Marc-André Fleury stopped 26 shots in what will likely be his final game in Pittsburgh as the Minnesota Wild beat the Penguins 5-3 on Tuesday night.
Fleury, who turns 40 next month, indicated this season would be his last. Fleury, now in his 21st NHL campaign, played his 100th game with Minnesota on Tuesday.
The native of Sorel, Que., spent the first 13 seasons of his career with Pittsburgh and won Stanley Cups in 2009, 2016 and 2017.
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Still a fan favourite in Pittsburgh, Fleury acknowledged the crowd following a video tribute during the first television timeout with the game scoreless as the beloved goaltender received a standing ovation and loud chants in an emotional moment.
“I didn’t want to watch or look,” Fleury, whose wife, three children and mother were in attendance, later told The Athletic. “My first time back here, I looked [at the video] and I had watery eyes and then I couldn’t see. So, I didn’t want to look. I just told the ref, ‘Drop the puck. Let’s go.'”
With Minnesota leading by a goal in the second period, Fleury thrust forward on one save, The Athletic described, used his glove like an oven mitt on another and then did a snow angel to freeze a puck after a mad flurry ended with Lars Eller clanking a shot right off the iron from point-blank range.
When the horn sounded on Fleury’s 563rd career victory and a 5-1-1 road trip for the Wild, Fleury received a rousing ovation from the remaining 18,195 fans inside PPG Paints Arena.
While their Penguins teammates headed to the dressing room, team captain Sidney Crosby, who had three assists, and veteran defenceman Kris Letang watched from the bench.
Fleury embraced them and got some advice: “Enjoy the lap,” they said before giving him a paddle to the back of his breezers. “And enjoy the moment.”
Fleury then tossed his stick into the stands to a fan and did an on-ice interview.
Before the game during warmup, he posed for a picture with Evgeni Malkin, Crosby and Letang and read signs pressed against the glass that said “Prank 4 a Puck,” “I was named after the GOAT,” “Fleury Fan Forever” and “Thanks for the Memories.”
