It was Marc-Andre Fleury’s night in Pittsburgh on Saturday as the Pittsburgh Penguins picked up their second preseason win. They beat the Columbus Blue Jackets by three, 4-1, thanks to two goals from Rickard Rakell, one from Sidney Crosby, and one from Ville Koivunen.
Sergei Murashov was sensational in goal for the Penguins during the first two periods, but the story was all about Fleury. He came into the game at the start of the third period and shut the door on the Blue Jackets. He made the saves he needed to make and displayed his signature poke check at times.
Every time he made a save or when the puck touched his stick, the crowd erupted. There were “Fleury, Fleury, Fleury” and “One more year” chants throughout the entire period until the final whistle blew. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang were the first three players to congratulate him, as it should be.
Fleury thanked the fans for everything during his post-game interview with Dan Potash after he was named the first star.
“Thank you, thank you. I feel very lucky that I’ve played hockey for so long and obviously being in Pittsburgh for so long, too,” Fleury said. “I feel very fortunate and thankful for that. Like I said, some of the best years of my life. Appreciate it. Thank you.”
He got to return to the place where his career began, and put a bow on what was a great homecoming over the last 24+ hours. He practiced with the team in front of a packed house at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex on Friday before playing in front of a sold-out crowd at PPG Paints Arena.
Even though his career is over, his impact on the Pittsburgh community will be felt forever.
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