Vegas Golden Knights: Marc-Andre Fleury joins 400 win club
Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury has strengthened his Hall of Fame case by becoming the 13th goalie to reach 400 career wins
Using wins to evaluate goaltenders is a silly idea. It’s the same as using wins to define how good a pitcher is. However, what wins can tell us is how many good teams a player has been a part of. Also, they tell us how long a player has been good enough to help his team win games. With the Vegas Golden Knights‘ win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday, March 12, Marc-Andre Fleury is the 13th goaltender to reach the 400 win plateau.
He is the third active member of the exclusive club, joining Roberto Luongo of the Florida Panthers and Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers. Fleury got his 400th win in his 728th overall appearance, narrowly missing tying the latter for the fewest games played to reach 400 wins (727).
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“Flower”, as he is affectionately referred to by those around him, got his start with the Pittsburgh Penguins. They selected him after trading up to the top of the 2003 NHL Draft.
Fleury got thrown into the fire early, making his NHL debut at the age of 18 years and 316 days against the Los Angeles Kings.
He became the regular starter during the 2005-06 season. Since becoming the Penguins starter, Fleury has proven to be consistent and durable.
From 2005-06 to 2015-16 (excluding the 2012-13 lockout-shortened season), he made at least 50 appearances in all but one season (2007-08). Only 11 goalies since the start of the 1967-68 season have more seasons with at least 50 appearances than Fleury.
Fleury joined the Golden Knights in an expansion draft day trade with the Penguins. He’s having one of his best seasons thus far, with a .930 save percentage in 23 games entering Monday’s game against the Flyers. Fleury’s win over Philly gives him 28 career wins against them. The only team he has more career wins against is the New York Rangers, with 31.
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What’s your favorite memory of Fleury, Penguins and Golden Knights fans? Does he have a case for the Hall of Fame? Let us know in the comments!