Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury brought out his iconic gold goalie pads at the request of teammate Nate Schmidt, and they worked like magic. Fleury earned his 60th career shutout, leading the Golden Knights to a 1-0 victory over the New York Islanders on Saturday night.
“Schmidty asked about the pads, so I dug them out of the closet,” Fleury said with a smile. “We’ve had a lot of goals scored lately, so I figured, why not try something new?”
The change paid off, as Fleury made 19 saves, and Reilly Smith scored the game’s lone goal late in the second period. Fleury’s fourth shutout of the season improved his record against the Islanders to 26-11-6 with five shutouts. It also helped Vegas keep pace with the Edmonton Oilers for second place in the Pacific Division, with both teams locked at 68 points.
“I don’t know if it was the pads, but my teammates were awesome tonight,” Fleury said. “They defended well and limited the chances when we were in our zone.”
Semyon Varlamov made 42 saves for the Islanders, who were shut out for the second consecutive game after a 5-0 loss in Nashville on Thursday. The Islanders remain in third place in the Metropolitan Division, just one point ahead of Columbus and Philadelphia.
The game’s tone was set just three seconds after the opening puck drop when enforcers Ross Johnston and Ryan Reaves dropped the gloves in front of a packed house of 18,444 fans. The crowd roared as the two traded punches, and Reaves later revealed that the fight was prompted by British heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury’s attendance at the game.
“He asked me to go, and I said, ‘Well, let me hit someone first,’ but then he said, ‘Fury’s here,’ so I thought, ‘Yeah, let’s do it,'” Reaves explained.
In the second period, Vegas ramped up the pressure, outshooting the Islanders and creating quality chances. Paul Stastny nearly broke the deadlock, but Varlamov made a highlight-reel save to keep the game scoreless. However, with just 34 seconds left in the period, Smith finally put Vegas on the board with his 22nd goal of the season, giving the Golden Knights the momentum heading into the third.
“We had a lot of key blocks, especially on the penalty kill,” said defenseman Shea Theodore. “We really limited their chances, and (Fleury) has been great back there. That’s always nice to have.”
After allowing five goals to St. Louis in their previous game, the Golden Knights tightened up defensively and gave up fewer opportunities to the Islanders.
“We talked about cleaning things up defensively,” said Vegas coach Peter DeBoer. “When you’re coming down the stretch, playing playoff hockey, you’ve got to be able to win 1-0 or 2-0 games.”
Vegas outshot New York 43-19, continuing to lead the NHL in shots per game with an average of 34.6. Islanders coach Barry Trotz admitted his team was outplayed, especially in the second period.
“We needed more chances,” Trotz said. “But you’re not going to get any when you spend the whole second period in your own end.”
Game Notes:
- Vegas rookie Cody Glass returned to the lineup after Alex Tuch was listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury.
- Tyson Fury, set to face Deontay Wilder in a rematch next Saturday, cranked the pregame siren.
- A fan won $30,000 after scoring five goals from center ice, marking the first time the top prize had been claimed since the Golden Knights entered the NHL.
Up Next:
- Islanders: Visit Arizona on Monday.
- Golden Knights: Host the Washington Capitals on Monday.