Subj : Golden Knights Goalie Drama Is Over
To : All
From : The Hockey Writers - Main
Date : Mon Sep 07 2020 04:40 am
The Vegas Golden Knights have made headlines in the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs
not only for their high level of play, but for a certain goalie situation that
crept in out of nowhere. The battle between Robin Lehner and Marc-Andre Fleury
for the starting job has caused headlines. The most prominent one�being a now
deleted tweet from Fleury's agent of his client being stabbed in the back with
a sword. However, with head coach Peter DeBoer's decision of starting Lehner in
Game 7 in the tail-end of back-to-back games, it seems like the drama is over.
Lehner Is the Starter
Lehner has proven his worth for the Golden Knights in his short time with the
team. He went undefeated during the regular season and holds a record of 8-4
with a 1.99 goals against average in the playoffs so far. Lehner was not the
first choice for many fans heading into the playoffs, but his performance is
starting to turn some heads. In the Vancouver series, the 29-year-old
goaltender posted three shutouts and looked dominant in the net.Robin Lehner
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Although it was shocking for some, the writing was on the walls for Lehner to
inherit the net from Fleury. During the exhibition and round-robin series,
Lehner played against arguably the two best teams in the Dallas Stars and
Colorado Avalanche. Meanwhile, Fleury played the exhibition game against the
Arizona Coyotes, but lost to the St. Louis Blues. What also helped Lehner take
control of the net was that the Golden Knights took on his former team in the
first round.�Fleury';s Future
It seems as if history is repeating itself for Fleury. He was in a very similar
position back in 2016 when he won his second Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
However, during that season, there was not nearly as much drama as there is
now. Now, at 35 years old, this could mean much more for his future with the
Golden Knights.Marc-Andre Fleury and Matt Murray hold the Stanley Cup. (AP
Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
Although being ranked sixth all-time in playoff wins, Fleury is forced to take
a back seat during this playoff push. He was seen as the face of the franchise
when the Golden Knights came into the NHL, but now his time could be up. Fleury
carries a $7 million cap hit for the next two seasons. This has the potential
to be a giant roadblock for the team as it does not have much salary cap space
to play with.Related: Ranking NHL Teams By Goaltenders
If Vegas wants to re-sign Lehner, then Fleury might have to go. Even though
Fleury has a no-trade clause in his contract, this only applies to 10 teams.
However, his contract is not a favorable one. This leaves Vegas in a similar
boat with the New York Rangers and Henrik Lundqvist. Ultimately, if the Golden
Knights were to trade Fleury, they would have to eat at least $2 million of his
salary. DeBoer';s Decisions
Before the playoffs started, DeBoer touted how Vegas' goalies were one of their
biggest advantages. The further the Golden Knights'; playoff push continues,
the more this rings true. Lehner is obviously the hot hand right now and
DeBoer's decision to play him over Fleury is justified. With his somewhat
shocking decision to give Lehner the Game 7 nod, DeBoer also became the first
coach to win his first five Game 7's.�Head coach Peter DeBoer of the Vegas
Golden Knights (Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images)
As it seems, DeBoer has a game plan and is sticking to it. As head coach, it is
his responsibility to put forth the best lineup to ensure his team has the
best odds of winning. The noise of the media and the fans calling for Fleury to
play does not phase him, as he believes the best odds lie with Lehner.
Sticking true to Las Vegas, DeBoer gambled and so far he has hit the jackpot.
He is playing with house money right now and it will take a significant loss to
alter his current plan.Related: Golden Knights'; Jersey History
The Golden Knights had to deal with this off-ice adversity much earlier than
they probably anticipated. However, with Lehner's solid play and DeBoer
sticking to his guns, the Golden Knights have found a winning recipe. This
combination should end the drama in the crease for the time being. Lehner has
proved his worth and nothing is going to change until the offseason comes
around.
The post Golden Knights'; Goalie Drama Is Over appeared first on The Hockey
Writers.
������
https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/635151864/0/thehockeywriters~Golden-Knights-Goali
e-Drama-Is-Over/
--- SBBSecho 3.11-Linux
* Origin: Palantir * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL * (24:110/7)
