Marc-André Fleury is playing his best hockey ever.

[BreakfastatMarios]

Yeah, lets not argue abount your hyperbolic number, but hitting posts happens in all hockey games. Are we going to adjust Rinne's and Luongo's (who had as much posts hit on ONE play as Fleury all game) stats accordingly too?

Need a new stat

PPG - Posts Per game,

Not like there aren't enough stats in the NHL to track

 

[radapex]

Played very well last night but also got bailed out by the post about 5 times. Couple inches the other way on just 2 of them and the narrative is completely different.

And yet there's a reason shots that hit the post and don't go in don't count as shots on goal.

People bring up posts a lot, but it really doesn't make a great deal of sense from a goaltending perspective because a lot of those posts are due to good positioning - aka the goalie doing their job.

 

[Dying Alive]

Played very well last night but also got bailed out by the post about 5 times. Couple inches the other way on just 2 of them and the narrative is completely different.

A shot that hits the post and bounces out was never going in in the first place, so why would it be considered bailing the goalie out? The Pens hit the post twice on the same power play.

"Couple inches the other way" is true of just about any shot on net. Couple of inches the other way and the goalie misses it with his blocker or catching glove. Couple inches the other way and it hits the goalie in the shoulder instead of hitting the top corner of the net. Positioning has a lot to do with it. Sometimes a goalie is way out of position and gets lucky when the opposing player hits a crossbar or post (see at least one of the shots the Pens rang off the post on the PP last night), but I don't remember that happening in MAF's case last night. Seems like he was just positionally solid and didn't give the Panthers much to shoot at.

 

[Lomez]

A shot that hits the post and bounces out was never going in in the first place, so why would it be considered bailing the goalie out? The Pens hit the post twice on the same power play.

"Couple inches the other way" is true of just about any shot on net. Couple of inches the other way and the goalie misses it with his blocker or catching glove. Couple inches the other way and it hits the goalie in the shoulder instead of hitting the top corner of the net. Positioning has a lot to do with it. Sometimes a goalie is way out of position and gets lucky when the opposing player hits a crossbar or post (see at least one of the shots the Pens rang off the post on the PP last night), but I don't remember that happening in MAF's case last night. Seems like he was just positionally solid and didn't give the Panthers much to shoot at.

Bingo! People who count posts getting rung are the same people who count secondary assists.

 

[SidGenoMario]

It's the shooter's fault if he whistles a puck wide, so it makes sense that it's the shooter's fault when he hits the post. You either put the puck in the net or you don't.

I would be ecstatic if MAF ends up a Vezina finalist.

 

[Brooklanders*]

What if MAF WINS THE Vezina?

 

[Cherpak]

What if MAF WINS THE Vezina?

HFboards implodes and forms such a massive black hole that all of creation is destroyed.

 

[cleveland408]

What if MAF WINS THE Vezina?

I celebrate by creating an appreciation thread

 

[MovesLikeJagr68]

What if MAF WINS THE Vezina?

- It's because Crosby and Malkin are on his team.
- He had an easy schedule.
- Rinne got snubbed/didn't deserve it.
- Vezina voting is a joke anyways.
- I'll wait until he implodes in the playoffs like he has every single year he has played.
- He has a great defence.
- His posts deserve the Trophy.
- Bettman made him win it.
- The refs are obviously on his side.
- Doesn't matter, he still sucks.
- Reimer > Fleury AINEC
- I'm boycotting the NHL.
- His pads are illegal size.
- Because he wins too much which is a team stat.
- He plays in the crappy Eastern Conference.
- It's because Crosby and Malkin are on his team.

Think I got at least 5% of the excuses.

 

[Stad]

- It's because Crosby and Malkin are on his team.
- He had an easy schedule.
- Rinne got snubbed/didn't deserve it.
- Vezina voting is a joke anyways.
- I'll wait until he implodes in the playoffs like he has every single year he has played.
- He has a great defence.
- His posts deserve the Trophy.
- Bettman made him win it.
- The refs are obviously on his side.
- Doesn't matter, he still sucks.
- Reimer > Fleury AINEC
- I'm boycotting the NHL.
- His pads are illegal size.
- Because he wins too much which is a team stat.
- He plays in the crappy Eastern Conference.
- It's because Crosby and Malkin are on his team.

Think I got at least 5% of the excuses.

This post is sadly 100% accurate.

 

[Will Hunting]

- It's because Crosby and Malkin are on his team.
- He had an easy schedule.
- Rinne got snubbed/didn't deserve it.
- Vezina voting is a joke anyways.
- I'll wait until he implodes in the playoffs like he has every single year he has played.
- He has a great defence.
- His posts deserve the Trophy.
- Bettman made him win it.
- The refs are obviously on his side.
- Doesn't matter, he still sucks.
- Reimer > Fleury AINEC
- I'm boycotting the NHL.
- His pads are illegal size.
- Because he wins too much which is a team stat.
- He plays in the crappy Eastern Conference.
- It's because Crosby and Malkin are on his team.

Think I got at least 5% of the excuses.

This is some serious gold Funny thing is that you are probably right here.

 

[GetFocht]

I was the laughing stock of my office pool when I picked him, then he turns out to be the best goaltender in the league

 

[terex]

- It's because Crosby and Malkin are on his team.
- He had an easy schedule.
- Rinne got snubbed/didn't deserve it.
- Vezina voting is a joke anyways.
- I'll wait until he implodes in the playoffs like he has every single year he has played.
- He has a great defence.
- His posts deserve the Trophy.
- Bettman made him win it.
- The refs are obviously on his side.
- Doesn't matter, he still sucks.
- Reimer > Fleury AINEC
- I'm boycotting the NHL.
- His pads are illegal size.
- Because he wins too much which is a team stat.
- He plays in the crappy Eastern Conference.
- It's because Crosby and Malkin are on his team.

Think I got at least 5% of the excuses.

This was beautiful. Well done.

I would also add something about Rask/Boston in there.

 

[meenamjah]

it's almost irrelevant what he does in the regular season. at this point, only what he does in the playoffs will mean anything. he's had way too many good regular seasons followed by a complete meltdown in the playoffs.

 

[Will Hunting]

it's almost irrelevant what he does in the regular season. at this point, only what he does in the playoffs will mean anything. he's had way too many good regular seasons followed by a complete meltdown in the playoffs.

Fleury is the only goalie in the leauge history who can be completely irrelevant by winning the Vezina Trophy. Fair treatment, I guess.

 

[Hank Plank]

it's almost irrelevant what he does in the regular season.

You could say that about any player. You shouldn't, but substitute any player that never had playoff success and the same applies. Well except MAF has won a Cup.

 

[Xavier Laflamme*]

MAF with back to back shutouts and breaking a franchise record while posting his 8th shutout of the season. Congrats Fleury!

 

[CanadienShark]

- It's because Crosby and Malkin are on his team.
- He had an easy schedule.
- Rinne got snubbed/didn't deserve it.
- Vezina voting is a joke anyways.
- I'll wait until he implodes in the playoffs like he has every single year he has played.
- He has a great defence.
- His posts deserve the Trophy.
- Bettman made him win it.
- The refs are obviously on his side.
- Doesn't matter, he still sucks.
- Reimer > Fleury AINEC
- I'm boycotting the NHL.
- His pads are illegal size.
- Because he wins too much which is a team stat.
- He plays in the crappy Eastern Conference.
- It's because Crosby and Malkin are on his team.

Think I got at least 5% of the excuses.

Wow, actually great.

 

[Johnnybegood13]

He was unreal tonight against my flames. he had no business making 4 or 5 of the saves

 

[Novak Djokovic]

I mean, good for him (he really is playing well), but I still don't trust him in the playoffs. Goals like Game 4 OT... are unacceptable.

 

[Xavier Laflamme*]

I mean, good for him (he really is playing well), but I still don't trust him in the playoffs. Goals like Game 4 OT... are unacceptable.

There are a lot of Penguin fans that are in agreement with you. Fleury has the talent to be a top 5 goalie in this league. He's been to back to back Stanley Cup finals while winning a cup, and has the ability to perform in the playoffs, and it's time to show up.

 

[Straight Fire]

it's almost irrelevant what he does in the regular season. at this point, only what he does in the playoffs will mean anything. he's had way too many good regular seasons followed by a complete meltdown in the playoffs.

This is the honest truth. Pittsburgh is a team I like but not my team of allegiance . . . And I can't forget the post-season flops of the last few years.

That said, he's not that old yet and he does have a cup in his back pocket . . . Can't decry the season he's having that's for sure.

 

[H382]

I mean, good for him (he really is playing well), but I still don't trust him in the playoffs. Goals like Game 4 OT... are unacceptable.

True but...

 

[useless]

People just don't realize how bad his teams defense was in his "melt downs".

 

[bambamcam4ever]

People just don't realize how bad his teams defense was in his "melt downs".

All on the defense: