Vegas Golden Knights: Marc-Andre Fleury Wins Save Streak Competition
Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury sets record for the NHL’s newest event at the skills competition.
This is the first time in franchise history the Vegas Golden Knights will participate in NHL All-Star game festivities. The Golden Knights have been well represented at All-Star weekend The fans voted in James Neal, and Marc-Andre Fleury and both players are having fantastic years.
Most fans and media members believed that William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault should’ve been in over those two. It’s pretty hard argument to make, either way; I would’ve loved to see the Western Conference goals leader in the All-Star Game. But Fleury carried his magic from the regular season and used some of it in the skills contest.
The NHL’s newest skills event is the Save Streak competition. Goalies faceoff on breakaways against players in other divisions. The goaltender who saves the most in a row wins the contest.
Fleury’s big night
Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators made 13 consecutive breakaway stops which seemed like a tall task for the Flower to equal. But like the Golden Knights team, with the odds stacked against him, the Sorel Quebec native didn’t give up. Fleury was absolutely sensational in the event.
The 33-year old even flashed out the old Dominik Hasek windmill save on Brayden Point. Very rarely you see that style of goaltending in today’s day and age. However, during NHL All-Star weekend, all bets are off.
with 14 straight saves, some are saying fleury was a #skillscompetition king. but he was actually a knight:) pic.twitter.com/UNWwZ6jIb9
— 🏆 - Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) January 28, 2018
Marc-Andre Fleury passed Rhinne with 14 successful stops in a row. He ended up winning the event with that number. The Flower holds the current record for the first annual competition, and the fans seemed to like the new contest.
He may have only played in 18 games this campaign, but the number one goaltender compiled some staggering numbers. Fleury earned a 12-4-2 record with a 1.77 GAA, along with a save percentage of .942% and two shutouts. People who say he’s not an All-Star is dead wrong in my book; those numbers are insane.
All in all, what a stellar performance by Fleury. With the actual All-Star game coming up tomorrow, I’m sure we’ll see even more shenanigans by the Vegas Golden Knights netminder. However, when the party ends on Sunday, the Golden Knights will reconvene for practice on Monday before traveling to Calgary to play the Flames on Tuesday for the first time all season.