It’s probably not going to make anyone feel better, but there isn’t much more the Boston Bruins could have done to take home a victory Tuesday night.
That’s just what happens when Marc-André Fleury turns back the clock.
Fleury, who the Bruins are quite familiar with from his days as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins, put together what might be his best performance in years in the Minnesota Wild’s overtime victory at TD Garden. The veteran stopped 40 of 43 shots, including a few stunners.
It was about as impressive as it gets for a guy who’s about to play in his 1,000th game, which influenced plenty of jokes from his Minnesota teammates.
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“It’s unbelievable,” Wild forward Brandon Duhaime said during the second intermission of Tuesday’s contest, per Bleacher Report. “I mean, for him to do this at 50 (years old) is special. He’s awesome, a great teammate and player and you see what he’s doing out there at 50.”
Fleury, of course, is actually 39 years old.
It was the type of game that should have gotten away from Minnesota, but Fleury’s heroics kept the Wild competitive — despite a two-goal, double-digit-shot night from Bruins star David Pastrnak.
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“But no hat trick,” Fleury said postgame, per Joe Smith of The Athletic.
Fleury will soon become the fourth goaltender in NHL history to play in 1,000 career games. Martin Brodeur (1,266), Roberto Luongo (1,044) and Patrick Roy (1,029) are the only goalies to make more appearances.
The Bruins are likely content with that being his final game in Boston, though.
Featured image via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
