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Vegas Golden Knights Key To Playoff Success: Marc-Andre Fleury

By Richard Cardinale |
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 31: Marc-Andre Fleury #29 of the Vegas Golden Knights receives a golden stick as a special commemoration of his 400th win as an NHL goaltender after the team's game against the San Jose Sharks at T-Mobile Arena on March 31, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Golden Knights won the game 3-2 and clinched the first spot in the Pacific Division. Fleury won his 400th game on March 12 in a victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 31: Marc-Andre Fleury #29 of the Vegas Golden Knights receives a golden stick as a special commemoration of his 400th win as an NHL goaltender after the team's game against the San Jose Sharks at T-Mobile Arena on March 31, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Golden Knights won the game 3-2 and clinched the first spot in the Pacific Division. Fleury won his 400th game on March 12 in a victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images)

If the Vegas Golden Knights want to go deep, they need Marc-Andre Fleury to step up.

The Vegas Golden Knights got solid goaltending all-year round. Even Maxime Lagace took over the starters net and became serviceable. However, in the playoffs, the goaltender needs to step up his game to the next level.

It all starts and ends in the crease. If the netminder isn’t any good in the playoffs, that’s it, your out in the first or second round. Luckily the Golden Knights have a playoff caliber goaltender in Marc-Andre-Fleury.

The Flower won three Stanley Cup Championships with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and he played a pivotal role in all of those runs. If the Golden Knights get the same type of regular season production from Fleury, Vegas fans should have nothing to worry about at all. However, if for some reason we see Malcolm Subban in the net at some point, that means something went wrong.

In the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs with the Penguins, he had a stellar run before Matt Murray took over the net midway through the Eastern Conference Finals VS the Ottawa Senators. The Sorel, Quebec native played in 15 postseason games and posted a 9-6-0 record, a 2.56 GAA, a save percentage of .924% and two shutouts.

If he has similar numbers, then Golden Knights fans should exhale. Keep in mind; he played against a Washington Capitals team who was heavily favored to go to the Stanley Cup Finals, and he beat them in seven games. Not only was he solid in that series, but he stole a couple of games.

The 33-year old still has a lot left in the tank, and he could push the expansion team over the hump. In 46 games played in 2017-18, the Flower finished the regular season with a 29-13-4 record. And that’s not all; he also owns a GAA of 2.24 and a save percentage of .927%.

Marc-Andre Fleury should be the least of our worries. I don’t think his performance will all of a sudden fade out of nowhere. The only thing that I’m worried about is his health.

We know he’s healthy right now, but all it will take is one shot to the head, and that might take him out for the rest of the playoffs. He needs to stay healthy if the Golden Knights want a chance to win it all this year.

Subban has been decent all year long, but he’s been no Flower. The 24-year old goaltender ended the year with a 13-4-2 record, a 2.68 GAA and a save percentage of .910%. I’d rather not lean towards a rookie goalie in any playoff series with this team.

Subban’s done his job this year, but he’s left out a lot of juicy rebounds for opposing teams to pounce on repeatedly. And in the playoffs, opposing teams will lurk around the net looking for those rebounds to score. That’s why Fleury’s health status is crucial from now and beyond.

Fleury has played in a lot of tough buildings over the years, but this is the first time he has played against the Western Conference excluding his two Finals appearances against the Detroit Red Wings. It could be quite an adjustment for Fleury after seeing Eastern Conference teams all these years.

Next: Vegas Golden Knights: Five Best Regular Season Games

All in all, Marc-Andre Fleury should be just fine heading into the playoffs. However, if Head Coach Gerard Gallant had to turn to Subban due to Fleury’s lack of performance, that could prove to be detrimental. This is Fleury’s team throughout the entire playoff run if all goes well for the Vegas Golden Knights.

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