Marc-Andre Fleury recorded his second consecutive Stanley Cup playoff shutout Monday night.
Well, Marc-Andre Fleury and his crossbar.
The Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender got a little help from the iron during the second period of the Penguins’ Game 3 matchup with the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
With 12 minutes remaining in the frame and the Penguins leading 1-0, Rangers winger Mats Zuccarello corralled a rebound and flicked a shot on net that got past Fleury but grazed the top crossbar and deflected just wide of the net. The shot was so close to going in that the referees needed to stop play to review the call on the ice of no goal.
Check out Zuccarello’s near miss below.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ40QVite_U&w=640&h=360]
At the very end of the clip, Fleury is seen paying his respects to his extra goalie by giving the crossbar a gentle rub.
After the game, Fleury wasn’t shy about spreading the love to his trusty iron.
[tweet https://twitter.com/penguins/status/463516316230746113 align=’center’]
Luckily for Pittsburgh, Fleury hasn’t needed much extra help this series. Often maligned for his playoff struggles, the 29-year-old has recorded 57 saves in his last two games and has allowed just three goals in three games against Rangers this series.
Propelled by Sidney Crosby’s second-period goal, the Penguins made the most of Fleury’s efforts Monday night in a 2-0 win that gave them a 2-1 series lead.
GIF via Deadspin
