DETROIT -- Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury is 12-5 in these playoffs, with a goals-against average of 2.62 and a .906 save percentage.

He enters Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final tonight with at least one signature save in each of the previous three rounds -- on Philadelphia's Jeff Carter, Washington's Alex Ovechkin and Carolina's Eric Staal -- but still no championship ring to cement his place among the league's premier goalies.

Goaltending coach Gilles Meloche believes Fleury is poised to change that, and perhaps win over the doubters.

Not only because he has, in Meloche's words, "made the big save at the right time," but because of how Fleury is dealing with the built-in stressed of competing for a Stanley Cup.

"It's just what I see every day at practice," Meloche said. "He doesn't put extra pressure on himself. He's happy, easy-going. He's having fun out there."

That wasn't always the case in the Penguins' second-round series against Washington.

"He wasn't happy with the goals-against," Meloche said. "But we kept emphasizing that he was always making the save when we needed them."

Do that against the Red Wings, and any questions about Fleury's credentials or capabilities should be exorcised for good.

The Penguins have been the NHL's best road team in these playoffs, going 6-3. No other club is more than one game above .500 away from home -- the Red Wings are 4-3 -- and most are below it.

"If you're going to make it this far, chances are you've played pretty well on the road," Penguins defenseman Rob Scuderi said. "We're not fazed by it. It's not easy playing in another team's arena, but I think we've handled it pretty well so far, and, hopefully, we'll continue to."

Coincidentally or otherwise, the Penguins have won their past two games at Joe Louis Arena, and both have been memorable.

Petr Sykora's triple-overtime goal in Game 5 of the Cup final last year prevented the Red Wings from winning the Cup on home ice, and they rallied from deficits of 3-1, 5-2 and 6-4 Nov. 11 in a 7-6 triumph that was clinched by Ruslan Fedotenko's overtime goal.

The dominant force in the latter game was Penguins center Jordan Staal, who recorded a hat trick in the third period and set up Fedotenko's game-winner.

"Jordan Staal really stepped it up there," linemate Tyler Kennedy said. Then, turning toward Staal, who was sitting a few feet away, he added,. "I expect nothing less the next game."

Detroit goalie Chris Osgood is back in the Stanley Cup final, which means some analysts are sure to single him out as a potential Achilles heel for the Red Wings. Just as they did before Osgood earned two of his three championship rings.

Osgood isn't spectacular, and he certainly benefits from playing behind a team as accomplished as the Wings, but he consistently comes through with the stops his team needs, much as Fleury has done.

"That [lack of respect] baffles me, because I don't know how many Cups he has, but it's a lot," Penguins right winger Bill Guerin said. "A lot more than a lot of other people.

"He's an experienced goalie. He knows how to win big games. He comes up with big saves. Everybody was questioning him a couple of months ago, before the playoffs started, and he even said it: He's not there to win regular-season games. He's there to win playoff games, and he always does."

Fedotenko, who missed practice Thursday because of illness, participated in the workout yesterday with no apparent problem and, when asked if he'll be able to play in Game 1, responded, "Oh yeah, for sure." ... Games 3 and 4 will be televised by Versus and be shown on the outdoor screen at Mellon Arena. The other games will be carried by NBC, which does not allow its broadcasts to be used that way.