Tonight was a historic moment for soon-to-be Hockey Hall of Fame goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. Not long ago, he passed a unique milestone having played in an NHL crease for 1,000 games. Fleury set another record with his 5-0 shutout against the New York Islanders. He moved into second place in all-time regular-season victories for goalies with his 552nd win. That passes the legendary Patrick Roy for the second spot in NHL history.
The win came in Fleury’s 1,007th career game when he passed his childhood idol by putting up his 552nd career win. Now he stands behind only the legendary Martin Brodeur for first place ever in goalie wins.
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The Win Against the Islanders Was Also Fleury’s 74th Shutout
Fleury not only pushed past Roy for second place, but he did it in style. With the win, he posted the 74th shutout of his career. The significance of reaching this milestone against the Islanders wasn’t lost on Fleury. The Isles have been one of his most familiar adversaries during his career. He now has put up a career record of 29-12-6 against them.
In truth, the milestone win against the Islanders wasn’t that tough, as it turned out. While Fleury was dominant, his Wild teammates built up a 3-0 lead after two periods. Although the Islanders pushed in the third period, Fleury was up to the task and denied any New York goals.
At the moment when Fleury’s win was assured, the home Minnesota crowd chanted “Fleury, Fleury, Fleury!” They also started the chant after a great power-play save during the second period.
Fans from all over the NHL are pleased with the achievement. Fleury is one of the NHL’s best ambassadors and he has fans everywhere. His popularity transcends team loyalties.
In Reaching the Milestone, Fleury Admitted the Difficulty of the Quest
After the game, Fleury admitted that the team had faced some challenges recently and expressed his gratitude for their collective effort. As he noted, “Finally, right? It’s been a little rough, lately. I wish we could have done this a little while ago, right?”
The win both cemented Fleury’s place in NHL history but also gave his Minnesota team a much-needed reason to celebrate. Marc-Andre Fleury has had a remarkable career, now finally sitting in second place in regular-season career wins for goalies with 552 wins to his name.
Congratulations to Marc-Andre Fleury on this great achievement.
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