It's the most glaring on-the-job training a goaltender can get, thrust from backup to the No. 1 spot for a long stretch.

The Penguins' Dany Sabourin proclaimed himself ready for just that when he learned 10 days ago that top man Marc-Andre Fleury would be out until around late January because of a high ankle sprain. Saying that, then performing at one's best does not always work out as planned.

With the hockey world staring at him a little harder than it has before, Sabourin has not produced the type of strong games he had earlier this season when he got several spot starts while Fleury struggled.

"There are expectations [being No. 1], but you want to play your game," Sabourin said yesterday after practice at Mellon Arena.

"I don't want to change anything from before. I think I can do better. Hopefully, I can turn it up a notch."

He might not get that chance today when the Penguins play host to Boston. After Sabourin gave up what could be described as a couple soft goals Friday in a 4-2 loss to the New York Islanders, coach Michel Therrien indicated he might switch to Ty Conklin for an afternoon game against the Bruins.

Sabourin, 27, had played in just 14 NHL games coming into this season, including one with the Penguins in 2005-06 and nine in 2006-07 as backup to Vancouver standout Roberto Luongo. With this season less than half played, he has appeared in 18 games, including five starts in the past six games.

He is 2-3 in those five starts with a 3.13 goals-against average and an .891 save percentage. For the season, he stands at 7-8-1 with a 2.69 average and a .904 percentage.

Compare those to his numbers the day Sabourin found out he would be filling in for Fleury for some time. He was 6-5-1, 2.50, .902.

Or go back to early November, when Therrien was calling on Sabourin often but not as a No. 1. At one point, Sabourin was 3-1-1 and ranked sixth in the NHL with a 1.86 average and 10th with a .926 percentage.

"The last few games, I don't think I played like I'm capable," Sabourin said. "I want to get back on track. I have to work hard in practice, work on a few things."

For homework, Sabourin watches the goals he allows.

"I look at the replay, and I think I can do a better job," he said. "I try to figure out what happens in the games and then make sure you challenge every puck."

Conklin, 31, who signed with the Penguins last summer, is more experienced with a 31-25-4-3 record in 78 career NHL appearances, plus appearances with Team USA at the World Championships. He was brought up from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton when Fleury got hurt and has played twice -- giving up three goals on 15 shots in one period in relief of Sabourin, then starting and picking up the win Thursday in the Penguins' 5-4 shootout victory at Boston.

Conklin made 37 saves against the Bruins and stopped both their shootout attempts. It did not seem to shake his confidence that Boston came back from a 4-0 deficit to tie it in the third period.

"Any win's a good win," he said. "It certainly would have been nice to win that game, 4-1 or 4-2, for everybody, but we got the two points in a game we were in control of most of the game."

Therrien considers Conklin a capable goaltender.

"He's got some experience in the NHL," the coach said. "He's got a winning record, and he's played in the playoffs. So he's not a brand new guy that we brought in. That's part of our depth.

"There's no doubt we miss Marc-Andre. He's our No. 1 guy. It's a good thing to have a guy like Conklin who can come in, do the job and get the win [at Boston]."

That doesn't mean Sabourin is on the verge of falling behind Conklin, or that Conklin has done enough to convince the Penguins he should carry the load while Fleury is out.

Sabourin has found out that playing well as a backup is not the same as maintaining a strong showing as a team's regular starting goaltender.

"Both are really different," he said. "When you don't play a lot, you feel like you're playing your first game every time you go in there. This is different. When you play a lot, you get in a rhythm, but, at the same time, you have the expectations to play good. [Either way] you have to be sharp."

Not that Sabourin would give himself failing marks for his recent performances.

"My stats are not bad, but I can do a lot better than the last few games," he said. "I had a really good stretch [earlier], but I have to make sure I get back to [playing like] that."