Penguins' decision to keep Fleury pays off in Game 1 win
The Pittsburgh Penguins aren't quite done with Marc-Andre Fleury.
The team's longtime starting goalie basically lost his job around this time last year, when Matt Murray stepped in as an injury replacement and took the team to a Stanley Cup championship.
Fleury played the role of backup all season, and was thought to have made his final start as a Penguin, with Murray set to backstop another playoff run.
But instead of sitting on the bench wondering whether he'll be traded this summer or snagged in the upcoming expansion draft, Fleury was called upon as a late starter for Wednesday's Game 1 against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He proceeded to stop 31 of 32 shots in a 3-1 win, proving general manager Jim Rutherford right for keeping Fleury around as insurance.
Related: Penguins' Fleury starts Game 1 after Murray injured in warmup
That managerial decision was affirmed by head coach Mike Sullivan after the Game 1 win.
Sullivan: "I've said all along that we're going to need both goalies. We've used them both all year long." -SK
— Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) April 13, 2017
"(Fleury is a) good competitor, good pro, and he's a great teammate. It was (a) difficult year, but he handled it as well as anyone," Sullivan added.
To his credit, Fleury has indeed handled the situation with grace and class all season long, and was not fazed by getting the late call in Game 1.
"I just tried to approach it as a regular game and just be ready for it," Fleury said postgame.
The nature and extent of Murray's injury is not yet known, and it's possible Fleury returns to the bench for Game 2. But as long as he's in Pittsburgh, he'll do all he can to help the Penguins win another Cup.