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      MIN@MTL: Fleury earns his 76th NHL shutout in his final start in Montreal

      Montreal Canadiens fans made sure Marc-Andre Fleury got his flowers.

      The Minnesota Wild goalie, playing his final regular season game at Bell Centre in Montreal, dominated the home team to the tune of career shutout No. 76 (tying Ed Belfour and Tony Esposito for 8th most in NHL history) and the opposing fans couldn't have been happier about it.

      The scene Thursday night was the perfectly appropriate mix of Fleury's astonishing 21 seasons in the NHL: unbridled joy and on-ice excellence. Wild teammates made Fleury take a pregame solo lap. Some fans even brought their own flowers to the game in honor of his well-known moniker.

      Born in Sorel-Tracy, Quebec, about an hour north of Montreal, Fleury grew up a Canadiens fan before he became a three-time Stanley Cup champion, 2021 Vezina Trophy winner and second to only Martin Brodeur on the NHL career wins list.

      So when he skated through his hometown for the final time - Fleury announced he would retire at the conclusion of this season - no one was going to miss the chance to show him the love.

      During the third period of Fleury's 19-save shutout, which included a few vintage, highlight-reel stops, fans cheered him at length, reaching a crescendo with just under eight minutes to play in the third period.

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          MIN@MTL: Canadiens fans cheer Fleury in his final game in Montreal

          After the game, Wild players mobbed Fleury for his effort and would not let him escape to the bench, blocking his path and forcing him to stay on the ice to prolong the ovation.

          As the crowd continued to cheer, Canadiens players left their bench, each shaking hands with Fleury in acknowledgment of one of the NHL's great careers.