Marc-Andre Fleury

GordieHowsUrBreath

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Story checks out.

what was the logical reason to go back to fleury? there was none, it was only the fans and media begging him to go back to their favorite nice guy

luckily he wised up

i remember he claimed to be rusty, that's funny vokoun didn't look rusty at all after going weeks without playing in 2013, he shut out the islanders in his first game in net
 

MetalheadPenguinsFan

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what was the logical reason to go back to fleury? there was none, it was only the fans and media begging him to go back to their favorite nice guy

luckily he wised up

i remember he claimed to be rusty, that's funny vokoun didn't look rusty at all after going weeks without playing in 2013, he shut out the islanders in his first game in net

Maybe it was the fact that he didn't let anything in in the 20 minutes he played in game 4 of the ECF that year?? That and the fact that he was still the designated starter back then.
 

GordieHowsUrBreath

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Maybe it was the fact that he didn't let anything in in the 20 minutes he played in game 4 of the ECF that year?? That and the fact that he was still the designated starter back then.

yeah he came into that game with no pressure as the game was already over, he does well when there's no pressure like in the regular season
 

Tom Hanks

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what was the logical reason to go back to fleury? there was none, it was only the fans and media begging him to go back to their favorite nice guy

luckily he wised up

i remember he claimed to be rusty, that's funny vokoun didn't look rusty at all after going weeks without playing in 2013, he shut out the islanders in his first game in net

Murray had a bad game. Fleury did well in the 3rd period. Probably thought Murray needed a rest which seems legit since he was a rookie with little NHL experience.

When Murray came back he was even better so seemed to have worked out well.

Sully doesn’t make moves in the playoffs other than what’s best for the team to win the Stanley Cup. Not because of fans and media (that’s one of the stupidest things I’ve heard).
 
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GordieHowsUrBreath

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Jun 16, 2016
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Murray had a bad game. Fleury did well in the 3rd period. Probably thought Murray needed a rest which seems legit since he was a rookie with little NHL experience.

When Murray came back he was even better so seemed to have worked out well.

Sully doesn’t make moves in the playoffs other than what’s best for the team to win the Stanley Cup. Not because of fans and media (that’s one of the stupidest things I’ve heard).

i like to think so, but the stupidest thing he did was going back to fleury when there was no reason to do that, media and fan pressure is the only thing i could think of to make such a stupid move for such a smart man

admit it those cups would've been a lot sweeter to you if fleury won them himself
 

Tom Hanks

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i like to think so, but the stupidest thing he did was going back to fleury when there was no reason to do that, media and fan pressure is the only thing i could think of to make such a stupid move for such a smart man

admit it those cups would've been a lot sweeter to you if fleury won them himself

No it wouldn’t have been. I wanted Fleury gone after that Philly series but it worked out pretty good last year so that’s cool. That Washington series he was the biggest factor in us winning that series.

In 2016 v Tampa we lost in OT when Fleury came in and almost helped us to victory. Murray got a rest and came back better. I was ok with Sully’s decisions. I would have stick with Murray but he knows his players better and he has the results.
 

Scotty Pucks

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He went from a hero (2009) to a potato (2012-2016 though I know not every year was all him) to a hero (2017) one last time. Easy for Penguins fans to love him now but boy was he a massive scapegoat for a good portion of his time there.

He’s a good goalie overall. But he lacks consistency and can be a real headcase, and there’s other teams out there in the playoffs that could pick him apart rather easily. CBJ and Anaheim are the only 2 teams left who scored less goals than the Kings this season.
 

Mr Jiggyfly

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There is a reason Shero basically forced MAF to see a sports shrink.

He was definitely a headcase in Pgh, and it wasn’t a coincidence the Pens finally got past the second round since their cup win with Vokoun and Murray, the two years MAF was benched/hurt.

He just played spastic in net and the team in front of him was a reflection of his demeanor.

Happy he had his storybook ending and is doing well for Vegas, but it was time to move on.

However, anyone pretending that Pens fans loathed him or made him a scapegoat, are out to lunch. Maybe some Pens fans on here (who represent a small minority of the fan base, disliked him), but those who live in the city know the media and fans treated MAF with kid gloves and made all the excuses in the world for him.

If he had played in a different market, especially in Canada, NY, etc, he would have been in a padded room from the hate and media pressure.
 
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Pikesburgh

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May 1, 2016
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Then why was he blamed when the team's defense was absolute **** from 2010-2014? Can't have it both ways. I'm one of those people who think a team's system is much more important than the goalie in net but again, the way people have treated him is hypocritical.
The team's defense was pretty good... did you forget games he lost because he allowed absolutely horrible goals? Like a playoff game a few years ago against Columbus. He allowed the GWG on a wrist shot from the blueline...no screen...no nothing. I love Fleury, but he is one of the worst good goalies in NHL history when it comes to allowing garbage goals. He makes UNBELIEVABLE saves. Then a minute later he will allow a backhand from near the blueline to go in top shelf. He was like that even in '09. The team defense won that cup. Remember Cooke-Staal-Kennedy? They were the Pens shutdown line. Remember Gill-Scuderi? The shutdown pairing. Then there was Brooks Orpik, a guy who shutdown superstars consistently.

Now? Yeah, Fleury is pretty dang good and deserves credit. But even just a few years ago he allowed some super soft goals (like the 4-3 ot loss to Tampa 2 years ago). He's a great (WHAT A SAVE) goalie, but a bad (this should be second nature to save it) goalie. Hall of Fame numbers during the season, bottom of the league numbers in the playoffs for something like 75% of his playoff seasons.
 

pokey10

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No it isn't, but it is tough for Penguins fans to be objective about the guy like you can't seem to be, since he was such a polarizing figure on your boards. The people who hated him on HF Pens hated him with a blinding passion, and there was always a big debate about it.

Fleury was the release valve for all of the Penguins fans frustrations from 2010-2014 but they didn't realise that there were deeper issues. It was the same Fleury that posted .930+ under Michel Therrien in the playoffs, but the team in front of him under Bylsma would have made any goalie look bad. Though he did have a penchant for some mindbogglingly flukey goals to be scored against him which compounded the issue.

It comes down to the basic tenet that the system is more important than the goalie. It's how Devan Dubnyk was at one point the laughing stock in the league in Edmonton but a Vezina nominee in Minnesota. Brian Elliott an .891 goalie in Colorado then the next year .940 in St. Louis.

Fleury was the victim of an awful system under Bylsma and the fact that he is putting up such great numbers under Gallant is proof of that. He's 33 years old or something. He didn't magically become this much better at this age.

Now obviously the system is a big part but the goalie himself has to have some skill, and that's what this thread is for. To celebrate MAF's talent and how everything has come together for him finally.

OH, you've never heard of one Staal, Jordan, Kunitz, Chris or Adams, Craig.
 

Rangerfan4life90

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Maybe this has been said already but goalies have a really tough time getting into the HOF. MAF isn’t even a top 5 goalie from his era. He ain’t getting in.

He finishes with 500-550 wins and does well these next few years, and including his current hardware, I can't see how he isn't a HOF at that point.
 
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pokey10

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Why exactly? Twice in his career has he had any Vezina votes (both times he had one 3rd place vote, which is as weak as possible) and his best All-Star voting placement is 6th. His individual stats are nothing to write home about and he's played in some very strong teams.

He's the Shane Doan of goalies. It's not an insult, he's had great career. But he's not a Hall of Famer.

You and I have had our disagreements in the past, but this is pretty spot on.

I love MAF. Hell he can adopt me. He had accumulated a lot of wins during the RS and get a little praise for that. He isnt a bad goalie, he just had his struggles. HELL he even knew it, he saw a sports psych.... And I dont think there is a happier Pitt fan that me that he is having a great year.
 
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Nasti

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He finishes with 500-550 wins and does well these next few years, and including his current hardware, I can't see how he isn't a HOF at that point.

Wins alone won’t get him in. Just like they didn’t get Chris Osgood in. He has no individual hardware. Not to mention that win totals are inflated in the shootout era.
 

DearDiary

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No it isn't, but it is tough for Penguins fans to be objective about the guy like you can't seem to be, since he was such a polarizing figure on your boards. The people who hated him on HF Pens hated him with a blinding passion, and there was always a big debate about it.

Fleury was the release valve for all of the Penguins fans frustrations from 2010-2014 but they didn't realise that there were deeper issues. It was the same Fleury that posted .930+ under Michel Therrien in the playoffs, but the team in front of him under Bylsma would have made any goalie look bad. Though he did have a penchant for some mindbogglingly flukey goals to be scored against him which compounded the issue.

It comes down to the basic tenet that the system is more important than the goalie. It's how Devan Dubnyk was at one point the laughing stock in the league in Edmonton but a Vezina nominee in Minnesota. Brian Elliott an .891 goalie in Colorado then the next year .940 in St. Louis.

Fleury was the victim of an awful system under Bylsma and the fact that he is putting up such great numbers under Gallant is proof of that. He's 33 years old or something. He didn't magically become this much better at this age.

Now obviously the system is a big part but the goalie himself has to have some skill, and that's what this thread is for. To celebrate MAF's talent and how everything has come together for him finally.

Literally everything you said is wrong. Fluery has single highhandedly lost the Pens series, even getting outplayed by his backups like Vokoun.

Fluery got better, because he started seeing a psychologist about his choking under pressure. Got even better once he got a decent goaltender coach in Bales. It had nothing to do with the system or the players in front of him.

Fluery is also one of the most liked athletes ever in the history of Pittsburgh sports, laughable that you're suggesting there's even a sliver of hate against him :rolleyes:
 
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Zen Arcade

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Pittsburgh being too hard on Fleury is some of the worst revisionist history I've ever seen on here.

Can anyone imagine a goalie putting up performances like he did against the Islanders or Flyers while playing in a market like Montreal? Do you think the fans would still be chanting his name after saves?
 

NextYear67

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The people saying he won't be in the Hall really have no clue what they're talking about. He's on pace to end up 3rd all time in wins, with 5th being the absolute floor.
 

ImporterExporter

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Wins alone won’t get him in. Just like they didn’t get Chris Osgood in. He has no individual hardware. Not to mention that win totals are inflated in the shootout era.

Chris Osgood barely hit 400 wins. MAF is already past that mark at 33 years old. If he decides to play another 5 years and stays relatively healthy, he should hit 500 fairly easily and there are only 2 other goalies that have hit that mark ever. Roy and Brodeur. Like it or not, but a guy who has 3 Cups (big hand in 2 of them) and hypothetically speaking, 500+ wins is getting into the hall. I wouldn't put him in 1st ballot (and I'm a Pens diehard) but he'll absolutely get in if he finishes his career 3rd all time in wins. Especially if he can continue to have a few more Vezina caliber years in Vegas. You can save this post for 10-12 years down the road.
 

Tuna Tatarrrrrr

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If MAF ends up in the HHOF then Osgood would have to be as well which will allow every goalie without any individual award to gain access.
LOL at Osgood in the HHOF...I agree Fleury doesn't have any individual awards but practically all his stats are better than Osgood. And he will probably end his career with the third most wins behind Brodeur and Roy.
 

BlueBrunswick

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Jan 27, 2014
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Chris Osgood barely hit 400 wins. MAF is already past that mark at 33 years old. If he decides to play another 5 years and stays relatively healthy, he should hit 500 fairly easily and there are only 2 other goalies that have hit that mark ever. Roy and Brodeur. Like it or not, but a guy who has 3 Cups (big hand in 2 of them) and hypothetically speaking, 500+ wins is getting into the hall. I wouldn't put him in 1st ballot (and I'm a Pens diehard) but he'll absolutely get in if he finishes his career 3rd all time in wins. Especially if he can continue to have a few more Vezina caliber years in Vegas. You can save this post for 10-12 years down the road.

I tend to agree - Osgood got his 400th win at 38. MAF, will probably hit 500 wins... Luongo and Lundqvist will more than likely get there before him, but when all is said and done, MAF may have more wins that either of them. I think there will be a pretty big wave of goalies entering the hall over the next 10 to 15 years.
 

ImporterExporter

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Pittsburgh being too hard on Fleury is some of the worst revisionist history I've ever seen on here.

Can anyone imagine a goalie putting up performances like he did against the Islanders or Flyers while playing in a market like Montreal? Do you think the fans would still be chanting his name after saves?

No it's not. I stopped posting largely on the Pens forum because I got sick of seeing him trashed in every single Pens thread between 2010-2013. People went out of their way on that board to roast him. That span is a dark mark on the org. and IMO the biggest part of the blame lies on Bylsma and Shero because they're the idiots that made up the roster and put players in a poor situation all around. They coddled MAF, never got him a legit goaltending coach, etc. Is it any wonder that his best years came pre and post Bylsma?

The guy deserved flak, especially in 2012. But the fact remains the team was a dumpster fire and plenty of blame could be thrown in many different directions.

And lastly, the media was very easy on MAF in Pittsburgh, but a large portion of the actual real, diehard fans loathed the dude and often went out of their way to put the lions share of the blame at his feet.
 

Zen Arcade

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No it's not. I stopped posting largely on the Pens forum because I got sick of seeing him trashed in every single Pens thread between 2010-2013. People went out of their way on that board to roast him. That span is a dark mark on the org. and IMO the biggest part of the blame lies on Bylsma and Shero because they're the idiots that made up the roster and put players in a poor situation all around. They coddled MAF, never got him a legit goaltending coach, etc. Is it any wonder that his best years came pre and post Bylsma?

The guy deserved flak, especially in 2012. But the fact remains the team was a dumpster fire and plenty of blame could be thrown in many different directions.

And lastly, the media was very easy on MAF in Pittsburgh, but a large portion of the actual real, diehard fans loathed the dude and often went out of their way to put the lions share of the blame at his feet.

The Pens forum isn't the Pens fan base.
 

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