Capitals Roll Over Fleury, Pens, 5-2

I believe I'm generally patient when it comes to the play of the Penguins' goaltenders.

In my opinion, most goals (say, 75% of those that are scored) these days are due to the work and skill, or lack thereof, of the players, rather than the netminders.

But when I see the work that Penguins' goalie Marc-Andre Fleury put in yesterday in the Penguins' awful 5-2 loss to the Washington Capitals at the Verizon Center, I have no choice but to call him out.

Fleury lost the game for the Penguins.

Remember, coming into the contest against Washington, one would have a hard time arguing the Fleury was on top of his game. He had given up 4 goals in each of the last two games -- matchups that the Penguins won in spite of, rather than because of, his play.

Yesterday, they couldn't overcome his shoddy work again.

With the game 3-2 Washington in the latter part of the 2nd period and the Penguins' doing their best to stick with the Capitals, Fleury imploded, allowing 2 terrible goals back-to-back -- one from Capitals defenseman Shaone Morrison on a bad angle slapshot and one from behind the goalline in the corner by forward Brooks Laich that quirted between Fleury and the post, just landing over the line behind him.

Sure, there were other facets of the Penguins' game that were lacking yesterday -- not the least of which was a subpar power play that went a measley 1-for-8.

But I'm pinning this one on #29. When he let up those 2 goals, the game was over.

I remember before the game wondering if interim coach Dan Bylsma was going to play Mathieu Garon, who has only played one game since acquired from the Edmonton Oilers. Fleury hadn't been playing spectacularly, as I mentioned, and Garon needs to get some work. On the other hand, at this point of the year when the Penguins' need all the points they can get, it's hard not to just roll the dice with your best players.

I don't know what I would have done if I were the coach.

With the loss, the Penguins remain stuck in 10th place in the East, 4 points behind the 8th place Buffalo Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes. Carolina won it's 3rd in a row yesterday to get right in the playoff mix with Buffalo, and along with the Montreal Canadiens, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers.

The optimist in me would see that, if the Penguins continue to win roughly 2 out of every 3 games the rest of the way, they'll have a fair chance of sneaking in to the post-season.

But for a team that can't even string together more than 2 wins in a row in 3 months, the pessimist in me says that, even if they make it, they'll be sitting ducks for the likes of the Boston Bruins or, on the miracle that they can actually obtain a 6th or 7th seed, the New Jersey Devils, or even (gulp), the team they have dominated over the years in the postseason but who seems to be regularly handing them their lunch this year -- the Capitals.

That's a thought I just can't stand.