Will Marc Andre Fleury Choke Again?

[ETA]

Can we please not lump this year in with the past few (yet)? He played like hot garbage last year in the NYI/Philly series, like all-time bad. No other way to put it. This year is nothing compared to that. He played a great game last night through the first 59 minutes, but no one is going to remember that. He gave them every chance to win up until that point, saved over 95% of the shots he faced, gave up 2 PP goals (one a 5 on 3), and the team in front of him just flat out quit after the first 15 minutes. If they actually show up after the first period, we're up 3-1 and everyone's talking about how Fleury turned a corner. Let's see how the rest of the series/playoffs plays out before we write him off, please?

Fleury's save % is now .903. If he didn't have a history of playing badly in the playoffs (he's not exactly top-10 in the regular season either, mind you) I think people here would cut him some slack.

Worse though, if you look at the goals that he's given up, there are just too many questionable ones, starting with the OT goal last night but also the ones due to lack of rebound control in the previous game (and others). Any goalie can have off games here and there but Fleury has literally been *historically* bad over his playoff career.

Maybe people who know more about goalies than I do can see him turning things around for some reason (goalies tend to peak in their 30's maybe) but at this point, there is zero indication of this statistically.

Last night's game was unfortunate, because Fleury was 20 seconds away from stealing a game for the Pens, something that he rarely does. If he'd done that (leaving him with 12 goals against on 144 shots), his save % would have been 0.917 and (as others have said) we'd probably be talking about how he's maybe turned things around...

 

[Super Sniper Cele]

Tom Fitzgerald, likely up in the press box, thought that Foligno was horrible.

 

[Jacob]

No other organization in the NHL would've stuck with this goalie for this long.

 

[Guins71]

Can we please not lump this year in with the past few (yet)? He played like hot garbage last year in the NYI/Philly series, like all-time bad. No other way to put it. This year is nothing compared to that. He played a great game last night through the first 59 minutes, but no one is going to remember that. He gave them every chance to win up until that point, saved over 95% of the shots he faced, gave up 2 PP goals (one a 5 on 3), and the team in front of him just flat out quit after the first 15 minutes. If they actually show up after the first period, we're up 3-1 and everyone's talking about how Fleury turned a corner. Let's see how the rest of the series/playoffs plays out before we write him off, please?

Ya everyone. let's give Fleury until the year 2020 to figure this out. It was only one game guys, he won't **** the bed again, right? Right?

 

[Til the End of Time]

fleury's continued employment by the penguins is a perfect microcosm of what ails this organization-- merit, production, work-ethic, etc. take a backseat to favoritism and cronyism.

just an embarrassing organization to root for right now.

 

[Fire Shero*]

Can you imagine of the pens played a series against Chicago or San Jose. If Fleury can't stop Dubinsky and Johnson, he won't make it through a period against an elite team.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

No other organization in the NHL would've stuck with this goalie for this long.

Absolutely correct.

How many chances does he need? It's not like he's a fourth line winger, or something. He plays arguably the most important position on the ice.

 

[Crosbyfan]

Fleury's save % is now .903. If he didn't have a history of playing badly in the playoffs (he's not exactly top-10 in the regular season either, mind you) I think people here would cut him some slack.

Worse though, if you look at the goals that he's given up, there are just too many questionable ones, starting with the OT goal last night but also the ones due to lack of rebound control in the previous game (and others). Any goalie can have off games here and there but Fleury has literally been *historically* bad over his playoff career.

Maybe people who know more about goalies than I do can see him turning things around for some reason (goalies tend to peak in their 30's maybe) but at this point, there is zero indication of this statistically.

Last night's game was unfortunate, because Fleury was 20 seconds away from stealing a game for the Pens, something that he rarely does. If he'd done that (leaving him with 12 goals against on 144 shots), his save % would have been 0.917 and (as others have said) we'd probably be talking about how he's maybe turned things around...

He seems to be very good at that...playing almost well enough to win. based on physical talent he is there. Mental talent, positional play etc, a little further off. Mental toughness...not in he ball park. Your goalie needs to have that. It is a very tough position to play, and no goalie can be babied or supported to the extent required to do it. It has to come primarily from within.

Holding him accountable would be a start, rather than pretending he is doing OK. Not fooling anyone, least of all Fleury himself.

 

[Chain Attack]

Those 2 plays are something that happens maybe once over an 82 game season to an average goaltender.

With Fleury, he managed to cram 2 of those in during the 5 minutes of a decisive playoff series. That's just Fleury being Fleury.

It is difficult to be emotionally invested in the Penguins, even on a bandwagon basis, with this scrub in net.

 

[VirginiaBob]

Poll: Your thoughts on Fluery

Two choices only, either one or the other is true. haha, i can't spell think!! any way to edit this?

 

[dueling mullets]

Is it too late to vote?

Nope, in fact there have been 70 votes after the fact. I guess some people needed the third year of it in a row to make up their minds.

 

[Til the End of Time]

fleury's continued employment by the penguins is a perfect microcosm of what ails this organization-- merit, production, work-ethic, etc. take a backseat to favoritism and cronyism.

just an embarrassing organization to root for right now.

how do you build a supposed contender and rely on the worst playoff goalie in the league and one of the worst of all-time? its nonsensical.

 

[Kharkov]

He needs to go.

 

[dueling mullets]

Ironically, 3 votes for no choke. I guess he got the Heimlich immediately after the game!

 

[Allie Kitsune]

He's done.

If the org loves him so much, they can give him Potash's job.

 

[Guins71]

It is difficult to be emotionally invested in the Penguins, even on a bandwagon basis, with this scrub in net.

The sad thing about this post is that is just the last 2 series he has played in. You could make a complete montage of gaffs. Plenty from Montreal, Philly, Tampa, and many moments during the cup finals. I am still amazed he held it together 1 year long enough to win a cup.

 

[dueling mullets]

There should have been change after the Flyers series. He could have been gone after that. He should have been gone after the Isles. Now, it's time for RS, DB, and Flower to all go.

 

[cassius]

fleury's continued employment by the penguins is a perfect microcosm of what ails this organization-- merit, production, work-ethic, etc. take a backseat to favoritism and cronyism.

just an embarrassing organization to root for right now.

how do you build a supposed contender and rely on the worst playoff goalie in the league and one of the worst of all-time? its nonsensical.

They reward mediocrity.. Plain and simple.

 

[Human]

LoL!

 

[Kharkov]

Halak would be nice upgrade.

 

[IHWR]

Two choices only, either one or the other is true. haha, i can't spell think!! any way to edit this?

You also can't spell Fleury apparently.

 

[NastyNick]

 

[dueling mullets]

Bad bounce, bro.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

Echl

 

[bathroomSTAAL]

It's a difficult name to spell. Not like Staal, Staal is a tricky name.