Stanley Cup Playoffs: Fleury leads Penguins past Lightning, 3-0
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Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury makes a save on Lightning goaltender Vincent Lecavalier in the third period of Wednesday's game at Consol Energy Center.
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Some of Marc-Andre Fleury's saves in the Penguins' 3-0 victory against Tampa Bay Wednesday night at Consol Energy Center defied reason.
A few defied some basic laws of physics.
But nothing Fleury did while stopping 32 shots in Game 1 of this opening-round playoff series defied belief.
Not among his teammates, anyway.
Fact is, they've pretty much gotten used to efforts like this.
"That's the way he's played now for three months," center Mark Letestu said. "He's consistently excellent. And he was nothing short of awesome tonight."
Lightning coach Guy Boucher, whose corps of gifted forwards rivals any in hockey, didn't argue the point.
"Fleury was outstanding," Boucher said. "There's no question about it. I still can't believe he made some of those saves."
The victory gives the Penguins a 1-0 lead in the series, which resumes at 7:08 Friday night at Consol Energy Center.
The Penguins, as expected, were without center Sidney Crosby, who hasn't played since Jan. 5 because of a concussion. He spent the evening in management's booth in the press box, wearing headsets that kept him in contact with the bench.
Dressing him for this game wasn't an option because Crosby still hasn't been cleared to take contact.
And had he dressed for Game 1, he likely would have gotten lots of it. Some of it of the bus-speeding-downhill variety.
The off-ice officials registered 79 hits; seismographs at the U.S. Geological Service likely recorded at least a half-dozen of those.
The biggest came about 90 seconds into the game, when Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik crushed Lightning center Steven Stamkos into the boards behind the Penguins' goal line.
"He didn't protect himself too well," Orpik said.
Considering how hard Orpik hit him, Stamkos likely couldn't have protected himself with a full suit of armor.
Although the teams combined for 33 hits in the opening period, the real headliner during those 20 minutes was Fleury, who kept his team in the game with a series of outstanding stops.
First Published April 14, 2011 12:00 am
