get carried away with the Marc-Andre Fleury phenom stuff. One prominent goalie coach tells us that if anyone cost Pitt the series, it was the Pens’ netminder.
“He started the series badly and that’s how he ended it — with two terrible goals in Game Six. The second [rebound] goal was bad and he had no business letting the puck go through his legs before he eventually knocked it in on the winner. By contrast, Chris Osgood made the saves that he had to make.”
Fleury noticeably lost his touch in the first two games of the series, giving up four goals and three goals in Detroit, but suggesting he lost the series for the Penguins couldn’t be further from the truth.
The Penguins scored just one goal before Hossa’s tally at the end of the game.
And the Penguins totaled a whopping zero goals in their first two tries. The number of goals Fleury surrendered is a moot point because his team did nothing to support him offensively.
The last time I checked, a team needs to score some goals to win.
Clearly Fishler wasn’t on hand – or watching on television – during the Game Five marathon that saw Fleury stop 55 of 58 shots and put on what some have called the best goaltending performance in the history of the Penguins.
Fleury may not have had his best game at the end of the series, but the Penguins lost because the team didn’t play to its potential – not because Fleury alone didn’t play to his potential.
Comments
Jonathan Farzalo
Jun 10, 12:37 PM
i wouldn’t say he LOST them the series, but I really think (and i’ve had plenty of reflection time on it) he lost them game 6, sorry, but 2 real bad goals, and lost them game 4 as well…
however, he WON them game 5…so…what can you say.
Matt Bodenschatz
Jun 10, 12:56 PM
Jon, the trickle goal in Game Six not nearly as bad as people make it out to be. He thought the puck was under him. If it’s not, it’s the job of the official behind the net to yell “the puck is alive.” I heard or so no such indication. That’s not putting the blame on the ref, just stating the he likely thought the puck was under his pads and, when he found out it wasn’t, his movement didn’t help.
His team was shut out in the first two games. He didn’t lose either of those games, his team did. He could have given up 10 goals in each game or 1 goal in each game and his team still would have lost.
He wasn’t nearly as good in the Finals as he was throughout the playoffs, but in all honesty, who was?
Just as the team was responsible for all wins leading to the Finals, the team was responsible for the loss in the Finals.
Mike Adams
Jun 10, 01:21 PM
Overall, Fleury was average at best in the Final. But like you said, you can’t blame him for the first two games. It didn’t matter if he stood on his head those two games—they still would have lost. He was bad in Game 6, and I do disagree on your analysis of the final goal. He has to stop that one. So you might say he cost them that game, but he in no way cost them the series. Fischler is just a senile old fool. I suppose he would also say Lundqvist cost the Rags the series against the Pens because he also played behind the lesser team that was thoroughly beaten?
Dabich
Jun 10, 01:27 PM
The Pens won as a team and they lost as a team.
Nuff said.
TIM
Jun 10, 03:44 PM
Any time a team can’t score on a freaking 5-3 they lose themselves the game. Sorry. Fluery won them Game 5 hands down. You score on those 5 on 3’s and we might have a different outlook on the series all together. This team lost the series. Did he give up some soft goals? Sure but my point is to put blame on the whole team not just MAF
DAVID
Jun 10, 03:44 PM
Blame?? Fault??
Please! The team played phenomenal and got beat by a better team. In the first two games, the ENTIRE team looked like they were shell shocked. Then, they got their legs under them and showed that, while Detroit was a better team, the Pens could hold their own. Had they not been shell shocked in games 1 and 2, the series would have been VERY different. Games 3-6 Fluery gave them EVERY opportunity to win.
I always find it funny – Goalies can play on their head, but if they make even the slightest mistake, they become the goats. On the goal that Fluery knocked in, I also was amazed that the Ref did not call the live puck, especially watching how the players were letting up on the play. That call is not to favor one team or another, or even to help the goalie. It is called to let the players know to keep playing so they can avoid unnecessary injury from letting up!
As for the Refs, they spoiled a great series with bad calls on both ends of the ice. As for the series, Detroit was the better team this time. The Pens time is coming, and Fluery will be there, just as he was in this series.
I am tired of the blame game. It’s HOCKEY. It is played on ice, and somedays, the hockey gods smile on you, and some days they smile on the other team. Two great teams met, and the game was played.
Dabich, you said it right: They won as a team and the lost as a team.
I am looking forward to next year, and I plan to follow them through the off season to see how Shero handles the new era of Salary Caps.
Dabich
Jun 10, 07:55 PM
David, I too am looking forward to next season. Hopefully, they can keep most of this season’s team intact.
Then play next season…as a TEAM =D
Eric
Jun 10, 08:20 PM
What David said.
Excellent stuff. word for word.
Matt Bodenschatz
Jun 10, 10:52 PM
I agree.
Jonathan Farzalo
Jun 10, 11:37 PM
i don’t blame MAF, not at all…the first two games were a joke offensivly
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