Sunday, November 23, 2003
Minnesota cruised to a 6-2 victory over Pittsburgh.,
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- On the night Marian Gaborik finally gave the Minnesota Wild some return on their investment, the Pittsburgh Penguins began dropping hints they don't want to pay big money yet to Marc-Andre Fleury.
Gaborik, held to one goal in six games since signing his $10 million-plus contract, had a goal and an assist to lead Minnesota to 6-2 victory over Pittsburgh Wednesday night.
The Wild scored twice as many goals as they did in their three previous games combined -- three against No. 1 draft pick Fleury during another terrible start by Pittsburgh. The Penguins have been outscored 26-4 in the first period.
The 18-year-old Fleury, losing his fourth in a row, didn't get much help from a leaky defense that contributed to the first two goals. But he didn't argue when he was pulled by coach Eddie Olczyk after allowing three goals on nine shots in 191/2 minutes.
"I guess it was good to try to shake up the team," Fleury said of being yanked for the first time in an NHL game. "The last couple of games have been tough, but I'll just try to work hard."
Money matters
Fleury can start earning as much as $4 million in incentives if he plays another 15 games for Pittsburgh, a huge sum for a cash-strapped Penguins team that drew fewer than 12,000 fans for a sixth consecutive home game.
Before the game, general manager Craig Patrick said revenue -- or the lack of it -- was the No. 1 factor in determining whether Fleury stays in Pittsburgh or is sent back to juniors. If he returns to Cape Breton before hitting the 25-game mark, the Penguins owe him only his $1.24 million base salary.
Fleury was replaced by Sebastien Caron during a brief power outage that followed Antti Laaksonen's second goal of the game, so the game didn't count against the 25-game limit. He must play at least a full period before any game counts.
Fleury, starting for the first time in three games, looked tentative to Wild coach Jacques Lemaire. But Lemaire liked everything else he saw -- not just in the rookie but in his own team, which hit .500 (8-8-3) for the first time this season.
"We don't score that many goals," Lemaire said. "I don't know what happened. Maybe the goalie was a little nervous. He's still got a lot to learn, he's got to be patient, but he has great potential."
Gaborik easily beat Caron between the pads on a penalty shot in the second period and set up Pascal Dupuis' third goal of the season.
Pittsburgh, the NHL's lowest-scoring team with 33 goals in 17 games, has only 13 goals while going 1-6 without injured owner-player Mario Lemieux.