Fleury still beloved in Pittsburgh, potentially entering last game there with Wild

CRANBERRY, Pa. -- Marc-Andre Fleury has been gone from the Pittsburgh Penguins for more than seven years.

Not entirely, though.

At a game in Pittsburgh, there are still jerseys with the goalie’s No. 29. It’s not impossible to imagine that number in the rafters, joining the No. 66 of Mario Lemieux, No. 68 of Jaromir Jagr and No. 21 of Michel Briere.

In those rafters are five Stanley Cup banners. Fleury, who helped raise the most recent three from 2009, 2016 and 2017.

The idea of Fleury, the most decorated goalie in Penguins history, never left.

More than an idea will be in the crease Tuesday. Fleury, with the Minnesota Wild, will be there for potentially the last time against the Penguins at PPG Paints Arena (7 p.m. ET; FDSNWI, FDSNNO, SN-PIT).

“Maybe a deep breath. Look around, “Fleury said. “Take a good look around, right? Good memories. I was very fortunate to be here for so long.”

It will be a second chance to say goodbye.

On Dec. 18, 2023, Fleury was on the bench for what was potentially his last game in Pittsburgh.

Evgeni Malkin scored to give the Penguins a 3-0 lead at 3:34 of the second period. The fans chanted for Fleury. He didn’t enter. Filip Gustavsson made 26 saves in a 4-3 loss.

It’s easy to see why they wanted Fleury, the first piece of what became the Penguins’ most successful era. Before Sidney Crosby in 2005-06 or Malkin and Kris Letang in 2006-07, an 18-year-old from Sorel, Quebec, made his NHL debut Oct. 10, 2003.

“Him and Sid are kind of the ones that put the franchise back on track,” Letang said. “The rest is history.”

Selected No. 1 in the 2003 NHL Draft, Fleury allowed a goal on the first shot he faced, scored short-handed by Los Angeles Kings forward Eric Belanger 38 seconds into a 3-0 loss. He made 46 saves on 48 shots.

In his first two seasons, Fleury was 17-41-8.

It got better. He has the most wins (375) and best goals-against average (2.58) in Penguins history. Fleury's .912 save percentage is second, tied with Casey DeSmith behind Matt Murray (.914).

“I feel lucky that I was a part of it,” Fleury said. “I feel fortunate I got to live it, to learn the hard way with all those losses and the hard times.”

The signature moment came June 12, 2009. In Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Detroit Red Wings, he made a last-second diving save on Nicklas Lidstrom, sealing a 2-1 win and delivering Pittsburgh’s first championship since going back-to-back in 1991 and 1992.

“I think he means a lot," said Crosby, the Penguins captain. "He means a lot to me. He means a lot to the organization and, I’m sure, the fans.”

Thirteen seasons with the Penguins had equal lows. In the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Fleury had a .891 save percentage in 13 games that rose to .899 in 2011, dropped to .834 in 2012 and ticked up again to .883 in 2013.

“I had some tough times,” Fleury said. “People were still behind me, pushing me and helping me out through it.”

A sports psychologist was hired in summer 2013. Those playoff yips disappeared.

Fleury’s 2.40 GAA and .915 save percentage in the 2014 postseason improved to 2.12 and .927 in 2015. It still wasn’t enough; the Penguins blew a 3-1 series lead to the New York Rangers in the 2014 Eastern Conference Second Round and were eliminated by the Rangers again in 2015, this time in the first round.

But Murray, a 21-year-old rookie, became the primary starter on a run to the Stanley Cup in 2016.

Fleury had a 2.29 GAA and .921 save percentage in the regular season, each his best with Pittsburgh. The second of two concussions made him unavailable to begin the playoffs and opened the door for Murray.

Roles reversed in 2017. Murray was injured in warmups before Game 1 of the first round. Fleury started throughout the first two rounds, making 29 saves in a 2-0 win against the Washington Capitals in Game 7 of the second round.

That ended with Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final. Fleury allowed four goals on nine shots to the Ottawa Senators, was pulled for Murray and never again played for the Penguins before being selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft.

Fleury didn’t fade. He was 26-10-0 with a career-best 1.98 GAA and .928 save percentage for Vegas in 2020-21, winning the Vezina Trophy as the League’s best goalie. His 562 wins are second in NHL history behind Martin Brodeur (691).

In nine games against the Penguins, the 39-year-old is 5-4-0 with a 3.05 GAA and .906 save percentage.

The numbers were never what endeared Fleury to Pittsburgh.

“He’s really good at looking at the positives,” Crosby said. “He’s got high expectations of himself, but I think he still finds a way to have fun and keep things light, find that balance.”

It was June 14, 2017. Fleury held one side of the Stanley Cup with Murray on the other end at Point State Park in downtown Pittsburgh, passing the role of No. 1 goalie to his heir apparent.

A week later, Fleury was set to appear as a member of the Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The day before, in his final moment with the Penguins on June 20, 2017, he signed autographs at a DICK’s Sporting Goods down a hill from their practice facility.

“It was important,” Fleury said. “The support I’ve gotten over the years while I was here was amazing. ... Our building was full for I don’t know how many years. Go to games, watch the games, cheer us on. So, for me, it was just a little way to meet some of them, say a little thank you.”

The Wild practiced at that rink Monday.

After, on his walk to the locker room from the secondary ice, Fleury noticed teenagers from the Penguins EXCEL Hockey Academy working on the main surface. He stepped on to take a few shots.

“What’s not to love? That’s the question, honestly,” Letang said. “Just his personality, there’s not a mean bone in his body.

“He comes to the rink with a big smile on his face. He plays the game with a big smile. He’s a great teammate, obviously. So, it’s hard not to love a guy like that.”