Marc-Andre Fleury suffers the fate of having a very divided perception. There doesn’t appear to be too much middle ground for Fleury, who’s either a savior or a goat (or the GOAT? I guess) depending on who you ask and what year you ask it in. Sufficed to say Fleury is a solid goaltender that has, at times, disappointed when his team needed him most. That’s to say he’s human and humans making mistakes — they’re just punished for them a lot harder in the NHL than in most of our jobs.
We may not see Fleury in this series, which is kind of wild when you think about how much time he’s spent in Pittsburgh. Given his questionable health, Matt Murray snagged the starting job and looks poised to hold on to it as long as he plays relatively well. All that being said, let’s take a closer look at Fleury.
Name: Marc-Andre Fleury
Number/Position: #29 / Goalie
Born: November 28, 1984 (31)
Birthplace: Sorel, Quebec, Canada
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 180
Catches: Left
Drafted: 1st (first overall), 2003 by Pittsburgh
Assets
Has outstanding quickness and lateral mobility. An aggressive butterfly-style goalie, he’s capable of making highlight-reel saves look routine. Has proven to be able to lead a team deep in the playoffs, and make clutch saves.
Flaws
Has lapses in concentration and focus from time to time, which leads to bouts of wild inconsistency. Will over-commit when moving laterally, so he can at times lose his net. Doesn’t always handle the puck and/or pass it with aplomb.
Career Potential
Excellent veteran goaltender.
(Assets, Flaws and Career Potential via The Hockey News player page)
As many of you know, Fear the Fin is an independent site run by Sharks fans for Sharks fans. Help keep Fear the Fin independent by contributing to our