Confirmed with Link: Fleury re-signed (4 years, $23M, $5.75M AAV) #2

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

Potential thread necro, but better than starting a new thread I suppose. This article perfectly articulates why I hate the Fleury deal: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-p...eury-contract--trending-topics-145347324.html

Lambert is a Caps fan and hates the Pens. We should discuss more of his articles from last November!

Maybe we can dig up some posts from AngryHank and illpucks too?

 

[Pens1566]

Some would say rewarding mediocrity in the form of a contract extension is insanity.. especially when you consider that Fleury's mediocrity is a direct reason why the Pens have underachieved in the post-season. It would be like if an NFL franchise re-signed a QB that threw 4+ interceptions in every post-season game for the past 4 years.

However, like you said, Fleury's situation cannot be viewed through the lense of rationality and logic. There's none of that around these parts. No logical person would put that much faith in an embattled goaltender who has been proven to be the weak link time and time again.

If Fleury ends up continuing his trend of sabotaging the Pens playoff success, the Pens brass will get what they deserve. You can't let personal relationships and affability come before winning. It's clear that they like Fleury as a person so much that it trumps all of his abyssmal performances on the ice.

MAF isn't the reason why we've been knocked out. The offense dries up like octogenarian hoo-hah.

 

[Shady Machine]

During his recent slump he's gone back to the way he's always been. Now whether thats just growing pains or what, but he hasnt looks nearly as poised in the last 1.5 months. For the sake of this team he needs to play like a top 10 goalie consistently.

I personally think he's just mentally fragile. His SV% was better last playoffs, but he let in some softies in the ranger series that put the team down early, shaky moments in columbus. I know you can't blame everything on him, but he doesn't give me confidence.

I definitely agree. My only point is that I have seen some positive changes in his style of play and those have been described as changes recommended by Bales.

 

[MtlPenFan]

My issues with Fleury these days are the short side shots coming down the wing. Seems like literally every one of this is going in.

Yes, it was the AS game and I mean really, who cares. But the Suter goal was a carbon copy of a bunch of them that have been going in.

 

[Pens1566]

I'm sorry, using any examples from the ASG is just a non-starter.

Noah Welch, -6

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

MAF was drafted into an ideal situation, no doubt. He would have been driven out of just about any Canadian city or big market club in the US by now.

Pens fans in Pgh are a much more forgiving lot than most, especially compared to Steeler fans who want to trade Roethlisberger even though he has won two SBs and just had a monster year.

Hopefully he rewards the org and fans that have shown him almost unseen loyalty in this or any other sport.

I totally disagree. They jerked him around for a few years, having him play on 4 different teams his rookie year, which is not how you properly develop a goalie. Then there's the whole Meloch debacle.

It shouldn't take 10 years to finally give your franchise goalie a ****ing goalie coach.

 

[MtlPenFan]

I'm sorry, using any examples from the ASG is just a non-starter.

Noah Welch, -6

How come? It's the identical shot to at least a dozen that have gone in on him.

Same thing over and over. He stands up, cheats off the post, and the shot beats him because he's hoping it hits him instead of reacting to it.

 

[JQR]

I'm sorry, using any examples from the ASG is just a non-starter.

Noah Welch, -6

I didn't even watch past the first period. It was all soft goals because the goalies are only playing a period each, they're all cold. Nobody is going out of their way to make a save that has even the slightest chance of pulling something.

 

[Pens1566]

How come? It's the identical shot to at least a dozen that have gone in on him.

Same thing over and over. He stands up, cheats off the post, and the shot beats him because he's hoping it hits him instead of reacting to it.

Because there was zero effort given in the entire game. It's not a real world, game situation.

 

[MtlPenFan]

Because there was zero effort given in the entire game. It's not a real world, game situation.

But that same shot has applied several times already in games that do count.

 

[Frederick Stanley]

Are seriously using the ASG to bash Fleury?

 

[Pens1566]

But that same shot has applied several times already in games that do count.

I seem to recall one from Nash, a perennial all star and current league leader in scoring. High blocker on a 2 on 1.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

How come? It's the identical shot to at least a dozen that have gone in on him.

Same thing over and over. He stands up, cheats off the post, and the shot beats him because he's hoping it hits him instead of reacting to it.

Because noone is playing D and it was the first shot he saw in over an hour. Honestly using the ASG as 'proof' just reeks of a bad argument.

If you watch more than just the Pens you'll see that almost every shot coming down the wing is either high and away (like all of Sutter's goals) or shortside over the pad and under the glove/blocker. You'll also see other goalies letting up those goals, not just MAF. The reason you always see those shots is because those are two of the only places you can score on butterfly goalies. Goalie square to the shot and play the percentages and hope the shooters don't hit the small open areas. If MAF cheats more to the pipe to stop the shortside shots guys will just shoot high glove and you'll ***** that he's giving up too much room off the pipe.

I mean, when everyone and their mother knows Sutter is shooting high and away, and he scores almost every time, you know that it isn't just bad goaltending and he's found a hole in the butterfly.

 

[MtlPenFan]

Jesus Christ look at this...

Read the ****ing post superfans. Using the most recent example of the type of goal I'm talking about but hey, forget the part where I wrote "I mean it's the ASG, so who cares really..."

Good lord.

 

[Rocket of Russia]

How come? It's the identical shot to at least a dozen that have gone in on him.

Same thing over and over. He stands up, cheats off the post, and the shot beats him because he's hoping it hits him instead of reacting to it.

I can picture the exact shot you're talking about. The Nash goal 20 seconds into the last Rangers game fits that bill. He definitely seems to be struggling to track that.

 

[MtlPenFan]

I can picture the exact shot you're talking about. The Nash goal 20 seconds into the last Rangers game fits that bill. He definitely seems to be struggling to track that.

Or the 7-3 blowout game against Minny. Can't remember who it was but it was a D-man coming down the wing.

 

[IcedCapp]

every "2-on-1" the past month. The puck carrier has no pass and is way wide. His only option is to go short side. It's always open.

 

[Shady Machine]

My issues with Fleury these days are the short side shots coming down the wing. Seems like literally every one of this is going in.

Yes, it was the AS game and I mean really, who cares. But the Suter goal was a carbon copy of a bunch of them that have been going in.

Oh for sure. He definitely has an issue there of late.

 

[billybudd]

Or the 7-3 blowout game against Minny. Can't remember who it was but it was a D-man coming down the wing.

Matt Martin also got one of those, though, to be fair, it was probably the best wrist shot he's taken in his entire life.

 

[Deutschland Dangler]

Pacioretty (January 10th)
Fontaine (January 13th)
Nash (January 18th)

That's just from the top of my head and very recently but I seem to remember discussing in the main boards when MaxPac scored that this had started to happen more frequently.

It may not look so bad because most of those are generally good shots but it's definitely happening too often. That's exactly the kind of thing a playoff opponent is going to scout and exploit. Bales better starts doing something.

 

[BobCole]

What are we getting at here? That when the league's leading goal scorer breaks in on an odd man rush he's going to score sometimes? All goalies have weaknesses, and if Fleury's weakness is "letting in goals short side while facing good shooters on odd man rushes" that's not exactly a huge problem.

 

[madinsomniac]

What are we getting at here? That when the league's leading goal scorer breaks in on an odd man rush he's going to score sometimes? All goalies have weaknesses, and if Fleury's weakness is "letting in goals short side while facing good shooters on odd man rushes" that's not exactly a huge problem.

when fluery thinks there is going to be a cross crease pass to the other side, he does cheat off that post.. he always has... the only time he doesn't is when the team is playing tight D in front of him, then he squares up.

His anticipation of the worse possible scenario is what kills him too often... if he just played as if the D is going to eliminate the pass, he'd be better off, however there were whole years where our D never stopped that kin d of pass so I sort of understand why he is conditioned like that

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Are seriously using the ASG to bash Fleury?

Don't go into our Around the NHL thread...the idiocy in regards to Fleury letting in goals in a game no one puts in a 100% effort in is an interesting read.

 

[Deutschland Dangler]

What are we getting at here? That when the league's leading goal scorer breaks in on an odd man rush he's going to score sometimes? All goalies have weaknesses, and if Fleury's weakness is "letting in goals short side while facing good shooters on odd man rushes" that's not exactly a huge problem.

People are commenting on a trend that is becoming increasingly concerning. Fortunately, it should be relatively easily correctable.

 

[Don'tcry4mejanhrdina]

Pens fans would complain about prime Patrick Roy letting in too many shots high glove. Or complain about Hasek's form. "Sure, he made 37 saves on 38 shots but I don't like how he flops around out there."