Seriously. I like reading some of the advanced statistics he points out. However, based on this article, it makes you wonder if he watched the game at all.
- jrmjames67

He had this blog ready to go before the game even played. In his Game 3 post game he literally said he had a blog coming up about "goalie insurance". The first game that Fleury didn't stand on his head he was gonna crank this bad boy out. Wilson, I think, is a smart guy. I enjoy getting the advance stats perspective and when he dose his best work when he dives into the Xs and Os where he can draw on his experience as a coach to write some super interesting blogs (if you ever read the comments, RW, you should really do this way more). But sometimes he has a narrative he can't help but not let die. Sometimes they warrant repeating (like when the Pens refused to put together a competent bottom 6), but sometimes they get old. Fleury's overpayed. you keep Murray over Fleury easy. But this whole you can get the same goaltending from Thomas Greiss thing is tired and honestly irrelavent right now. Like I said before, what were even gonna do with the cap space?

"RW doesn't understand that "standing around and doing nothing waiting for someone else to do something while bad things happen in your defensive zone" isn't something that can be quantified in a chart that he uses."

Hell, even my GF was yelling about pens standing around.

Quotes didn't work, this is to jmatchett:

Which goals did you think he was out of position? As far as I saw, every time, they had an empty net to deal with was because the defense let a shooter come in that Fleury had to step out and challenge and trust his team to protect the back door, which they did a horrible job of.

As far as rebound control, that seems to be a subjective word that Fleury-haters (not saying you're a Fleury hater) love to use. The rebounds have to go somewhere. Goalies can't absorb every shot thrown at them within 20ft, especially when the team's strategy has been to shoot for the goalie's pads for rebounds. CBJ have been hammering that hard the last couple of games and then they win the race to the rebound. Even the most elite goalies are going to let in those 2nd chance goals without their defense there to back them up.

Quotes didn't work, this is to jmatchett:

Which goals did you think he was out of position? As far as I saw, every time, they had an empty net to deal with was because the defense let a shooter come in that Fleury had to step out and challenge and trust his team to protect the back door, which they did a horrible job of.

As far as rebound control, that seems to be a subjective word that Fleury-haters (not saying you're a Fleury hater) love to use. The rebounds have to go somewhere. Goalies can't absorb every shot thrown at them within 20ft, especially when the team's strategy has been to shoot for the goalie's pads for rebounds. CBJ have been hammering that hard the last couple of games and then they win the race to the rebound. Even the most elite goalies are going to let in those 2nd chance goals without their defense there to back them up.
- jrmjames67

I'm a long time Fleury defender, but he's been objectively subpar at rebound control his entire career. Some goalies give up a lot of rebounds, and some don't. Fleury's the former.

This is actually one of his better articles IMO. It may come off as bashing Flower, but it's actually good analysis. (And, if you read the article, he said the defense wasn't good. But it's also true, that they haven't been a stifling defense all year.) It's true though, if you are going to invest 5.75 mil, it better be worth it. He's not wrong about Fleury being erratic in performance. I 100% believe they should have tried to unload Fleury to make improvements on D.

Do I think the teams play was atrocious? Yes
Do I think Fleury's rebound control could have been better? Yes
Do I blame this loss on Fleury? Not even in the slightest
Do I think the Pens could have gotten similar goaltending elsewhere while using Flowers cap hit to improve the D? Absolutely.

But it is what it is, and I hope Fleury plays well more often than not, but I'm also aware how his performances fluctuate like crazy.

Fleury was not good last night. Objectively, he wasn't. His rebound control was bad, and his positioning on at least 2 goals was poor.

However, placing the bulk of blame on him for last night is just wrong. The defense was porous, letting CBJ drive the net at will, and the forwards backchecking was, in general, very poor. The Blue Jackets were able to gain the blue line easily and weren't pressured while in the offensive zone. A fantastic goaltender may have been able to keep the GA to 3, but the Penguins, as a team, didn't deserve to win last night.

Regroup, focus, and win Game 5.
- jmatchett383

Exactly.

No goalie in the league could have won that game behind that defense last night (and the offense's lack of defensive support).
- PghPens668771

Amen to that brother. Patrick Roy would have had a tough night backstopping that performance.

This blog was the biggest load of self-serving bullshart that I've read here in a long time. We fracking get it, RW... you're not a Fleury fan & you'll entirely ignore everything that goes on in the game & pay attention to absolutely only the fancy stats. You ignore the effort of the other 5 skaters in front of the goalie since standing around and looking at the puck & waiting for someone else to actually skate is not quantifiable in a chart. Just keep ignoring when players simply don't do the work & only pay attention to charts that support your narrative like a toddler with his fingers in his ears & his eyes squeezed shut yelling "I can't hear you!". I guarantee that you couldn't have named me a single goalie in the history of the game that could have won that tire-fire of a game last night with any more certainty than Flower did.

Especially considering that you'd probably find a way to ignore that all every team has to do to knot 5 on Murray is shoot at his glove side high all night & watch him flail away at the puck like one of those wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube men.
- ScienceJesus

Post of the week!

This is actually one of his better articles IMO. It may come off as bashing Flower, but it's actually good analysis. (And, if you read the article, he said the defense wasn't good. But it's also true, that they haven't been a stifling defense all year.) It's true though, if you are going to invest 5.75 mil, it better be worth it. He's not wrong about Fleury being erratic in performance. I 100% believe they should have tried to unload Fleury to make improvements on D.

Do I think the teams play was atrocious? Yes
Do I think Fleury's rebound control could have been better? Yes
Do I blame this loss on Fleury? Not even in the slightest
Do I think the Pens could have gotten similar goaltending elsewhere while using Flowers cap hit to improve the D? Absolutely.

But it is what it is, and I hope Fleury plays well more often than not, but I'm also aware how his performances fluctuate like crazy.
- j.boyd919

I don't think its that simple as to say that we could use the cap space. There was a ridiculously small market for goaltending this offseason and if we had moved him at the deadline what would we have done with the cap?

This is actually one of his better articles IMO. It may come off as bashing Flower, but it's actually good analysis. (And, if you read the article, he said the defense wasn't good. But it's also true, that they haven't been a stifling defense all year.) It's true though, if you are going to invest 5.75 mil, it better be worth it. He's not wrong about Fleury being erratic in performance. I 100% believe they should have tried to unload Fleury to make improvements on D.

Do I think the teams play was atrocious? Yes
Do I think Fleury's rebound control could have been better? Yes
Do I blame this loss on Fleury? Not even in the slightest
Do I think the Pens could have gotten similar goaltending elsewhere while using Flowers cap hit to improve the D? Absolutely.

But it is what it is, and I hope Fleury plays well more often than not, but I'm also aware how his performances fluctuate like crazy.
- j.boyd919

Excellent post. We have no idea what discussions have been made about MAF, but given what Stevie Y said after the Bishop deal I think it's safe to conclude there was zero market for MAF. Can't sell him if there isn't one single buyer.

Why aren't they playing Streit? He cannot be worse than Maata. Although I agree that the Defense has to play much better, but Fleury cannot be flopping around on the ice and out of position either. Fleury looked like he was playing against the Flyers last night. Not good.

Why aren't they playing Streit? He cannot be worse than Maata. Although I agree that the Defense has to play much better, but Fleury cannot be flopping around on the ice and out of position either. Fleury looked like he was playing against the Flyers last night. Not good.
- TaxMan22

If there's one thing that I do criticize Flower for is that when he's left on an island, like he was last night, with no defensive help in sight, he tries to do too much because it seems like he's trying to do everything since he knows it's going to be one of those nights where he can't rely on anyone else, and therefore gets himself all out of sorts. When he actually gets help & knows "someone will get to the rebound & clear it away, make the 1st save & direct it towards somewhere that my guy can get to it first", he's fine.

But that's a trait that I think a lot of players have when they feel like they're all alone in their own end & no reinforcements are coming to help bail them out.

I don't think its that simple as to say that we could use the cap space. There was a ridiculously small market for goaltending this offseason and if we had moved him at the deadline what would we have done with the cap?
- Victoro311

Too difficult to speculate at this point, but if the option was there, IMO they should have taken it. I haven't been a fan of the Pens D all season, and I really wasn't a fan of the Streit/Hainsey trades. (They were pretty meh. Don't hate em or love em.) Had they unloaded him, they may have been able to trade for Shattenkirk. I don't think WSH gave up too much. And if it improved the D in limiting shots against for another solid run at the cup, I'm all for it. (That's also if he had interest to come to PGH.)

Too difficult to speculate at this point, but if the option was there, IMO they should have taken it. I haven't been a fan of the Pens D all season, and I really wasn't a fan of the Streit/Hainsey trades. (They were pretty meh. Don't hate em or love em.) Had they unloaded him, they may have been able to trade for Shattenkirk. I don't think WSH gave up too much. And if it improved the D in limiting shots against for another solid run at the cup, I'm all for it. (That's also if he had interest to come to PGH.)
- j.boyd919

Assuming Murray gets healthy at some point, id rather have Shattenkirk and backup unsteady of Fleury right now too, but there's a lot of evidence that there was no market for him at the deadline and even if Eutherford was like "ok we'll take a third for him" to Calgary, who do we sign with that cap to shore up the D? That last part was an honest question. I honestly don't remember the crop of UFAs this year.

On another note... Maatta and Daley.....um.......yikes. I mean, that pairing was frightening before the injuries and it sure as hell hasn't gotten better since they returned.

On another note... Maatta and Daley.....um.......yikes. I mean, that pairing was frightening before the injuries and it sure as hell hasn't gotten better since they returned.
- madmike71

Other than Daley's hit on Boone (dafaq?), Daley was invisible, for all the wrong reasons

Assuming Murray gets healthy at some point, id rather have Shattenkirk and backup unsteady of Fleury right now too, but there's a lot of evidence that there was no market for him at the deadline and even if Eutherford was like "ok we'll take a third for him" to Calgary, who do we sign with that cap to shore up the D? That last part was an honest question. I honestly don't remember the crop of UFAs this year.
- Victoro311

Dan Hamhuis
Brian Campbell
Jason Demers

were the only 3 FAs I would have been interested in.

I was also interested in Schlemko, John-Michael Liles, and Clendening to a lesser extent. I thought Schlemko was a perfect fit for the Pens system.

If MAF and Carey Price traded places.....who would be a star and who would be a bum. I think the answer is obvious. In Montreal MAF would fold like a cheap suit and the media would be all over him. He would be in a mental institution almost immediately. Carey Price on the other hand would have had multiple Stanley Cups. NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. It is the reason why Price is Team Canada's goalie and MAF IS NOT

If MAF and Carey Price traded places.....who would be a star and who would be a bum. I think the answer is obvious. In Montreal MAF would fold like a cheap suit and the media would be all over him. He would be in a mental institution almost immediately. Carey Price on the other hand would have had multiple Stanley Cups. NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. It is the reason why Price is Team Canada's goalie and MAF IS NOT
- holeinone

shut up.

Dan Hamhuis
Brian Campbell
Jason Demers

were the only 3 FAs I would have been interested in.

I was also interested in Schlemko, John-Michael Liles, and Clendening to a lesser extent. I thought Schlemko was a perfect fit for the Pens system.
- j.boyd919

The same Brian Campbell that the Hawks fans are all saying "why did we bring him back? He's awful & old & part of the reason we're down 3-0 right now because we have an awful cap situation & only look to acquire nostalgia players"

So the defense does nothing at all to help Fleury and it's all on Fleury? Yes he played bad, but this blog seems to lay it all on him when the entire team was bad. Where was Sid? Where was Malkin? But you only write about one player that played bad? Can we get a new writer in here please? One that isn't a reason most other fan bases hate us. Never giving blame to the stars on the team that took a game off.
- Zac_O

He's not the reason.

lol ;-)

Those were some pretty quiet assists from Malkin. He was brutal last night. Just touched the puck in the right sequence. Phil looked like poop too. All the stars were coasting.

If MAF and Carey Price traded places.....who would be a star and who would be a bum. I think the answer is obvious. In Montreal MAF would fold like a cheap suit and the media would be all over him. He would be in a mental institution almost immediately. Carey Price on the other hand would have had multiple Stanley Cups. NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. It is the reason why Price is Team Canada's goalie and MAF IS NOT
- holeinone

So no one is a good goalie unless they can beat one of the top goalies in the NHL for a starting job in the Olympics. Turns out 28 of the 30 starting goalies in the NHL aren't good when using Holeinone logic.

He's not the reason.

lol ;-)
- Scoob

I meant he is doing what one of the reasons we are hated. Never calling out Sid when he is bad. Always using dumb excuses instead of owning that the face of our team sucked last night.

So is it wrong to acknowledge that the first two goals were wierd bounces off our own guys. Fluky goals?