Pittsburgh Penguins: Brent Johnson’s tepid play puts undue tax on Marc-Andre Fleury

Brent Johnson turned in another subpar effort Sunday afternoon at Buffalo, getting pulled from the game in the second period after allowing three goals on just 12 shots.

Certainly the 6-2 loss to the Sabres cannot possibly be pinned on one player, as the entire team appeared sluggish after an emotional 6-4 victory at Philadelphia Saturday afternoon. Perhaps the quick turnaround after a rivalry game was too much to overcome for the Penguins (33-21-5, 71 points), who remain tied with Philadelphia for second in the Atlantic Division and fourth in the Eastern Conference.

But this fact cannot be ignored: the poor play of Johnson is jeopardizing No. 1 goalie Marc-Andre Fleury’s chances of being properly rested for a lengthy Stanley Cup playoff run.

Johnson, 34, has been largely reliable as Fleury’s backup over the past three years, but with his level of production flagging, Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma has had to ride Fleury a little harder this season than he’d probably prefer.

Looking at the last six seasons (since the 2004-05 NHL lockout), the Stanley Cup winning goalie hasn’t played more than 62 games in the season preceding his championship run. In fact, Fleury is the only netminder during that stretch to play more than 60. At his current pace, the first overall pick from the 2003 NHL Draft will appear in around 65 matches by season’s end.

Beyond the numbers, subjectively speaking, the 27-year-old Fleury plays a high-energy style, although he’s certainly much more controlled now than he was in his early NHL days. In addition, Bylsma has spoken recently about the need to get Fleury more rest in the season’s final quarter.

After today’s game, Johnson’s save percentage has dropped to .882 in 13 games played. In a league in which the average goalie stops more than 91 percent of shots faced, anything too far south of .900 doesn’t provide an adequate chance for a team to succeed.

Since Johnson’s season-long performance has been below replacement level, it’s only natural for the Penguins to consider other backup options in the crease. Brad Thiessen has been among the AHL’s best goalies while toiling for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins over the last three winters, and trade possibilities float in the air with the deadline approaching.

While the thought of a trade for a No. 2 goalie may not spawn excitement in the Penguins’ fan base, it might be the most prudent move GM Ray Shero could make in the following week. Keeping Fleury fresh for the springtime is arguably the most important priority to keep in mind as the regular season winds down.