"What If" Penguins could fly?

There are many reasons why the Red Wings have owned the Penguins in this Stanley Cup Final. So, its really unfair to pick on Marc Andre Fluery for being outplayed by Chris Osgood. Besides, Fleury has actually been very good this post season, and not that bad in the Final.

But still, I'm definitely on the "Marc Andre Fluery is overrated" bus. Hell, I might even be driving that bus. He's not that bad a goalie, but he's definitely the wrong type of goalie for this team. Considering he was a 1st overall pick, wouldn't you assume a team should be set in net with a franchise netminder. Fleury isn't going to be that goalie.

Strangely, because he had a fantastic tournament, but the World Juniors in Halifax really predicted his turbulent first few years in the NHL. He was spectacular, athletic, wild, and untamed. His puck playing disaster that led to Canada's loss in the finals is far more representative of his early NHL years than his acrobatic saves and hot streaks. But, as it turns out, being wild an untamed is a far bigger liability in the big leagues than an uncommon athleticism and an ability to make spectacular saves.

Teams that do the basics well (get good shots from the point with a good crowd in front, produce and convert rebounds, force a goalie to move around) prey on goalies like Fluery. The Detroit Red Wings are the epitome of this sort of team. Johan Franzen and Tomas Holmstrom's presence and touch around the net around the net, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg's puck movement, and the Red Wing Defencemen's ability to get pucks on the net, seem like the perfect team to exploit Fleury's uncontrolled and showy acrobatics.

I also just watched Fluery knock someone's helmet away with a stick. Prodigy 23 year old goalies that are successful usually compose themselves more like 35 year old classy veterans, and not like spiteful 16 year old juniors. Compare Fluery's composure with another young prodigy netminder who had a similar propensity to let in bad goals this spring; Carey Price. At least, Price composed himself like a man and took himself and the game seriously. Its things like this that make me think the 20 year old Price will mature quickly, where I wonder where the already lengthy Fleury learning curve will finally pay dividends for the Penguins. As soon as I saw the helmet incident, I knew this was a bad sign for the Penguins; Fluery wasn't going to be able to control himself tonight, which will lead to his other glaring weakness; letting in horrible fluke goals at the worst possible time.

I heard people talk a lot about the Penguin's inability to convert on that late 5 on 3 in Game 4, and appropriately so. However, that go-ahead goal that Fleury let sneak past him short side was a weak goal in a close, must-win game. I just watched him let in one of the worst goals I've ever seen to let a reeling Red Wings back into Game 5. People will likely remember the incredible save he made where he almost did the splits to reach the puck on a two-on-one. And justifiably so, since he's one of the rare goalies who can make that save. But a save like that is required of a goalie once every 7 or 8 games, if that often. Those saves make great stories, but for winning Stanley Cups, avoiding awful goals is more important because it is required every game. Fleury has failed in this easier task in two straight games.

These chokes remind me a lot of that goal in the Canada-US game years ago. That was a "choke" goal; someone losing their nerve in a big moment and trying to do way too much, resulting in disaster. Fleury has let in two similarly choke-ish goals in two of the only must win games he's played in this year.

Fluery sort of reminds me of those goalies you loved as kids ; they made highlight reel saves, wore equipment that looked cool to a 9 year old, and looked great on playing cards. Only, these types of goalies didn't win you Stanley Cups. And the older you get, the gayer that "cool" equipment looks. At least Fluery ditched those cartoon-ish yellow pads, so maybe there is hope for him after all.

In a team full of young prodigies and high draft picks, and that seems likely to fall short this year, they must be wondering "what if" making Marc Andre Fluery the 2nd goalie ever to be drafted 1st overall had turned into the sure-thing young goaltender they banked on, rather than a mistake prone, unfocused, out of control goalie.