kes double on Saturday,, Morgan said.ddddddddddddIt is the grand final for this campaign for Savanna Amour as she is an Inglis sales horse and not eligible for the Magic Millions series.We pick

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- For more than a decade, this has been his net, his job, his town.A decade of superlative goaltending that has, in spite of the odd wobble, established Marc-Andre Fleury as one of the great goaltenders of his generation.Consider: At the start of this season, the 31-year-old is 18th among all NHL goalies with 357 wins.Lets imagine he plays four more years and averages 25 wins a season -- a paltry amount, given his historical level of consistency -- and that gives him 457 wins, which would put him fourth all time. If he has relatively good health, hes more likely to end up third all time, behind only Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur. Throw in a couple of Stanley Cups (at least), a place on Canadas Olympic roster in 2010 and the next thing you know, Hello, Hall of Fame.And still, and still, for someone this constant, this sure in this most passionate of hockey towns, things are anything but certain and sure for Fleury as the Pittsburgh Penguins begin defense of their 2016 Stanley Cup championship.Yes, he was tabbed to start ?Thursday night for the banner-raising game against the Washington Capitals, just as he was after the Penguins defeated the Detroit Red Wings in seven memorable games in the 2009 finals.Make no mistake, this is different.Fleury knows it. The fans know it. Heir apparent to the Penguins net, Matt Murray, who is recovering from a broken hand sustained while playing for Team North America in the World Cup of Hockey, knows it.I knew it would be a little bit different from what Im used to, Fleury admitted, the trademark grin firmly in place. But I was glad to be able to come back to Pittsburgh, to be able to play with this team and play for this city again. And Ill try my best try to win some games. Its all I can do, really.Murray started last season in the American Hockey League and then came on in relief of Fleury after Fleury sustained a concussion late in the regular season. Then, Murray became the story of the 16 playoffs. He was injured in the final regular season game but returned for the second game of the Pens first-round series against the New York Rangers. He yielded one start the rest of the way, that in the Eastern Conference finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning in which Fleury took the loss, and turned in a .923 save percentage behind a 15-6 record.A few days before he celebrated a Stanley Cup championship, Murray turned 22. And then turned the Pittsburgh goaltending situation on its ear.Or did he?What seemed assured, that Fleury would begin this season as last season ended -- sitting on the end of the Penguin bench with a ball cap on his head -- has now been thrown into disarray.Murray is nursing his broken hand and Fleury, as he has been pretty much for the past dozen years, will be the man when the Penguins begin another pursuit of greatness.It wasnt always easy for Fleury last spring, but he was universally lauded by teammates and observers for his deportment during the playoff run.Ive always been used to playing, to be in there, so some days were a little tougher, he admitted. But as a teammate, I wouldnt want anybody to see it or to think about that, to think about me. I just wanted them to focus on their game and not be a distraction for anybody. At the end, like I said, we won, so it was all worth it.Mike Rupp played with six NHL teams and some of the games greatest goalies -- including Fleury -- before retiring. He spoke with Fleury during the finals and was impressed but not surprised by the netminders demeanor in the face of having been supplanted as the No. 1.Marc-Andre Fleury is legitimately the most kind, probably the best guy Ive ever met in hockey, said Rupp, whos now a national analyst. He is that. And everybody thinks that and says that. Hes just the ultimate teammate.Lets not confuse being a good teammate with not caring who starts.Fleury wants very much to again be the man.Whether thats here in Pittsburgh or somewhere else, that remains to be seen.Former teammate Colby Armstrong, also a national broadcast analyst, understands the mental toll this kind of uncertainty can have on a player.Thats what the games all about, thats the hardest part of the game, Armstrong said. I know in playing with him and dealing with him and even just talking to him, hes a proud guy that wants to do the right thing and be a good teammate and is also competitive and wants to have that net. I respect that.Close your eyes and you can still see Fleury sliding across to block Nicklas Lidstroms last-second bid to tie Game 7 at Joe Louis Arena in June 2009. GM Jim Rutherford can. He was running Carolina at the time, his Hurricanes having been swept by Fleury and the Penguins in four games in the 2009 Eastern Conference finals.If the outside view might be of a team with a potential goaltending controversy Rutherford, who played 457 NHL games as a goaltender, views things somewhat differently.What I worry about as a GM is if you dont have one goalie, Rutherford said. So, why would I worry about having two good ones?Indeed, when was the last time a team entered a season with two goaltenders who had guided their teams to Stanley Cup wins?Rupp, for one, believes the Penguins are starting the season with the best tandem in the business.Rutherford might have to make a hard decision at some point as the season moves along, but he doesnt have to make that decision today. I have a very good veteran goalie and I have a very good young goalie, he said. Itll play itself out.How?And until that narrative reveals itself, Fleury is content to try to enjoy this as much as possible.Its tough because I get reminded by people coming to the rink and stuff with mics, he said with another chuckle. So, yeah, sometimes you have a little thought whats going to happen and stuff. But I have to remind myself to enjoy the day, enjoy what we have now. Its going to be good here and whatever happens, happens.I just want to be normal, he added. I dont want to overanalyze, overthink stuff. I just want to have a nice season, go play, enjoy the guys at the rink, outside the rink.Surely the man who has owned this net, this team, this town for so long deserves that much. Custom Cubs T-shirts . Rinne played two periods in his first game since left hip surgery in early May. Gabriel Bourque scored 3:07 into the second period and Austin Watson tallied 5:15 later for Nashville. Custom Kerry Wood Jersey . Reigning world champion Eve Muirhead of Scotland opened with a 12-2 rout of Winnipegs Jennifer Jones in a battle of teams bound for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. http://www.customcubsjersey.com/ . - The Washington Redskins have cut defensive lineman Adam Carriker and punter Sav Rocca. Custom Billy Williams Jersey . The 28-year-old from Calgary matched his career best after missing just one shot in his two rounds of shooting in the mens 10-kilometre sprint competition. Smith finished in 23 minutes 15. Custom Sammy Sosa Jersey . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. The Eagle Farm black-out last week has given the Meagher training partnership the opportunity of a first stakes double.Melbourne Cup-winning trainer John Meagher and his sons Chris and Dan set up in Brisbane four years ago and have established themselves as major players in Queensland.Dan Meagher has moved to train in his own right in Singapore but John and Chris are having another good year.They have genuine chances to win two stakes races with Cruising Speed (Listed Just Now Stakes) and Savanna Amour (Listed Mode Plate), at Eagle Farm on Saturday.Savanna Amour was favourite for the Mode Plate last Saturday but the race was called off after an approaching storm reduced visibility.The Mode Plate was transferred to Saturdays meeting with the original field staying intact.Both Cruising Speed and Savanna Amour are raced by Grant Morgans Ontrack Thoroughbreds Syndicate which has 35 horses spread across three states..The Meaghers have done a great job for us and it would be great for us all to get a stakes double on Saturday,, Morgan said.ddddddddddddIt is the grand final for this campaign for Savanna Amour as she is an Inglis sales horse and not eligible for the Magic Millions series.We picked the Mode Plate as her main aim after she won a maiden at the Sunshine Coast in the winter. Long term we are looking at the Sydney autumn.Morgan said Savanna Amour had been kept up to the mark with a strong trial win three weeks ago.Cruising Speed finished a handy fourth in the Colin McAlpine Memorial at her last start two weeks ago.She is much better off here at the handicap conditions, Morgan said.We have always felt that Cruising Speed would win a stakes race.She will probably be best when she gets to 1600 metres but the 1300 on Saturday should suit her at this stage of her campaign.Morgan could have had a third stakes runner at Eagle Farm on Saturday but the Gerald Ryan-trained Girl Sunday will run instead at Rosehill. ' ' '