Watch: Wild G Marc-Andre Fleury withstands late scramble vs. Penguins, securing win while celebrating milestone
On one of the most memorable nights of his NHL career, Minnesota Wild netminder Marc-Andre Fleury was the story and for good reason.
The Wild celebrated Fleury's 1,000th career game on Friday, with his former club, the Pittsburgh Penguins, in town. Unsurprisingly, with the spotlight on the veteran goaltender, he didn't disappoint.
The 39-year-old made 34 saves in a 3-2 victory and fended off a barrage from the Penguins late. With Minnesota nursing a one-goal advantage, Fleury made several timely saves as the final seconds of the third-period clock expired.
Both the Wild and Penguins went all out to celebrate the one warmly referred to as "Flower."
With Fleury's family on hand, the Wild presented him with a custom mask, incorporating all four NHL teams he's played for, including the Wild, Penguins, Vegas Golden Knights and Chicago Blackhawks.
The Penguins, with whom he played the first 13 seasons of his career and won three Stanley Cups, also came bearing gifts for Fleury. Before the game, captain Sidney Crosby presented him with an incredible painting depicting significant moments from his time in the NHL.
Fleury's teammates got into the act, too, subjecting the 17-year vet the rookie treatment ahead of warmups.
Technically, Friday was career game No. 1,009 for Fleury, having crossed the 1,000-game mark on Dec. 31. He ranks fourth on the all-time games played list among goaltenders, with only Hall of Famers Patrick Roy (1,029), Roberto Luongo (1,044) and Martin Brodeur (1,266) having more.
Recently, Fleury leaped ahead of Roy (551) for second on the all-time wins list. His victory over the Penguins was No. 553. He trails only Brodeur (691) for the NHL record.
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