FOR goalie problems continue

Despite an outstanding start to their season, all is not well for the Fort Erie Falcons.

The offence has certainly been good and with Alex Debrincat now scoring after firing blanks for his first 30 shots on goal, chemistry seems apparent throughout the lineup.

The problem for the Falcons however is in goal with Marc-Andre Fleury and Curtis McElhinney both posting save percentages in the .880 range.

“Our goaltending hasn’t been good enough. I think Marc and Curtis would tell you that as well,” said GM Matt Young. 

"This is sports, and it's a results-driven business.  I'm definitely fighting the puck a bit these days but the guys are playing great in front of me, I'm just not stopping the puck.  The new pads have been tough to break in as well, but I can't use that as an excuse, I just need to be better.  They brought me in to solidify the position and I've done anything but that so far," said Fleury of his struggles in Fort Erie.  

The biggest challenge is that last year it was Vasilevsky in this spot, although he was playing much better. The salary for Fleury is far less but the results need to be better.

It sounds like the Falcons are shopping Fleury in the marketplace. They realize that perhaps a goalie with lower ratings may do the trick on a team where goaltending doesn’t have to be great, just good.  It seems to be the formula every year as Khudobin and Blackwood suggest from the past two seasons.

Fleury would be an upgrade for many teams in the league that rely on goaltending more. If interested, the rumor is that the Falcons will certainly listen and entertain a change.