Marc-André Fleury was packing his bags in his hotel room in Pittsburgh on Monday afternoon when he called back Newspaper. It was game day for the Wild against the Penguins.
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Normally, Fleury would have followed his routine and waited until the next day to answer questions. When he took a nap, as he always does before a game, he didn't have the usual butterflies that appear within hours of hitting the ice.
He knew he wouldn't be playing against his former team on what could be his final visit to Pittsburgh. John Hynes had decided to give him the start the next day against the Bruins in Boston in a series of two games on two nights.
“I didn't talk to John too much, I talked more to Fred [Chabot], our goalkeeping coach, said Fleury. I don't want to tell a big story. I would have liked to play, but I respect the decision. Pittsburgh is a special place for me. However, I understand that Gustavsson has been playing very well lately and that we are winning our games. He has won his last three starts.”
Filip Gustavsson and the Wild ultimately failed to win against the Penguins. Sidney Crosby scored the winning goal in a 4-3 win.
Fewer departures
On November 27, Bill Guerin showed Dean Evason the exit door to replace him with Hynes behind the Wild bench. Since this move, Fleury has found himself in the role of second goalkeeper. Starting against the Bruins, he played three of his team's last ten games.
A role he accepts.
“At the moment we are not appearing in the portrait of the series,” he recalled. Gus [Gustavsson] plays good hockey and the team wins. The team remains larger. I will continue to work hard in our practices and when I start I want to help my team win. That's all.”
“I get on very well with him. Filip is a bon vivant, a good person. There is no argument between the two of us.”
The now 39-year-old goalkeeper from Sorel is not very happy with his start to the season. He has a 5-5-2 record, a GAA of 3.26 and a save percentage of .892.
“It’s okay, but I’d like to win more often,” he replied. The more often you play, the faster you will find your rhythm. It feels like the game is playing in slow motion. You can read the action better. There is only one goalkeeper in the net. And that's always the case. I'm part of the team and I want us to win. Gus is playing well and I encourage him. I'm not looking for an excuse. It's up to me to block pucks when I start. I have to adapt to my role.”
Roy's 551 wins and 1000 games
Personally, Fleury still has a good chance of overtaking Patrick Roy (551 wins) for second place in NHL history and becoming the fourth goaltender in 1,000 games.
Photo Martin Chevalier
After the visit to Boston, where he scored a 4-3 overtime victory, he had 549 wins and 997 games.
“I'm a guy who takes life one day at a time. My wife would also say it, I'm not a very good planner. The media tells me more about it than I can think of. But I won't lie. I want to achieve both [devancer Roy et 1000 matchs].”
Sad for Evason
Regarding the momentum behind the Wild bench, Fleury spoke of a feeling of guilt.
“It’s always sad when a coach loses his job. You always feel guilty. There is also an assistant who lost his job [Bob Woods]. There were two guys who were in the same boat as us. They wanted to win, they work hard for our team. But that's part of ice hockey. Since Hynes' arrival I have noticed positive changes and the team is starting to win again.