Mr. Fleury, the greatest goalie in Pens history, probably will be with another team next season due to age, contract, the upcoming expansion draft, and Matt Murray. Sadly, sport is a business, and there is precious little room for sentiment in it.
By all accounts, he is the epitome of hard work and the best guy in the Pens room. His reflexes, hand-eye coordination, and athletic ability have been a wonder to behold. He has won two Stanley Cups (so far) and the Hall Of Fame awaits. I hope all Pens fans appreciate him.
I want to thank him for all he has done for the Penguins. I want to wish him well and may God bless him and his wonderful family always. He will never have to buy a drink in any bar I inhabit.
Marc-Andre Fleury, Penguins shut down Capitals in Game 7...
WASHINGTON — Marc-Andre Fleury’s 29-save shutout sparked the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 2-0 win against the Washington Capitals to earn a spot in the Eastern Conference final.
What it means: The Penguins’ quest to be the first Stanley Cup champion to repeat since the Detroit Red Wings did it in 1997 and 1998 is still alive. They now meet the Ottawa Senators in a best-of-seven series, starting on Saturday in Pittsburgh.
Turning point in Game 7: The opening minutes of the game when the Capitals unleashed unwavering offensive pressure. But Fleury and his defense weathered the storm until the Penguins could rediscover their confidence.
Based on how the Capitals dominated the third period of Game 5, and all of Game 6, they might have carried that momentum throughout Game 7 had they been able to push a puck past Fleury in those opening moments.
"We came out like a house on fire (in the opening two minutes) and it sure would have been nice to pop one,” Washington Capitals defenseman Matt Niskanen said.
"I think we got through that first little wave there and got to our game and we were much more on our toes," Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said. "I thought we still went at them.. I thought we really played the right way with the lead."
MORE:
Game-winning goal: Bryan Rust buried a shot high into the net from the slot after being set up by a perfect feed from Jake Guentzel. Crosby drew the secondary assist. Last season, en route to the Stanley Cup, the Penguins won a Game 7 against the Tampa Bay Lightning by a 2-1 verdict. Rust scored both of Pittsburgh’s goals in that Game 7.
Ovechkin mistake: Ovechkin’s failure to clear the puck out of his zone led to Patric Hornqvist scoring Pittsburgh’s second goal, on a backhander, at 4:14 of the third period. Ovechkin’s playoff agony continues.
Not Braden Holtby’s fault: The Capitals goalie also played a strong game, keeping Washington within striking distance with big saves in the third period.
Streak continues: The Penguins have never lost a Game 7 on the road. They are now 6-0 in franchise history. They are 4-0 against Washington in Game 7s.
Streak broken: Washington winger Justin Williams has been called Mr. Game 7 because he was 7-0 in Game 7s. He is now 7-1.
What it means for the Capitals: They haven’t reached the conference final since 1998, and this group might not be the same next season. T.J. Oshie, Williams, Kevin Shattenkirk and Karl Alzner are among the potential unrestricted free agents. The Capitals are 4-11 in Game 7s in franchise history. They were also eliminated from the playoffs by the Penguins last season.
“It’s just extreme disappointment,” Alzner said. “There are times when you know you are not the best team in the playoffs, or playing the best. But we honestly thought we were the best team in the playoffs and showed flashes of it.”
From Yahoo Sports:
Marc-Andre Fleury loves his stick after robbing Ovechkin (Video)
You mean he wasn't playing air guitar after stopping the Great Over-8?
NHL Playoffs Game 7: Penguins 2, Capitals 0 highlights - YouTube
TheChurchMilitant: Sometimes anti-social, but always anti-fascist since 2005.
No comments:
Post a Comment