Fleury is done

[Pavel Bure]

So what other options are there? I've heard Ryan Miller, which is a lateral move at best. What about Victor Fast? Heck, even Tim Thomas might be lured out of Florida at the deadline. Moving goalies isn't exactly the easiest thing from a GM's perspective.

It's not so much what's available. It's what was available before the start of the season. Namely Bernier and Schnieder.

[meecrofilm]

We really couldn't match either of those packages with our available picks/prospects at the time.

[BigMcK]

I remember reading The Sporting News NHL Report after he was drafted and the comment was that he was being counted on to being the Penguins goalie for at least a decade. The other comment was that management was split as there were those that wanted to send him to the minors to further craft his skills against the other half that said he was ready for the NHL and that the Penguins needed him to play so that the team could win games. The latter half won out.

The decade is now upon us in 2013 as he began his professional career in 2003.

[Idoit40fans]

The latter half won out.

Except for the winning games part.

Not that anyone could have won with those teams 03-06.

[Pitts]

And how much success had Miller brought the Sabers exactly?

The goalie does not make the team people! The Pens absolutely SUCK at defense! Great goalies are made by great defenses. Period.

does not compute

i don't think either of them are any good these days, so why add a more expensive version of shaky?

To answer, the first was in response to those who blame Fleury, but want Miller -- 2 nearly identical goalies truthfully.

The second is my belief. Put Rask in front of the Pens and suddenly he will look a lot like Fleury. Or, a very common "want" by Pen's fans - Price. He will become Fleury in front of this team. The Pens style of play is not conducive to a "great" goalie. Barrasso was the last one to be great in a face of run and gun, and even he broke down after a few seasons.

[Idoit40fans]

I don't think much of Rask. he's a good goalie on a great defensive team. I think Miller is actually a great goalie who is currently on a horrible team.

[skullman80]

Miller isn't enough of an upgrade on Fleury IMO that it would make it worth pursuing him via trade or whatever.

[Idoit40fans]

I personally think the guy is shell shocked from a poor all-around team defensive strategy/execution, coupled with a playoff or two of bad luck on his part. Snowball effect.

This is pretty much it. The team had no answer for the aggressive play of the Flyers and Islanders, it was just turnover after turnover. Everyone watched the puck and tried to react in their own end. When the penguins played well against the islanders, they shut em out in game 5 just as they did in game 1 with Fleury in net. It's like watching Ben Roethlisberger behind his offensive line, there is an obvious discomfort with happy feet, short-arming the ball, and an all around panicked attempt to try and do too much.

I don't think Fleury would still be flopping all over the place if the Boston defense was in front of him. Roethlisberger scrambles all over the place no matter the protection. Or are you comparing Ben's scrambling no matter what happens to Fleury's letting in goals that literally any high school level goalie would save?

[Idoit40fans]

Miller isn't enough of an upgrade on Fleury IMO that it would make it worth pursuing him via trade or whatever.

People were talking about goalies that were available. Miller was and is available by all accounts.

[Mr. Colby]

I'd consider Miller a pretty significant upgrade over Fleury - he's been stuck on a team that is not very good. Even when the team won the division in 2010, their D consisted of Myers, Lydman, Montador, Tallinder, Paetsch, Sekera, Rivet, Butler... yikes

[pcm]

Miller could be an option next year, when he's up for a new contract. But he's much too expensive to fit under the cap this year.... anyways, he's probably not a huge upgrade.

I wonder if Shero could have traded Pouliot for Schneider? He's likely a better prospect than Horvat (Canuck's pick).

Would have loved to get Nichuskin.... he's going to be electric. At least 5 teams are going to be kicking themselves for passing up on this guy, maybe even 7 or 8 teams...

[Nizzy]

Good things the Pens went out and got a top of the line goaltending coach to help Fleury..

Oh wait, they just promoted the guy below the guy, that was washed up.

standard.

[FreeCandy44]

Its September 25....I was just checking to see if Fleury was still "done".

[bh]

I'll wait to see what he does this season but it doesn't look good. He has to prove everyone wrong. I hope he does.

[Idoit40fans]

Thats where I was the year before last.

[no name]

Miller will be looking for a kings ransom on his next contract. His behavior at the CBA negoiations showed he is all about the money.

I would love to see Fleury regain his old form, its just that once the playoffs roll around you never know which Fleury will show up.

[Idoit40fans]

Wait...there are still people that think the hardline elite players weren't fighting for the middle class? Everything they said would happen has happened. Its over, they weren't being greedy.

[penny lane]

9/25 and folks batty about Flower, but Sid & Evgeni haven't scored a goal since the ottawa series.

82 games +; plenty of time to panic about everything.

[DudeMan2766]

I think that's the point tho. I by no means think he's "done" and when given the choice of goalies the Penguins could realistically acquire at this point in time, I'll roll the dice with Fleury, but we've been hearing "Its October" "Its November" "Talk to me in the Spring" for years now. Like I said, I in no way would call him done, but this discussion is no longer as ridiculous as people pretend it is.

[Idoit40fans]

What? Since the ottawa series = 4 games.

[Hugo Stiglitz]

I'm really surprised that so many of you think Ryan Miller isn't an upgrade. Miller IMO is a superior goalie to Fleury. Not so much for his skill (which he has), but he has much better composure and the calming influence that the Penguins are missing.

Yes, he's aging, but I think he would be a major upgrade. If you look at how Vokun stepped in, just picture that but with more skill and the ability to play a full season and playoffs.

[Hugo Stiglitz]

you never know which Fleury will show up.

This is the problem and it's all mental for Fleury. He has all the tools and skill to be the best, but he collapses mentally. If the Penguins want to be a true contender, they will need a game-changing goalie. This goalie doesn't need to be the most skilled or the best in the league, but he needs to be a goalie who can perform under pressure, steal the occasional game and have some consistency.

If the Penguins don't change this, then the Penguins quickly become the Washington Capitals or Philadelphia Flyers.

[DudeMan2766]

I'd almost guarantee that if Fleury was the CAN starter all thru the last Olympics and Miller barely was on the team people would use that to "prove" Fleury is unquestionably better than Miller. Not really relevant to anything, but that just popped into my mind. I also think Miller is overall better.

[Idoit40fans]

I think that would serve as proof that Miller wasn't Canadian.

[DudeMan2766]

I knew the way it was worded before I hit submit, and was willing to deal with the consequence