Marc-Andre Fleury stops 26 to lead Wild past Penguins 5-3

PITTSBURGH, PA – Marc-Andre Fleury made 26 saves in what is likely to be his final game in Pittsburgh, as the Minnesota Wild triumphed over the Penguins 5-3 on Tuesday night. Frederick Gaudreau netted two goals, while Kirill Kaprizov contributed a goal and two assists, tying the franchise record with his sixth consecutive multipoint game. Mats Zuccarello and Jakub Lauko also found the net for Minnesota.

For Pittsburgh, Rickard Rakell scored twice, and Valtteri Puustinen marked his first power-play goal. Sidney Crosby assisted on all three goals, and Joel Blomqvist turned away 34 shots.

Fleury, who turns 40 next month, has indicated that the 2024-25 season will be his last. Tuesday’s game marked his 100th with Minnesota in his 21st NHL season. He spent the first 13 years of his career with the Penguins, securing three Stanley Cups in 2009, 2016, and 2017.

Pittsburgh selected the 18-year-old Fleury first overall in the 2003 NHL Draft, and he played a crucial role in stabilizing the franchise during challenging times. Still beloved by fans in Pittsburgh, he received a heartfelt standing ovation and loud chants after a video tribute during the first television timeout.

A key moment in the game came when Pittsburgh jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but Lauko and Gaudreau struck within 55 seconds, sparking a run of four unanswered goals from the Wild.

In terms of milestones, Fleury holds nearly all major goaltending records for the Penguins, including wins (375), games played (667), shutouts (44), playoff wins (62), playoff games (115), and playoff shutouts (10).

Looking ahead, the Wild will start a three-game homestand on Friday against Tampa Bay, while the Penguins continue theirs on Thursday against Anaheim.