Who Is That Masked Man???
When the Pittsburgh Penguins drafted Marc Andre Fleury !st overall in the 2003 NHL entry draft, they knew that they were getting a very special player.
Throughout Marc Andre's first two seasons as a pro he did nothing to prove them wrong. Unfortunately he was playing behind a very poor defense in his first season and faced hundreds of shots. His confidence took a little hit, and he started to let up a soft goal or two. He doesn't seem to have any real flaws in his game. If anything he was a little aggressive early on in his career, but has really calmed down. Marc Andre Fleury posted solid numbers in the QMJHL and AHL and was the best goalie in training camp for the Pittsburgh Penguins coming into the 2005-2006 season. Unfortunately he was sent back to the AHL in the last round of cuts before the season. Instead of pouting about the fact that he was probably better than the guys who were kept in the NHL, he went to the AHL and proceeded to rise to the top as the best goalie in the league. He actually won goalie of the month honors and was a major part of the Wilkes Barre-Scranton Penguins great run to start the season.
Marc Andre shuttled back and forth between Pittsburgh and Wilkes Barre-Scranton several times before finally securing a spot on the Pittsburgh roster. He had several ups and downs, but he could always be counted on to make several huge saves each game. Unfortunately the wins were not coming.
Well, that is starting to change. Since the Olympic break ended, Marc Andre has been a different player. He looks more confident on the ice and has been stealing points for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Even on nights that he isn't able to secure points for the team, he is very tough to beat. His play has been even more impressive over that past 2 weeks. He has allowed only 10 goals in his last 5 games, one of which was a shut out. He has also compiled a .935 sv% and a 2.00 gaa during this stretch.
Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will obviously play a huge role in the future of the Pittsburgh Penguins, but they may not be near as important as Marc Andre Fleury. Those young men will chip in with plenty of points, but no matter how much they are able to score, it won't matter if the team cannot prevent goals. Marc Andre will be the man between the pipes for years to come and may be just the right ingredient necessary to help secure a third Stanley Cup for the city of Pittsburgh.
Throughout Marc Andre's first two seasons as a pro he did nothing to prove them wrong. Unfortunately he was playing behind a very poor defense in his first season and faced hundreds of shots. His confidence took a little hit, and he started to let up a soft goal or two. He doesn't seem to have any real flaws in his game. If anything he was a little aggressive early on in his career, but has really calmed down. Marc Andre Fleury posted solid numbers in the QMJHL and AHL and was the best goalie in training camp for the Pittsburgh Penguins coming into the 2005-2006 season. Unfortunately he was sent back to the AHL in the last round of cuts before the season. Instead of pouting about the fact that he was probably better than the guys who were kept in the NHL, he went to the AHL and proceeded to rise to the top as the best goalie in the league. He actually won goalie of the month honors and was a major part of the Wilkes Barre-Scranton Penguins great run to start the season.
Marc Andre shuttled back and forth between Pittsburgh and Wilkes Barre-Scranton several times before finally securing a spot on the Pittsburgh roster. He had several ups and downs, but he could always be counted on to make several huge saves each game. Unfortunately the wins were not coming.
Well, that is starting to change. Since the Olympic break ended, Marc Andre has been a different player. He looks more confident on the ice and has been stealing points for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Even on nights that he isn't able to secure points for the team, he is very tough to beat. His play has been even more impressive over that past 2 weeks. He has allowed only 10 goals in his last 5 games, one of which was a shut out. He has also compiled a .935 sv% and a 2.00 gaa during this stretch.
Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will obviously play a huge role in the future of the Pittsburgh Penguins, but they may not be near as important as Marc Andre Fleury. Those young men will chip in with plenty of points, but no matter how much they are able to score, it won't matter if the team cannot prevent goals. Marc Andre will be the man between the pipes for years to come and may be just the right ingredient necessary to help secure a third Stanley Cup for the city of Pittsburgh.
posted by Bmetzer66 at 8:40 PM
2 Comments:
Do you think it's the right idea for Pittsburgh to send Fleury down to WBS for the Calder Cup run? It's probably going to happen as things stand right now, but is it the best move for everybody?
He is definitely slated to go back to WBS after the season. I do think that it could be a good thing for Marc Andre, as long as he is allowed to play and has some success. The past two seasons he was pulled early or not given a second opportunity in the playoffs. Therrien had him on a short leash and quickly went to Andy Chiodo. Fleury was tearing up the AHL early this season and if he can regain that form, he could be to the Baby Pens what Antero Niittymaki was to Philly as they won the Calder last season.
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