Game Recap: Wild 3, Penguins 2

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Marc-Andre Fleury made 33 saves, including 13 in the third period, and the Minnesota Wild held off the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 at Xcel Energy Center on Friday.

“Marc was great. A great evening,” Wild coach John Hynes said. “… The way he performed. I told the team after the game, just his performance and his competitiveness was great to see. It was a big difference in the game. Then the way the players play in front of him. It’s fun to be involved in that and see how much he battles and how much he means to the team, and you can see his impact he has the group, how they battle and how bad they want to win for him.”

It may have been the goalie’s final game against the team he played his first 13 NHL seasons with (2003-17) and won the Stanley Cup with three times (2009, 2016, 2017). Fleury is in the final season of a two-year, $7 million contract ($3.5 million average annual value) he signed with Minnesota on July 8, 2022, and can become an unrestricted free agent after the season. The 39-year-old remains undecided about his future, whether that means retirement or searching for another team to play for next season.

Fleury made four saves in the final 1:07 of the game, including stopping Evgeni Malkin’s one-timer from the right face-off circle with 41 seconds left, to preserve the lead. Pittsburgh played the final 1:50 at 6-on-4 after Brodin took a high-sticking penalty with Alex Nedeljkovic pulled for the extra attacker.

“It’s just big challenge, right?” Fleury said. “Because you know they have so many skilled forwards and D, right? Six guys, I don’t know. You know you have to battle. … Maybe some crazy plays, so just battle through it and try to keep it out.”

Kirill Kaprizov scored the go-ahead goal at 9:34 of the third period, burying a backdoor rebound off a Zach Bogosian slap shot.

“Nice shot by ‘Bogo,’” said Kaprizov, who also had an assist. “I just, it was open net. Just shoot.”

After the goal, Pittsburgh challenged for a missed stoppage of play before the scoring sequence, but video review determined there was no stoppage, and the call on the ice stood.

“Most the guys on the ice felt like [the puck] hit the [protective netting],” Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said. “It [stinks] being on the wrong side of some of these challenges.”

Matt Boldy and Jonas Brodin each had a goal and an assist for Minnesota (23-23-5), which won its second straight game.

Crosby scored to extend his point streak to nine games, and Reilly Smith also scored for Pittsburgh (23-18-7), which had won two in a row. Nedeljkovic made 27 saves.

“I thought we competed hard,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “You know, there were momentum swings in the game. They had it for a period of time. We had it for a period of time.”

Boldy made it 1-0 at 12:57 of the first period with a deke and wrist shot through the slot on the power play.

Smith tied it 1-1 at 2:54 of the second period after Malkin played the puck off the boards and found him for a slap shot from above the right hash marks.

Brodin put Minnesota ahead 2-1 at 6:12, winning a battle with Kris Letang in the corner and driving to the slot before putting home a deflected puck in front.

“I think everyone had an impact,” Boldy said. “There weren’t any passengers. And that’s a step in the right direction, for sure.”

Crosby tied it 2-2 with a power-play goal at 1:01 of the third after Erik Karlsson fed him at the left side of the crease for a one-timer.

“Obviously, we pushed pretty hard there late,” Crosby said. “You always know that [Fleury’s] going to compete and battle, but you still ultimately want to get the two points.”

The Wild honored Fleury with a pregame ceremony to celebrate his 1,000th NHL game, a feat he achieved Dec. 31 in a 3-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets.

“I’m happy it’s over,” Fleury said of the celebration. “I was a little nervous for it. I feel like I’ve gotten softer and softer with the years and then seeing my kids on the ice and on the jumbotron talking too. Old teammates. I don’t know, it gets me. But I think it was early in game they got the power play just to move around a little bit. So that was good. Very grateful for the Wild organization and Penguins also for making this day so special for my family.”

NOTES: It was Fleury’s first start since sustaining an upper-body injury Jan. 19 against the Florida Panthers. … Minnesota forward Marcus Foligno left the game early in the third with an undisclosed injury. There was no update. … Kaprizov set the Wild franchise record for consecutive 20-goal seasons (four). … Crosby has 11 points (six goals, five assists) during his point streak. … Nedeljkovic played for the first time in two weeks.