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Fleury Has Come Of Age...
Just watching Marc Andre Fleury tonight (game 5) as it moves into the 2nd O/T...
WOW! He has seriously developed into a tier #1 goalie and quite possibly THE best goalie in the NHL. Heady words which I do not throw around lightly.
MAF has taken his game to a whole new level (regardless of the outcome tonight). He has almost perfected a blend of athleticism and technique that is extremely effective. His skating, positioning and rebound control is superb. He has established a strong mental presence as demonstrated by his ability to recreate his style. He has stopped over moving around the crease, has simplified his shot preparation sequence (it's still a little too busy for my preference) and his post-save response is sublime.
He is the total package.
I cannot help but compare MAJ to Justin Pogge, as I have noted previously. Pogge, now, is almost exactly where Fleury was 2 years ago. They are both physical 'studs' and their technical game is pretty solid. Fleury has managed to understand the game (ie. is mentally able to analyze and adjust) and has propelled himself to a whole new stratosphere.
For us Leaf fans, let's hope Pogge can realize his full potential and take the Leafs on his shoulders, as MAJ has done with Pittsburgh...
Wellsie
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