The Minnesota Wild made a perfect decision involving retiring goalie Marc-Andre Fleury in what was his final regular-season game ever. The Wild made a goaltending change heading into overtime Tuesday night, swapping in Fleury after clinching a playoff spot in the final seconds of regulation, as going to OT meant they had already bagged the lone point the team needed to make it there.
After teammate Joel Eriksson Ek tied the game with 20.9 seconds left in the third period, head coach John Hynes made the decision to insert Fleury for the extra frame. Fleury, 40, entered the game for what was his final regular-season appearance in the NHL before hanging up his skates next summer, and made the most of the moment.
“Little shocked, little shocked, little worried. I’d been sitting there for a few hours,” Fleury said after the game. “A good talk from Gus, and obviously Hynes let me go in too. I’m happy I got to go play just a little bit more at home.”
Not only did Fleury play, but he turned aside all five shots he faced in overtime, including two on the penalty kill. Meanwhile, Matt Boldy scored with 17.9 seconds remaining in the period to seal a 3–2 win over the Anaheim Ducks and give Fleury his 575th career win.
“It was fun, just to go one more time out there, and play the game I love,” Fleury said. “It was cool.”
Fleury’s NHL debut came in 2003. Since then, he has played for Pittsburgh, Vegas, Chicago, and Minnesota, winning three Stanley Cups and a Vezina Trophy. He started the Wild’s final home game last week with his children on the ice for warmups.
Coincidentally, the Wild locked into a playoff series against Fleury's former team in the Vegas Golden Knights, which means he may yet have another moment on the ice depending on how those series progress. The Wild are expected to start Filip Gustavsson in net for their first-round series against Vegas, but if there is a safe moment to bring Fleury in, it's reasonable to expect the Wild will do so during their first-round matchup.
In the final game of the regular season, the Wild secured their place in the playoffs—but not without some serious drama. After missing out on last year’s postseason, Minnesota found itself trailing 2–1 late in Tuesday’s game, a result that could’ve opened the door for the Calgary Flames to steal the final Wild Card spot. But with just 20.9 seconds remaining in regulation, Joel Eriksson Ek tied the game. That single point was enough to punch Minnesota’s ticket to the playoffs. With the pressure lifted, the celebration could begin.
Marc-Andre Fleury’s final game was a memorable one. Filip Gustavsson started in net for the Wild, while Fleury sat on the bench in what was expected to be the final regular-season game of his career, as he plans to retire after the season. But with the postseason spot locked up, Gustavsson approached head coach John Hynes with a suggestion: let the 21-year veteran give fans one last show. And Fleury delivered.
Marc-Andre made five saves in under five minutes—some of them spectacular—and as the Wild sealed the win in overtime, Fleury added one last victory to his legendary résumé: number 575.
“Try to have some fun with this. I wasn’t too sharp, right? Just dive around, don’t let them shoot, I guess,” Fleury said postgame. “The guys battled hard too around the net. They helped me out, so it was nice.”
Marc-Andre Fleury expressed his gratitude toward Gustavsson for the gesture, though he admitted he was “surprised.” According to NHL writer Joe Smith, Fleury teared up at the end of the interview. “It was fun to go one more time out there. And play the game that I love,” he said.
The Wild now enter the postseason with championship hopes. In the opening round, they meet Fleury's former team, the Vegas Golden Knights. The Flower is not expected to play unless Gustavsson falters or is injured, but the team is still trying to win a Stanley Cup for him. To get past them, the Wild will have to match the offensive firepower of the Golden Knights. The goaltending battle is tight, but Vegas has a clear advantage at forward. In order to upset the Golden Knights and advance, they must find a way to rise to that same level offensively.
It likely won't come down to Fleury's play, but he's entering the final postseason of his career. The Wild are trying to make it a long run for the NHL veteran, but they can rest knowing they did the right thing by him in his final regular season contest.
