Fellow PensBurghers,

It was truly a priviledge to watch our Pens this past postseason. That this young team was able to come back from a series deficit twice against the ampley experienced Red Wings is further proof that youth and desire cannot be underestimated. It is with that in mind that I pose the following question: With the 2010 Olympics on the horizon, is it time that Marc-Andre Fleury be given genuine consideration for Team Canada?

Granted, Fleury in a Canada uniform causes many of us to recall a monumental puckhandling mishap. That being said however, it could be argued that his performance in Pittsburgh's last two runs to the finals has proven that he's learned to handle the pressure packed games.

The tough thing about picking a team of roughly 20 skaters and 3 goalies for Canada, is that there's almost too much talent available to choose from, but for the goaltender's position, let's have a look at the other frontrunners.

Martin Brodeur

The incumbent starting goalie for Team Canada. Farbeit for me to take away from the accomplishments of a goalie who will no doubt take his place in the Hall of Fame in the coming years, however, a serious bicep injury last year, combined with an epic collapse in the first round against Carolina has shaken the confidence of many a canadian hockey fan. And who can forget the Torino Olympics, in which Canada failed to win a medal in a year of unprecedented expectations for Canada's hockey juggernaut.

Roberto Luongo

Many consider Luongo to be the future of goaltending for Team Canada, and there is most definitely a case to be made to that effect. In Louie's time spent in Florida, he was widely regarded as the league's best goalie on a terrible team. People gladly overlooked the fact that the wins weren't a stat he'd excel in as long as he remained in south Florida. Now that he's been in Vancouver, with a solid team in front of him, and all the expectations that followed a goalie of his caliber, he still has yet to lead his team deep into the playoffs.

Marty Turco

A veteran of international hockey and a former NHL All-Star, Turco looked to be a shoe-in to make an appearance in these upcoming Olympics. However, a disappointing (to put it mildly) season in Dallas which saw the team fall far short of making the playoffs has lead many to put a large chunk of the blame squarely on the shoulders of the former Michigan Wolverine. This season may have been an enomoly, but, with Olympic Evaluation camp right around the corner, is that a chance Canada can afford to take?

Darkhorses: Chris Mason, Dwayne Roloson, Steve Mason, and yes, even Chris Osgood's name has been thrown into the mix.

It's fair to say that no matter who Canada puts in net, they'll have a competent goaltender between the pipes. Of these goaltenders though, only Osgood has his name on the Stanley Cup. Roloson is the next most successful, reaching the finals as a starter with Edmonton, and as a backup with Buffalo, losing both times. Chris Mason only recently became a starting goalie, and it could be argued that he's never held the position outright. Steve Mason, although posting phenominal numbers in his rookie season, and earning himself the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie and a nomination for the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goaltender, has yet to win a game of any significance at the NHL level after being swept in the first round by the eventual Western Conference Champion Detroit Red Wings.

Marc-Andre Fleury

I don't need to point out to any Pens fan how Marc has progressed over the years since being taken number 1 overall at the 2003 draft. Fleury's play has been steadily improving, culminating in two terrific runs to the finals, and a Stanley Cup Championship this year. There is a very good case that Fleury has been the most consistently successful goalie of this group over the past two seasons. When it came to games that really mattered, when all the chips were down, Flower has come through time and time again. Looking back to game 5 of the Cup finals last year with incredible pressure in possibly the most difficult arena to be a visiting team in, Fleury singlehandedly won that game for his team with a 55 save performance over 6 periods of hockey. This year's run to the Cup included at least one stellar game in every series he played. Game 7 victories against Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals, and the seemingly unstoppable offence of the Detroit Red Wings were more proof that Marc-Andre Fleury has learned how to win. He's shown incredible bounce-back ability after a few rocky games, and in a tournament like the Olympic games, this quality is essential.

Whether or not Marc will get any real consideration is up to the Olympic management group, but with Executive Director Steve Yzerman having a front row seat to the Cup finals where Flower really blossomed can't hurt his chances.