[Mother****erJones]

Originally Posted by NJChiefsFan

IMO I don't think it is OK. Fleury was terrible last year and this year as well. But saying that he was the reason this team plays suspect defense, especially from the forwards, is wrong. You don't win in the NHL playoffs with skill. They really need to sure up their own end, or they won't even get past the Sens.

There is no question Fleury let in soft goals. But even tonight, you can see that the Pens are not tight enough in their own end. It leads to offense, and in the playoffs, you can't hand the other team the amount of transition offense that the Pens do. You really can't even give up half of what they do in that area.

Imagine if the Islanders had a good defense or good defensive forwards, or a really good goaltender. Thats basically every team thats left except Toronto. Nobody can doubt that the Pens are stacked as hell. But the amazing, and frustrating, thing about the NHL playoffs is that is never what wins. The team is way too lose in their own end.

I would say that they will fix it, but I thought they would after last seasons playoff disaster and it didn't happen. Orpik mentioned it right away in the interview after the game. As a defensive-defenseman, I'm not surprised he is frustrated with it. Orpik actually said it very well. I know the Pens see the issue, but I haven't seen them show an effort to change it.

Their d has let them down but the isles were smartly banking it off the boards knowing fleurys weaknesses. The D has to get better no doubt. Still gaining chemistry with all the new additions too is what people forget