Written by Jenn Menendez at Pittsburgh Post Gazette
Marc-Andre Fleury returned to Penguins practice Monday taking his spot in the crease for the first time since suffering a second concussion this season.
It is still a mystery if he will start Game 1 of the Penguins first-round playoff series against the New York Rangers Wednesday at Consol Energy Center, and that remains the most pressing question regarding the team on the eve of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
“Just one day at a time for now,” said Fleury, seated at his locker-room stall after practice. “That was my first practice. We’ll see how it goes the next few days and, hopefully, everything is good.”
Fleury’s play has served as the foundation of the Penguins success this season.
They enter the postseason as the hottest team in the NHL, in large part due to his consistent play all season. He practically carried the club through October and November.
Fleury was diagnosed with his first concussion this season Dec. 15 and missed eight games. He returned without missing a beat.
The second concussion occurred March 31 in a game against the Nashville Predators. The exact moment is believed to be when former teammate James Neal took a shot that struck his helmet. Fleury completed the game, but reported not feeling well the next day.
Fleury said he has been skating on his own for three or four days and had hoped to get into a game before the regular season ended Saturday in Philadelphia. Instead, the Penguins started backup Matt Murray, who has performed well in Fleury’s absence.
Murray left the game with an undisclosed injury in the first period, opening the door for little-used backup Jeff Zatkoff. He had been relegated to the No. 3 slot on the depth chart with Murray’s rise and hadn’t played since Feb. 20.
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