In the biggest game of the year, the Pittsburgh Penguins are sticking with the same goalie.
In the biggest game of the year, the Pittsburgh Penguins are sticking with the same goalie.
PITTSBURGH – At this point, there is no reason to take the net away from Alex Nedeljkovic, and that’s exactly what the Pittsburgh Penguins are doing. For the 10th straight game, the Penguins are looking to Nedeljkovic as their starting netminder, this time in a crucial do-or-die match.
The Detroit Red Wings travel to Pittsburgh for a game with massive playoff implications for both teams. Nedeljkovic, a former Red Wing, has earned his spot as the Penguins' starter.
Heading into his 10th consecutive start, Nedeljkovic is riding a nine-game point streak with a 6-0-3 record and a .913 save percentage. He hasn’t been perfect, with a 2.55 goals-against average over that stretch, but the Penguins have battled in front of him and are giving him a chance to set himself apart in franchise history.
Since the early 1990s, the Penguins have often been led by or seen monumental moments from an unexpected face in goal. From the playoff runs from Johan Hedberg in 2001 or Tomas Voukun in 2013, Nedeljkovic can put his name in Penguins’ lore.
If Nedeljkovic can be a big reason why the Penguins pulled themselves out of the depths of the standings into a playoff spot, it will go down as one of the most noteworthy goalie performances in franchise history. Not best or winningest, but make himself a Pittsburgh folk hero.
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