Marc-Andre Fleury saved his first shutout of 2023-24 for the perfect time. The legendary goaltender won his 552nd National Hockey League game in convincing fashion on Monday night, blanking the New York Islanders 5-0 and achieving a milestone that was a long time coming for the Quebec native.
With the victory, MAF earned sole possession of second place on the all-time list, passing another legend in longtime Montreal Canadiens backstop Patrick Roy.
Fans at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul began chanting Fleury's name in the second period, and it reached a fever pitch as he helped the struggling Wild earn a huge win over their Eastern Conference counterparts.
“Finally, right? It’s been a little rough lately,” Fleury reflected with a smile, per NHL.com's Jessi Pierce. “I wish we could have done this a little while ago, right? But I think everybody knows, everyone in this room, that we try to work our best and try to win games, climb our way back, right, and tonight that was a great game against a good team and we got that one.”
Marc-Andre Fleury joining elite company
The 39-year-old Fleury is already in legendary company after winning three Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009, 2016 and 2017. Now, he sits just behind Martin Brodeur for the most goalie wins in NHL history.
After Monday's win, he's just 139 wins back of Brodeur's 691.
“I’ll need 15 more years,” Fleury joked when asked about potentially catching Brodeur. “I think it’s good. It’s good to have goals. I think for me the last couple years, right, I’ve been playing for a while but it’s something I always wanted to win the next game, but personally trying to get some games played, some wins, right?
“I think it’s fun to catch up to some of these guys and I always loved goalies growing up, so I have so much respect for guys that played before me and it’s an honor not just for Patrick but for the other guys I was able to catch up with.”
A former No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 NHL Draft by the Penguins, Fleury played the first 13 seasons of his career in Pennsylvania before stints with the Vegas Golden Knights, Chicago Blackhawks and now Wild.
He is playing out the final season of a two-year, $7 million deal he signed in July of 2022.
“I came in, my dream was to play in the NHL,” Wild's Marc-Andre Fleury mused. “I was so happy to play that first game. From then on, it was just one game at a time, one win at a time, trying to win the next one. I’ve been very fortunate to play with really great teams, great teammates, people that helped me stay healthy, right, throughout the journey. It feels crazy to be here now.”
It's truly been an incredible career for one of the most likeable goaltenders in hockey history, and the legend grew even more on Monday night.
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