Despite missing their captain and top defenseman, the Pittsburgh Penguins are rapidly collecting wins thanks in large part to a goaltender who has entered the team MVP race with Evgeni Malkin.
Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 36 of 37 shots as the Penguins prevailed over the Phoenix Coyotes for their sixth straight win. For Fleury, it was more of the same, stopping the opposition early and often to register his sixth straight win as a starter, allowing 9 goals in that span.
The Penguins leaned on Fleury in Saturday’s 5-1 win over the Avalanche, as they were outshot 7-2 early in the first period. Monday night’s game was no different, as Fleury kept the Coyotes scoreless for the first two periods, stopping all 27 shots in the first 40 minutes.
Fleury stopped Keith Yandle on a wide angle shot, 50 seconds into the game, and stoned Taylor Pyatt on the rebound. The excellent save turned out to be a preview for top-notch goaltending for the rest of the game.
His biggest save, may have come midway through the second period while the Penguins were on the power play. James Neal lost the puck in his own end, allowing Martin Hanzal to go on a breakaway. Fleury aggressively came out to poke check and stacked the pads to deny Hanzal a shorthanded goal.
Zbynek Michalek opened the scoring, against his former team, 11:44 into the first period. Jordan Staal entered the offensive zone, dropped a pass back to Michalek who ripped a wrist shot past the stick side of goaltender Mike Smith. It was Michalek’s second goal of the season and seventh goal since coming over from the Coyotes to the Penguins in July of 2010 as a free agent.
Chris Kunitz scored three minutes later to give the Penguins a 2-0 lead. Evgeni Malkin took the puck down the near boards, drawing two Phoenix players that stopped him at center ice. The puck continued, however, and found Kunitz who skated down the side, shot the puck on the blocker side, and beat Smith as he appeared to overplay the puck again.
After two weak goals, Smith battled back, showing why he posted a 11-0-0 record with a 1.42 GAA in February. With the Penguins on the power play midway through the second period, Smith stopped a barrage of shots including a spectacular jumping save on a redirected puck.
Smith’s play kept Phoenix in the game, allowing Ray Whitney to cut the Penguins’ lead in half with his 15th goal and 48th point in 44 career games against Pittsburgh. The Coyotes took advantage of a 3 on 2 rush early in the third. Radim Vrbata took the puck into the corner, Paul Martin followed, leaving Ray Whitney uncontested in front of Fleury. Whitney lifted the puck over Fleury’s shoulder to cut the deficit to one.
It was the closest Phoenix would get.
Fleury and the defense stopped the Coyotes from tying the game. Matt Niskanen took a hooking penalty in front of the net which saved a goal, and Marc-Andre Fleury stoned Whitney on a one timer between the face-off circles. With 30 seconds remaining, Whitney had one more chance to tie the game, shooting a puck through a screen, but Fleury was able to get his right pad on the ice to prevent the game-tying goal.
- James Neal has now gone seven straight games without a goal.
- Malkin’s assist on Kunitz’s goal put him back in the league lead for points with 81.
- Marc-Andre Fleury now has 35 wins in four straight seasons.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins will unveil their statue of Mario Lemieux at noon Wednesday.
Photo courtesy of Yahoo!
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