By TOM ROCK tom.rock@newsday.com
Published: May 7, 2013 10:17 PM
Photo credit: Jim McIsaac | Casey Cizikas of the Islanders scores a third period goal past Marc-Andre Fleury and Matt Niskanen of the Pittsburgh Penguins. (May 7, 2013)
Marc-Andre Fleury was officially credited with an assist Tuesday. But he’s been helping the Islanders score all series and Tuesday he was at it again.
For the third time in three games the Penguins’ goalie mishandled a puck that squirted past him and into the net for an Islanders score. And for the second time this series it was Kyle Okposo who directly benefited from Fleury’s follies.
Fleury may be the only reason the Islanders are still in this first-round series, which they tied at 2 on the back of last night’s 6-4 victory at Nassau Coliseum. Fleury’s shaky play has been the most glaring weakspot for a top-seeded team.
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Late in the second period Fleury saved a shot by Travis Hamonic but the rebound went behind the goal. Okposo was able to pick the puck off the boards and tried to center it. Fleury deflected that attempt, but the puck ricocheted off his stick and over the goal line. The that allowed the Islanders to tie the score at 3.
As if for direct comparison, Okposo’s goal came right after Islanders goalie Evgeni Nabokov made three difficult saves, controlling the puck each time. The Islanders’ game-winning goal by John Tavares in the third came on a rebound of his own shot that was saved by Fleury’s skate but not contained. Casey Cizikas sealed the win in the final minutes when he slid a puck under Fleury’s stick hand.
Fleury can take solace that this first-round performance is not as abysmal as last year’s when he melted down against the Flyers and allowed 26 goals in six games. But it’s close. Take away his shutout in Game 1 and he’s allowed 14 goals in three games, more than the pace as last year’s skid.
That performance was one of the reasons the Penguins traded for Tomas Vokoun to be Fleury’s backup this season. Vokoun played well in the regular season, winning 13 of his 20 starts, but has yet to see the ice in the playoffs.
Fleury’s mishaps began last week when he mishandled the puck twice to allow Islanders goals in their a 4-3 Game 2 win. With about seven minutes left in the third in that game Okposo fired the puck into the boards and Fleury tried to control with his pad but knocked it behind him and into the goal with this leg. In the second period of that game Matt Martin scored on a carom off the boards that Fleury had a chance to stop but didn’t.
The one legitimate assist for Fleury Tuesday came in the second period when he dished off to Jarome Iginlawho fed Evgeni Malkin for a two-on-one breakaway that tied the score at 2. The Islanders’ first goal of the game came on a shot from Brian Strait just inside the blue line that bounced off Fleury’s left shoulder in the first period.
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