Marc-Andre Fleury isn’t one to take personal credit, but his remarkable career continues to climb the NHL’s record books.
Fleury made 17 saves to help the Vegas Golden Knights secure a 3-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday, earning his 408th career victory and moving into 10th place on the NHL’s all-time wins list.
“As I’ve said before, it’s an honor to be among these great players,” Fleury said. “I’ve been fortunate to play with a lot of talented teammates. It’s cool to be here.”
Fleury, who missed his 50th career shutout for the second consecutive game, has only allowed two goals across his last three starts.
“We played a strong team and dominated,” said Fleury, who is now 15 wins away from catching Tony Esposito for ninth place on the wins list. “We had the puck a lot and didn’t give them many chances. It was quiet on my end.”
William Karlsson, Ryan Reaves, and Jonathan Marchessault scored for Vegas, which outshot the Ducks 45-18.
The Golden Knights, who were 0 for 16 on the power play in their first six games, have now scored with the man advantage in consecutive outings, going 1 for 5 against Anaheim. Vegas has also been strong on the penalty kill, stopping all 11 opposing power plays over its last four games.
“They’ve been working hard, blocking shots, and putting pressure on opponents,” Vegas coach Gerard Gallant said of the team’s penalty kill. “We had a tough start to the season, but the guys take pride in this. The recent success on the penalty kill has helped set the tone for our team.”
Ben Street scored Anaheim’s lone goal, while John Gibson was impressive in defeat with 42 saves.
“We need more guys fully engaged in the game,” Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. “We didn’t show up until maybe the third period, and even then, we lost too many 2-on-1 battles. Our goalie gave us a chance, but we didn’t compete hard enough.”
Vegas outhustled the Ducks all night, dominating puck possession and creating far more scoring opportunities. According to NaturalStatTrick.com, the Golden Knights generated 34 scoring chances, including 19 high-danger chances, compared to just 18 total chances and five high-danger chances for Anaheim.
Gallant praised his team’s overall effort: “I liked everything tonight. We played well, generated good chances on the power play, and overall, it was one of our best games this season.”
Karlsson, originally drafted by Anaheim in 2011, redirected a pass from Marchessault for a power-play goal in the first period, marking his second goal of the season. He now has two goals and six assists in his last six games.
Reaves added his first goal of the season midway through the second period, with his son and mother in the stands to watch.
“I’ve scored in front of my son a few times, but whenever my mom visits, I seem to score,” said Reaves. “She’s my good luck charm.”
Street cut the lead to 2-1 early in the third period, but Marchessault sealed the win with an empty-net goal in the final seconds.
Game Notes
NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal pumped up the crowd by sounding the siren before the game. Marchessault, who posted a career-high 75 points last season, continued his strong form with a team-leading 10 points (five goals, five assists) so far this season. Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle remains one win away from tying Roger Neilson (460) for 30th on the all-time NHL coaching wins list. Ducks goalie John Gibson has allowed two or fewer goals in six of his seven starts this season.
Up Next
- Anaheim: Hosts Buffalo on Sunday.
- Vegas: Hosts Vancouver on Wednesday night.
