The Trickster

Lately, we've been seeing what a trickster Fleury is.

I mean that from a mythological stance too.  

Between all the extra footage I've seen of Marc-Andre on HBO's 24/7, the All Star Game, and the antics from the game against the Canes (goalie in a football helmet), I'm gaining an insight into his contributions to the team outside of his win tallies and save percentage.

Some of you might ask, "'Mythological stance'--where did that come from?"

I'll just blame Stan Lee and his Guardian Project, http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=481144452465&set=a.481080997465.259644.61652252465&pid=6288164&id=61652252465, for bringing it up in the first place.

Even though the description Lee suggests as the hero for the Penguins--"The gritty young savior of the steel city.  Can project ice missiles from his hands and travels on a frozen ice sheet"--seems more reflective of Sidney Crosby, Mario Lemieux, and the players' blue collar work ethic, I'd like to point out that in myth, the trickster is often the hero. 

And that points not to Sid the Kid, but to the defender of the net.  

As a contributor to Wikipedia summarizes:  "Hynes and Doty, in Mythical Trickster Figures (1997) state that every trickster has several of the following six traits:^[1]  fundamentally ambiguous and anomalous; deceiver and trick-player; shape-shifter; situation-inverter; messenger and imitator of the gods; sacred and/or lewd bricoleur."

Let's take a look at the evidence.

The easiest to support:  trick-player.  HBO showcased evidence of that when the Penguins went on their road trip to Buffalo toward the end of their winning streak.  While the other players dined, Fleury and some others played a classic prank, moving the furniture out of Letestu's and Lovejoy's hotel room and rearranging it in the hallway instead.

Fleury shows his ability to shape-shift with every game he plays.  While he may not change form bodily, his flexibility allows him to make saves countless ways.  During the All Star Game Breakaway Challenge, as he also does during the Penguins' monthly Mustache Boy competition, Fleury shifted between jumping jacks, push ups, and other non-traditional goaltending forms as he stopped pucks; there's no telling what form he might take.

Lastly, I suggest Fleury as a situation-inverter.  Hockey fluctuates between being a game dominated by defense or by offense. Currently the NHL is in the midst of an offensive period, leaning toward penalty shots and overtime shoot outs.  While the goalies have rules to protect and defend them, they are the hunted.  Even so, Fleury successfully utilizes the poke check among other techniques to turn the tables, forcing the shooter to make the first move and giving himself the predator's advantage.

So even as you read the description for the Penguin, keep this in mind:  While Sidney is the more prominent and traditional hero, don't rule out the trickster Fleury.  He could just as skillfully, like Prometheus, deceive the hockey gods long enough to pry away an opponent's win, and hand it over to Penguins fans instead.