Marc-Andre Fleury’s postseason play is killing the Pittsburgh Penguins.
After Tuesday night’s debacle — six goals on just 24 shots — the Penguins goalie has allowed an astounding 40 (yes, 40!) goals in his last 10 playoff games.
That’s unacceptable for what is supposed to be a franchise-level goaltender. Roberto Luongo can’t even relate to a number that bad.
There’s no legitimate reason a team with as much as talent as Pittsburgh has should be struggling to get out of the first round.
Yes, they were knocked around last year by the bigger, stronger Flyers, but Fleury’s play (you saw the numbers above) drew enough red flags throughout the organization that they quickly added Tomas Vokoun in the summer.
Now the Penguins are at a crossroads with Fleury and the pressure moves to Dan Bylsma, who now has the toughest coaching decision of his NHL career.
It’s time for Bylsma to turn to Vokoun.
The Penguins can’t keep relying on Fleury – especially after his underwhelming (seems like an understatement) performance Tuesday night, when he allowed two of the softest goals we’ve seen in this postseason.
Vokoun isn’t the most experienced or battle-tested playoff goalie (2003-04, 2006-07 with Nashville), but he may present an upgrade at this time. He isn’t some run-of-the-mill washout and certainly one of the more capable backups around the NHL.
In 17 games this year, Vokoun was 13-4-0 with a .919 save percentage and 2.45 goals-against average. Certainly acceptable numbers.
The Penguins knew what they were doing when they brought in Vokoun – they needed insurance for another Fleury debacle – and paying $2 million for a backup goalie isn’t the cheapest insurance policy.
They knew they might need him to play, and there isn’t a better time to play then right now.
Fleury does have a Stanley Cup ring to his name and has shown flashes of brilliance, but how much longer can the Pens rely on his inconsistent play.
It’s killing the Penguins. If Tuesday night’s meltdown wasn’t a clear enough example, I don’t know what else is.
Yes, Pittsburgh certainly has other flaws. Its defence has been shaky at best, and the team has struggled to handle the speed of the young New York Islanders.
It’s not all on Fleury, but the importance of goaltending can’t be understated and the team is in desperate need of a boost.
Anyone who has played or watched hockey knows how much a soft goal can shift momentum or suck the life out of a team. And it certainly doesn’t help when your goalie has a reputation for coming up short under pressure.
Remember the 40 goals Fleury we mentioned above? Well, in those same 10 games the Penguins have scored 43.
Blysma needs to make a change to stabilize this mess. And they have a legitimate option in Vokoun – a solid but unspectacular veteran.
It’s time for a change. Pittsburgh can’t fizzle out once again with this much talent.
Don’t be scared, Dan.
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