Who will Penguins start in goal in Game 2?

Jan 9, 2016; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury (29) and teammate Jeff Zatkoff (37) skate off the ice after defeating the Montreal Canadiens 3-1 at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 9, 2016; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury (29) and teammate Jeff Zatkoff (37) skate off the ice after defeating the Montreal Canadiens 3-1 at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports /
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Who will the Pittsburgh Penguins start in goal with both Jeff Zatkoff and Marc-Andre Fleury appearing healthy? 

The Pittsburgh Penguins won game one of their first rounds series against the New York Rangers despite not having their starting goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. To make things more interesting, backup goalie Jeff Zatkoff did a remarkable job in net, stopping 37 of the 39 shots that he stopped to lead the Pens to a 5-2 win over the visiting Rangers.

Marc-Andre Fleury has been out for a while after he suffered his second concussion of the season. Until recently, he had not been practicing with the team. Fleury was expected to start game one as he had practiced with the team in each of the past three days and Pittsburgh was being extremely coy and vague about his status. With Zatkoff doing well, the Pens have a tough decision to make. Do they go with Fleury (assuming he is ready to play) or Zatkoff?

They will most likely go with Fleury if he is ready to play. Despite Zatkoff’s excellent game one performance, Zatkoff has also been wildly inconsistent for the Penguins during the regular season. Fleury is far more proven and it sure sounds like he is ready to play. However, it doesn’t sound like he’s healthy. Fleury is officially listed as a game time decision.

Expect Zatkoff to start if that is the case. But if Fleury starts in net for game two, it wouldn’t be the first time that a goaltender has been guilty of being intentionally vague to the media and it certainly wouldn’t be the last.

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