Pittsburgh Penguins G Marc-Andre Fleury Has Chance at Redemption
Pittsburgh Penguins G Marc-Andre Fleury lost starts/time in the crease to Matt Murray in 2015-16, but will open the season as the Pens undisputed number one goaltender
Pittsburgh Penguins G Marc-Andre Fleury is ready for another chance at the starting gig in the City of Champions.
After losing starts to Matt Murray, the long-time Penguins netminder is looking to regain some traction. Murray suffered a broken hand and will miss three to six weeks, making Marc-Andre Fleury the man in Pittsburgh.
Familiar Territory
Over the past few seasons, Fleury’s role with the Penguins was questioned on several occasions. Since 2013, both Jeff Zatkoff and Tomas Vokoun challenged for the starting gig. Fleury was able to rise to the challenge and maintain his decade-long role with the Penguins. Fleury has shown slim signs of inconsistency, but his resilience is the reason his role with the Penguins remained unchanged.
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Prior to Murray’s injury, Fleury was in an unfamiliar position. Murray outplayed Fleury down the stretch and in the playoffs last year, and the veteran was poised to enter the season as the likely backup, or 1B at best. With Murray sidelined indefinitely, Fleury is given another opportunity to fight for his job.
Let’s face it, Murray is a very different player than Vokoun or Zatkoff. Not only is he just 22 years old, but the young goalie stepped up when it mattered most. Matt was given the nod at the end of March and never looked back. He carried the Penguins through the playoffs and started a whopping 21 games.
He maintained a 15-6-2 record with a 2.08 goals against average and a 0.923 save percentage. Fleury too has seen some playoff heroics, but Murray burst onto the scene and looked like the undisputed number one goalie from beginning to end.
Moving On
The reality of the situation is Fleury turns 32 on November 28 and will likely battle Murray upon his return. However, if Fleury can build some early momentum and return to past glory, there is no telling how the Penguins goalie situation will look heading into December.
The Penguins are focused on repeating their Stanley Cup season, and whichever combination works the best will be how the coaching staff will likely proceed. Fleury is still a talented and experienced goalie, and a quick start will make the decision makers’ jobs a lot harder.
Last year, Fleury played 58 games and maintained a 35-17-6 record with a 2.29 goals against average and 0.921 save percentage. His consistency over the past eight regular seasons has made him one of the most reliable goalies in the NHL. He will need to bring much of the same in 2016-17 if he wants to maintain his role with the Penguins.
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Fleury has outlasted plenty of competition entering the Penguins system but has met his toughest challenge yet. When Murray returns, the Penguins will have the tough job of deciding who should get the starts, but their output will be the main determinant.
Consistency will be the name of the game for Fleury in 2016-17. He has a head start in the goalie battle and should have a strong lead barring a team-based breakdown or injury. If Fleury shows some of the same consistency that made him their go-to netminder all these years, the Penguins will let their duo work together to bring another Stanley Cup to Pittsburgh.