COLUMBUS, Ohio – No matter how it ended, bottom line, the Penguins didn’t deserve to win Wednesday night.
This first-round matchup, which has provided far more drama than anyone could have possibly expected, probably shouldn’t be a 2-2 series either. If not for Marc-Andre Fleury, the Penguins might already have been on the wrong end of a handshake line after just four games.
Columbus has been the better team throughout. They clearly were in Game 4 as they out-shot the Penguins by a large 46-25 margin over 63 minutes.
And for the first 59:37.5, Fleury was the only reason the Penguins were in it.
The only reason.
It was the last four minutes that was problematic for the Penguins and their goaltender. Again. Mike Camalleri in 2010. Sean Bergenheim in 2011. Claude Giroux in 2012. Kyle Okposo in 2013. Add Brandon Dubinsky and Nick Foligno to the list.
Fleury coughed up two late goals, each one worse than the other, as Columbus overcame a 3-0 deficit to skate off with a 4-3 win in overtime.
Dubinsky’s tying goal with 22.5 remaining in regulation came directly off a botched attempt to play a bouncing puck behind his net. Although improved, Fleury’s puckhandling skills have been an adventure dating back to the 2004 World Junior Championship.
“I didn’t really see it, but I’m sure it had to bounce or there was some sort of weird hop,” said Sidney Crosby. “It always easy after the fact, but if it doesn’t take that hop we’re probably out of the zone.”
It wasn’t as Ryan Johansen fed Dubinsky, who deposited the puck into the open net.
“If the puck comes around flat, he ends up stopping the puck and making a different play,” said coach Dan Bylsma.
In a bad omen, a rattled Fleury looked behind him on Jack Skille’s shot early in overtime. Foligno’s overtime winner, a weak wrister from 65 feet, was just a foregone conclusion.
To his lasting credit, as he always has in past failures, Fleury took the heat for the loss in the locker room.
“It was good, a good game, 40 shots and two goals … and then that bounce behind the net,” Fleury said, his voice trailing off. “Just move on and get ready for the next one.” But how? Owner Mario Lemieux stopped by the funereal visitors’ locker room after his team’s latest meltdown, consoling his goalie with a tap on the leg. And surely, the Penguins will go back to Fleury for Game 5 on Saturday, mostly because they have no other options.
Wednesdays’ loss was an anniversary of sorts for Fleury. It was this same time last spring when the Penguins’ franchise goalie was pulled after giving up six goals on 24 shots in a Game 4 loss on Long Island. Fleury was banished to the bench, returning only for spot duty in a third-round blowout against Boston.
Then the Penguins could turn to Tomas Vokoun, who has missed the entire season with a blood clot. Jeff Zatkoff, who has played well this season, has 20 games under his belt and no playoff experience. Zatkoff is not the answer.
Craig Adams doesn’t see any similarities to what happened last year against the Islanders.
“I think every series is unique, the games stand on their own,” said the veteran forward. “There’s not a lot of carryover game to game. There’s been a lot more lead changes than you would anticipate. We’re kind of starting from scratch going back home.”
The reception Fleury receives will be interesting Saturday night at CEC.
If his past playoff disappointments hadn’t already sealed his fate in Pittsburgh, this latest debacle almost assuredly will. Unless the Penguins reach the Stanley Cup final, there’s no way the Penguins can bring Fleury back next season. Same goes with Bylsma, whose fate is likely the same as his goalie.
Asked if he thinks Fleury will bounce back, Bylsma said, “I do.”
He might be the only one.
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