So many are lucky...
- Lucky to be playing behind one of the best defensive teams (Rask)
- Lucky to have a team that got a really weak opponent (Price)
Sometimes, I feel for MAF, it seems like every other goaltender has a book as thick as the Encyclopedia, filled with excuses, except Fleury.
Lundqvist can suck in the playoffs, same for Hiller, Mason, or anyone for that matter...but if Fleury sucks, we gotta ship him out because he's garbage. It's not like he's ever proven to be better than he's been in the playoffs...unlike those other goaltenders.
Even Roy had some garbage years in the playoffs, same for Brodeur and Hasek and they were on teams that were defense oriented and with some HHOF defensemen in front of them. And no, I am not putting him on that level, just saying even the best have problems, so why couldn't someone that's pretty good?
Price's SV% is worse than Fleury's...no one is batting an eye lash about that. Apparently he's still leagues above Fleury...god knows why.
Fleury has been better than Quick, Miller, and a few others. Guys that people here are having raging ****** for as "I wish we had..."
I mean give me a break, Pens don't play a better defensive oriented hockey game than the Blues or Kings and look at their numbers, worse Save Percentage than Fleury.
Opponents wise?
I would wager the Jackets left every ounce of effort they had, on the table as a team that was desperate to make a mark, a team more desperate than the Sharks, Hawks, or otherwise.
I am going to give the CBJ a boat load of credit here, they were an unreal first round opponent, if the Pens see that as a huge hurdle (which they should), they should be able to do well against the rest.
Bruins, again, being the only measuring stick in the East.