Marc-Andre Fleury snapped the Vegas Golden Knights out of their early-season slump with a stellar performance.
Fleury, who led Vegas to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season, put on a masterclass between the pipes, making 26 saves to secure a 1-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.
“Fleury was outstanding today, and he was the difference in the hockey game,” said Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant.
The game remained scoreless until Cody Eakin broke the deadlock with just 1:25 remaining in regulation. Eakin made a diving play to keep the puck in the Flyers’ zone and passed it to Ryan Carpenter, who returned it to Eakin for a shot from the circle that beat Flyers goalie Brian Elliott for the game-winner.
“It’s just one of those plays where the puck bounced our way, and we were in the right spot,” Eakin said.
Despite pulling Elliott for an extra attacker, the Flyers couldn’t find a way past Fleury, who made a diving stop on Flyers captain Claude Giroux with 30 seconds left to preserve the shutout. This marked Fleury’s 406th career win and 49th shutout, and his 29th career win against the Flyers.
The victory helped Vegas improve to 2-4 after a slow start to the season. The team had suffered a 1-4 stretch, including an opening-night home loss to Philadelphia. But in the final game of a five-game road trip, Fleury carried Vegas to a much-needed win before they returned to Nevada for a five-game homestand.
Fleury’s second-period heroics included 10 remarkable saves, particularly on breakaway chances from Scott Laughton and Giroux. After being denied by Fleury, Laughton crashed hard into the boards and left the ice briefly, returning in the third period.
“You know he made a couple of desperate saves,” Giroux said. “He’s a goalie that doesn’t give up on the puck.”
The Flyers, coming off an 8-2 blowout loss at home to San Jose earlier in the week, rebounded with a solid effort but couldn’t solve Fleury.
After the game, Flyers coach Dave Hakstol tipped his cap to Fleury: “This is one of those nights where Fleury made a big difference. They made a play late, and it hurts to walk out of here with nothing.”
Brian Elliott, bouncing back from that tough loss to the Sharks, stopped 20 shots in a much-improved performance.
Both teams dealt with injuries, with the Flyers missing key forwards Nolan Patrick and James van Riemsdyk and Vegas still without center Paul Stastny.
Game Notes
The Flyers mascot, Gritty, continued to gain national attention, even appearing in a segment on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” this week. Gritty’s antics during the game, including a skit showing him doing chores around the arena, remain a fan favorite.
Up Next
- Golden Knights: Host the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night.
- Flyers: Host the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night.