Thursday night, a Stanley Cup banner was raised, Marc-Andre Fleury reclaimed his spot in net (for now) and the Pittsburgh Penguins (1-0-0) were able to defeat their rival, the Washington Capitals (0-0-1) in a shootout. What a night, right?
Fleury stole the entire show in Thursday evening’s 3-2 win by making 39 saves. In the final period and in overtime, the savvy netminder made incredible save after incredible save to prevent the Capitals from spoiling Pittsburgh’s season opener.
The offense was led by Evgeni Malkin, who had two points (1 G, 1 A), and Patric Hornqvist. Both scored their goals in the second period. Washington left winger Andre Burakovsky scored both of his team’s goals but couldn’t get any help from his teammates in overtime or the shootout.
Guess Who’s Back, Back, Back, Back Again?
Fleury was clearly the Penguins biggest impact player on the ice — and for good reason. Let’s face it, with Matt Murray breathing down Fleury’s neckguard, the veteran’s position was up in the air until Murray got injured.
Thursday night’s performance — as it is backed up by similar outings — reminded people why the starting spot is Fleury’s. His instincts, reactions and aggressive play showed he was clearly playing with something to prove.
While it’s fair to think Murray will be Pittsburgh’s goaltender of the future, Fleury is going to give the young stud a run for his money. But the competition is a good thing. Head coach Mike Sullivan will get the best out of both players once Murray is back from his thumb injury.
Sullivan had this to say about Fleury following Thursday’s win: “It’s great for Marc. We are thrilled for how hard he battled to get back last year. He has worked extremely hard.”
Chemistry Always Was My Favorite Class
Although they didn’t score a lot in their first game, the Penguins generated a lot of great chances — and they did so often. The anticipation and expectation each player had for their teammate was answered with pure awareness.
The biggest benefit Pittsburgh had heading into this new 2016-17 season is the fact that all but two players returned to play for the Penguins this year. That means no one has to learn the system, adjust to their line and how their line-mates play.
This also gives Sullivan the confidence to send out his players as he sees fit because he knows they’ll get the job done. The chemistry seen on the ice and bench was encouraging. Though there may have been a few sloppy plays, the Penguins look as though they have picked up right where they left off — opposing teams, beware.
On To The Next One
The Penguins next play the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. EDT at PPG Paints Arena. There’s no official word on whether or not Sidney Crosby (concussion, listed day-to-day) or Bryan Rust (undisclosed) will return after both being sidelined against Washington.
Image credit: Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports
