PITTSBURGH – Marc-Andre Fleury suited up against the Pittsburgh Penguins for what could be the final time of his Hall of Fame career. Not only did the Minnesota Wild come out on top in the contest, but Fleury stole the show on more than one occasion. It was a night centered around Flower, and it was only appropriate that he stood tall.
A pregame ceremony honoring Fleury for a pair of recent achievements kicked off the night in Minnesota. Fleury made 33 saves on 35 total shots, including a few key saves in the game’s dying seconds.
With the Wild up by one, the Penguins pulled netminder Alex Nedeljkovic for an extra attacker. The Wild took a penalty not much later, giving the Penguins a two-man advantage. Despite a barrage of offense, Fleury and the Wild kept the puck out of the net to seal the 553 rd win of his career.
“He made some big saves,” Sidney Crosby said. “We pushed pretty hard late. You always know he’s going to compete and battle.”
Fleury’s efforts earned him the first star of the game and improved his record against the Penguins to 5-4. If this is the end of the road for Fleury, and he calls it a career at the end of the year, he will officially seal a winning record against the team that drafted him.