Not his fault.

Sincerely,
James Reimer

There have been games where ... he couldn't make the big save at the key time.
But last night....was not one of those games.

except the part where he couldn't make the big save at the key time

Except they didn't get the backchecking, the tough defense or the puck possession. They would take a rush that didn't lead to anything, then saunter back to their own zone after giving up an odd-man break. The 40 or so shots that were rung up against them in the last 50 minutes (after getting the 3-0 lead) should be proof of that.

But that should be disregarded and just blame the goalie?
- ScienceJesus

of course not...not what i was saying. but just because that happened doesnt mean you ignore fluery playing a game he isnt supposed to be playing.

while you and i might not agree with playing a defensive game, it is a strategy that plenty of experienced nhl coaches use when they are up...getting out of your crease while essentally on a power play with less than a minute to go is NOT in anyones playbook. thats a boneheaded play. doesnt take away blame for everyone else sucking, just of all the "suck" that went on in those last 49 minutes, fleurys sucked the most.

alright. you make a convincing case.
- Eklund

Up by one goal in the dying minute of the game - stay in your net. There was no reason for him to go chasing the puck around the net. The winning goal was a shot from practically the blueline, no screen, no deflection - just a wrist shot that sneaks in.
Fluery is to blame. If your team is scoring 3 goals a game, you need to pull a win out of that.

I can't follow your logic. If Fluery doesn't come out of the net with 30 seconds left they win the game.
- lileapers

if you give maf enough time, he'll always find a way to (frank) things up

I can't follow your logic. If Fluery doesn't come out of the net with 30 seconds left they win the game.
- lileapers

And if you can't trust your teammates then there's no way in hell you're winning the cup.

NEVER should have come to that.
- Eklund

But it did...and you play to the game at the moment.

There's woulda...shoulda...coulda...and then there is...did.

It's still a 1 goal lead with less than a minute left in the game.

Stay in your net...let your defenders defend.

There was no need to play the puck with 22 seconds. Let the puck go around the boards. The worst thing he could have done was leave the net.

In addition his head was not in the game in OT. Before the game winner, which by the way was from the red line, he almost let in the shot before that glanced off his shoulder.

I understand he is not the only one to blame, but as a former goalie myself, I know that when a team loses faith in you, they play distracted and with fear. In addition it is clear that Fleury was and is affected by his gaffes. I loved when the Pens got him, I have enjoyed his time with us, and the devil you know is better than the one you don't, but I just feel now might be the time for a change.

I personally feel if they lose the following is going to happen:

1. Bylsma will be fired and Trotz will be brought in to coach
2. We will trade Fleury for a pick in the draft
3. We will sign pending UFA Jaroslav Halak
4. We will trade one or more of the following – Letang, Neal, or Martin

I think we will look completely different next year...and this won't be a bad thing.
- crebar

Excellent analysis. I feel for Fleury because he seems like an incredible team guy. I think you're on par here with Bylsma. If they lose this series, or don't advance past the second round, I think there has to be discussion about Bylsma being let go. Trozt would be the safe pick, as his system would be a fresh change for you guys. What about Laviolette? High octance offense-drive coach, attack-oriented. If Fleury is traded, I'm intrigued about the potential of someone like Halak ending up in Pitts, albeit bad news for my Flyers lol.

Not his fault.

Sincerely,
James Reimer
- Aetherial

I wish he would change his name to rimmer

Not his fault.

Sincerely,
James Reimer
- Aetherial

LOL, well done sir.

you tell me. my rumors don't come from speculation. this is just interesting speculation
- Eklund

I was just kidding, but aren't all rumours just speculation?

I hear you though, you've wrote at length that you just pass on info that you hear - and that info may be actual talked about deals or someone trying to plan a story... I still read them and talk about them myself. Keep up the (good) work.

Ok so you take it into your own hands, and fail, and it results in a game tying goal....

Good job.
- Streit2ThePoint

I would have had no expectation that it would have worked out any better had I not done so. Because my teammates weren't doing a damn bit of backchecking or blocking guys out or even helping to clear my crease.

If I don't go & get that puck and get it out, Cbus gets it. Guaranteed. And it turns into a 30 second shooting gallery against me cause I have no expectation that my teammates will bail me out at all. They hadn't for the last few hours. No reason to expect them to start now.

If I get that puck however, it's out of the zone & game over.

The one thing I don't take into consideration is the puck taking an odd bounce off the boards, skipping up and over my stick along the boards and landing right on the tape of a Cbus player. Because that's the nature of weird bounces. they're unpredictable.

I was just kidding, but aren't all rumours just speculation?

I hear you though, you've wrote at length that you just pass on info that you hear - and that info may be actual talked about deals or someone trying to plan a story... I still read them and talk about them myself. Keep up the (good) work.
- KarlKarlsson

Yeah, keep it up. Report everything lol, I wanna hear even the stupid rumors lol, no joke.

But it did...and you play to the game at the moment.

There's woulda...shoulda...coulda...and then there is...did.

It's still a 1 goal lead with less than a minute left in the game.

Stay in your net...let your defenders defend.
- icedog97

Except they hadn't defended all damn night. Why would they start now?

He gets about 75% of the blame. He made the wrong decision on the tying goal. The OT winner was an awful goal. Team could have done better in front of him but he lost that game in my opinion.

Also, do you truly believe what you wrote or are you just trying to drum up business?

Except they hadn't defended all damn night. Why would they start now?
- ScienceJesus

They did nothing but defend or try to defend...they stopped trying to score...there is a difference.

His defenders were not the problem.

yes it is.

of course not...not what i was saying. but just because that happened doesnt mean you ignore fluery playing a game he isnt supposed to be playing.

while you and i might not agree with playing a defensive game, it is a strategy that plenty of experienced nhl coaches use when they are up...getting out of your crease while essentally on a power play with less than a minute to go is NOT in anyones playbook. thats a boneheaded play. doesnt take away blame for everyone else sucking, just of all the "suck" that went on in those last 49 minutes, fleurys sucked the most.
- LetsGoIsles

Now you're just wrong. First, they were essentially on a penalty kill. 6 skaters to 5. And 2nd, that's in EVERY goaltender's playbook. You have space to clear the puck out of the zone before the forechecker can get there, you do it 100 out of 100 times. He did. That the puck bounced over his stick was entirely unforeseen by absolutely anybody. 99 out of 100 times, that puck hits his stick off the boards like usual, he flips it off the glass and it gets, at minimum, to the high point or more likely out of the net. That's a play that a goalie makes twice a game and it's the right play every single time.

He gets about 75% of the blame. He made the wrong decision on the tying goal. The OT winner was an awful goal. Team could have done better in front of him but he lost that game in my opinion.

Also, do you truly believe what you wrote or are you just trying to drum up business?
- mickel25

And the winning answer is...drum roll please...#2!

I would have had no expectation that it would have worked out any better had I not done so. Because my teammates weren't doing a damn bit of backchecking or blocking guys out or even helping to clear my crease.

If I don't go & get that puck and get it out, Cbus gets it. Guaranteed. And it turns into a 30 second shooting gallery against me cause I have no expectation that my teammates will bail me out at all. They hadn't for the last few hours. No reason to expect them to start now.

If I get that puck however, it's out of the zone & game over.

The one thing I don't take into consideration is the puck taking an odd bounce off the boards, skipping up and over my stick along the boards and landing right on the tape of a Cbus player. Because that's the nature of weird bounces. they're unpredictable.
- ScienceJesus

But you are taking that risk when you leave your net. As you said, puck bounces are unpredictable. So you are gambling on that as well. At that situation, in the final minute of the game, you need to trust your teammates more than ever. You need to trust yourself that you can make the saves necessary if the puck doesn't leave the zone.

And the winning answer is...drum roll please...#2!
- icedog97

I'd have to agree, and he did a fine job at it

The did nothing but defend or try to defend...they stopped trying to score...there is a difference.

His defenders were not the problem.
- icedog97

So 40-ish shots against and 12 for after the 11 minute mark of the 1st period is defending? On what planet is that even marginally defined as "defending"? Because that's called playing the prevent defense in football. And we all know how well that works. It's not defending.

I admit at the time I was pissed at MAF, however after reading this article I have to agree that your are infact 100% correct.

yeh. as a goalie myself I have to wonder what I would have done given the way the D had played. If he gets to that puck and gets it out...game over.
- Eklund

I would have stayed put and hugged the post ... then again, that may be because my team has a stroke every time I try to play the puck.

Come on people, let's be realistic here. None of this would've happened if Pittsburgh had Wayne Simmonds instead of Crosby.