Bylsma not losing faith in Vokoun after Game 1 loss

PITTSBURGH -- When Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Bylsma made a switch of goalies early in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, he did it with no preconceived notions on how long it would last.

It's been 25 days so far.

And just because Tomas Vokoun finally lost his second game -- his first while allowing more than two goals -- it doesn't mean Bylsma is prepared to turn back to erstwhile starter Marc-Andre Fleury, who lost his spot after Game 4 of the first round against the New York Islanders.

"We don't get this win, (but) the win and the loss isn't necessarily an indicator of what we're going to do with the goaltending situation," Bylsma said early Sunday afternoon, about 14 hours after the Penguins lost, 3-0, to the Boston Bruins in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final.

Game 2 is 8 p.m. Monday night at Consol Energy Center. Bylsma isn't sounding like a man who intends on benching a player who still ranks fourth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in goals-against average (1.98) and third in save percentage (.937).

Of the goals Vokoun allowed Saturday, one was deflected by a sprawled-out defenseman, one was after a puck bounced high into the air and fell right into the crease and another was off a slick cross-ice pass to a wide-open man.

"Tomas, I thought, played real well in the game, was strong in the game, made big saves," Bylsma said.

Since making the move to Vokoun after Fleury had allowed 14 goals in a three-game stretch in what was a 2-2 series tie with the New York Islanders in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, Pittsburgh has gone 6-2. Fleury allowed at least four goals in each of the final three games he played; Vokoun has yet to allow four in a game.

Vokoun, 36, became the 28th goalie in NHL history to win 300 regular-season games last month. Before Game 5 against the Islanders, Fleury had started every Penguins playoff game since he came into the League as the No. 1 NHL Draft pick in 2003.