Written by Suraj Sukumar at The Sports Quotient
The Pittsburgh Penguins had their ups and downs heading into the new year but look to be getting back on track. They were impressive against the Detroit Red Wings and seem to have found their scoring touch once again.
Sidney Crosby is starting to show signs of his old self, scoring five goals with five assists in his past seven contests. Phil Kessel still needs to wake up, but the help of a productive Crosby should nudge him in the right direction. With Crosby trying to turn things around in Pittsburgh, there is no better time for Marc-Andre Fleury to make his return.
After missing eight games due to a concussion, Fleury is back in net for the Penguins and made his return on Saturday against the New York Islanders. Needless to say, the stability of having Fleury back will help the Penguins stay consistent without having to balance their starting goaltenders. They have significant problems across the board, especially on defense, and a healthy Fleury helps them keep their goaltending woes at bay.
In Fleury’s absence, Matt Murray and Jeff Zatkoff carried the load. They combined for a 3-5 record, with Murray edging out Zatkoff down the stretch. Even though Murray was the more successful goaltender, with a 1.72 goals against average and 0.938 save percentage over four games, he was sent back to the AHL to make room for Fleury. He should get more playing time in the minors but is a solid option in case the injury bug hits Fleury or Zatkoff at some point in the season.
Concussions are always a scary injury, especially in professional hockey. To ensure a successful return without setbacks, the Penguins must have taken every precaution necessary before allowing Fleury back on the ice.
As it turns out, they did just that. Fleury looked great against the Islanders and had one of his better performances of the season. His positioning was good, and his reaction time was impressive, given his absence, not to mention the reason for it. He stopped 38 of 40 shots and showed no signs of slowing down throughout the game.
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