Quebec’s Marc-André Fleury improved his chances of ending his career in the top 10 goalies for total shutouts in the National Hockey League (NHL) by beating the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-0 on Thursday.
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The Minnesota Wild star stopped all 30 shots aimed at him for the 73rd brushstroke since his Bettman Circuit debut with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2003-04.
As the 12th-place holder in the category, he needs three shutouts to join Tony Esposito and Ed Belfour, who needed 886 and 963 encounters, respectively, to reach the 76 tally. In addition, the ninth place occupied by Roberto Luongo (77) is accessible to him.
However, Fleury will have to outdo himself to catch Alec Connell, Tiny Thompson and Dominik Hasek. They occupy tiers 6 through 8 thanks to 81 shutouts. Of course, former New Jersey Devils star Martin Brodeur seems unreachable at the top, he who has gone through 125 total games without giving up a single time.
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Also, Flower, who made his 72nd shutout in November, added a team to his roster as the Jackets were among clubs prior to Thursday to have scored at least once at his expense. As a result, he still has three teams to silence: the St. Louis Blues, the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Wild. In the latter case, only a change of scenery could open the door.
“I didn’t know about the record [du plus grand nombre d’équipes blanchies en carrière]. That probably means I’m old. I’ve been playing for a long time,” said the 38-year-old after his shutout against the Seattle Kraken last fall.
The Wild had a date with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday, but the odds of Filip Gustavsson defending his net were good. The Jackets will then be in Minnesota by Sunday afternoon.