Marc-Andre Fleury Coming On Strong For Penguins

One of the first articles I wrote for Bleacher Report in December highlighted the importance of goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to the Pittsburgh Penguins' ultimate fortunes.

At the time, the 24-year-old Fleury was ready to return to the ice after nursing a "lower-body injury" back to health.

He had missed a month and the since-traded Dany Sabourin was starting to show wear and fatigue incurred while trying to carry the load of a No. 1 goalie.

My thought was that getting "Flower" back between the red pipes would boost the Penguins back toward the top of the Eastern Conference.

As it turned out, the flightless fowl's problems were much too extensive to be rectified by the insertion of one player, albeit a talented player in a key position.

But now, about two months later and with the Penguins having won three of four in their pursuit of a playoff berth, Fleury has reasserted his status as the third star in Pittsburgh's extraordinary constellation, alongside Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby.

While Malkin (two goals, two assists) and Crosby (one goal, three assists and a shootout winner) have played their customary large roles in the past four games, Fleury has been at his best in crucial moments, turning potential losses into opportunities for victories, which his rejuvenated teammates have seized.

In the dramatic overtime win over Tampa Bay last Wednesday, Malkin received the spotlight (and deservedly so) for grabbing three points in the third period and overtime, almost singlehandedly overcoming a three-goal deficit.

What was buried in the aftermath was Fleury's right-leg save on Vinny Prospal in the final minute of regulation, a stop that turned what would've been a devastating loss into an eventual thrilling victory.

Two nights later, as Pittsburgh hosted Columbus at Mellon Arena, the hungry Blue Jackets pushed the pace in the opening period but couldn't push a single shot, including Rick Nash's lightning-quick wraparound attempt, past Fleury.

The Pens would go on to score the critical first goal, then added on in a 4-1 triumph that was partially decided by Columbus' inability to break through early.

Two nights ago, Fleury outdueled counterpart Brian Boucher in a 2-1 Pittsburgh shootout win over best-in-the-West San Jose, getting in front of 36 Sharks' shots and allowing only Joe Pavelski's jam play to squeeze by.

Two of those 36 saves stand out: a denial of Mike Grier's breakaway late in the third and a stretching stop of Dan Boyle in the final round of the shootout to clinch the big win.

Three games, three wins that could have vaporized if not for the heroics of Fleury. And if you think a youngster with his pedigree should be expected to play at a high level consistently, remember that, with few exceptions, NHL goaltenders have been known to take time to mature into peak form.

Just ask Carey Price, the Montreal Canadiens' neophyte netminder who beat out Fleury for the Eastern Conference's starting goalie spot in the All-Star Game.

The 21-year-old sophomore has seen his level of play sink during his team's recent funk, allowing 19 goals in his last five starts and 12 in his last two.

Admittedly Price and Fleury have different styles, but both gentlemen entered the NHL with limited pro experience and have been forced to do considerable learning while trying to maintain the duties of a No. 1 goalie at the highest level.

The one edge "Flower" has over "Jesus Price" is an extended playoff run of outstanding play. Whereas Price is eager to erase memories of his second-round meltdown last spring, Fleury can rest assured that he has the proven ability to succeed on hockey's largest stage.

Such confidence has been tested this season with the Penguins in the bottom third of the league in shots allowed per game (30.8) and a commitment to team defense only becoming evident since the coaching staff installed a more passive neutral-zone trap in the past month.

If you watched the Penguins-Red Wings match-up this past Sunday, you heard NBC analyst Pierre McGuire repeatedly harp upon Fleury's supposedly sub-par rebound control as if it was the primary reason the Pens lost to the champs 3-0.

If McGuire had been truly paying attention, he would've seen that Fleury has actually been one of the Pens' better performers in spite of the increased number of shots he has faced.

His goals-against-average is mediocre due to the amount of rubber he's seeing, but I believe his play to be a bright spot in this uneven season.

Remember Fleury's recent sparkling efforts if the Penguins rally to qualify for the post-season. Even though others may garner the headlines and highlights, Pens fans should be grateful the "Flower" is planted in Pittsburgh for years to come.