Vegas Golden Knights Report Card: Marc-Andre Fleury
We are now firmly in offseason territory for the Vegas Golden Knights and, as a result, we will be running through our 2018-19 player Report Cards throughout the next few weeks.
We’ll be evaluating the performances of every player who laced their skates up for the Vegas Golden Knights this year, starting with the goalies and working up through the defensemen and then finishing with the forwards.
Marc-Andre Fleury: Grade A
Today we turn the microscope on Marc-Andre Fleury who was vintage Marc-Andre Fleury for much of 2018-19.
His season
You have to have stellar goaltending in order to be a contender in the NHL, and you need a different kind of beast between the pipes if you have aspirations of winning a championship.
The Vegas Golden Knights have their man in net in Marc-Andre Fleury, who has been outstanding in more ways than one since being selected in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft by the Knights.
A hugely popular figure both on and off the ice in Sin City, Fleury overcame injury issues to backstop the Golden Knights all the way to the Stanley Cup Final in the franchise’s inaugural year, finally being stopped by eventual champions the Washington Capitals.
Fleury continued to play at the peak of his powers this season and he was once again a huge factor in the Golden Knights making the playoffs for the second consecutive year.
Vegas’ slow start to their sophomore season was reflected in Fleury’s play too as he struggled at times, but when he got hot boy was he hot.
Putting the team on his back at times, the three-time Stanley Cup champion reminded us all time and time again why he will rightly go down as one of the finest netminders to have ever graced the NHL once he decides to hang up his skates.
He was a big reason why the Golden Knights had one of the best defensive records in 2018-19, conceding on average just 2.78 goals a game.
When Fleury is at his peak then he really is the elite of the elite and, despite his advancing years, he appears to still have plenty left in the tank.
His eight shutouts in the regular season ranked second in the NHL, just one behind Columbus Blue Jackets goalie, Sergei Bobrovsky.
Fleury finished the regular season with 35 wins, a 2.51 goals against average and a .913 save percentage in 61 starts.
Moving onto the postseason, Fleury developed a reputation during his time with the Pittsburgh Penguins for coming up clutch in key moments during the playoffs, one that he upheld during his debut year with Vegas.
And, although he did have some peaks and valleys this year in the playoffs, allowing ten goals in the first three games of the series against the San Jose Sharks, that was a rare blot on the copybook.
He was unstoppable at times, swatting away all 28 shots as he recorded his 15th career postseason shutout in Game 4, which resulted in a commanding 5-0 win for the Knights.
Granted, there will be some goals in the latter stages of the series that Fleury will want back as his team imploded in dramatic fashion under controversial circumstances.
However, looking at his year as a whole, Fleury came to Vegas’ rescue more often than not and his all-round leadership and calm demeanor has a clear impact on his team-mates.
Why the grade
To be a contender and win a championship you have to have an elite goalie and Marc-Andre Fleury is certainly that on a night-to-night basis for the Golden Knights.
He was stellar for most of the regular season and his stats speak for themselves, including his eight shutouts.
His pure athleticism in net allows him to pull of the spectacular and he’s among the best when it comes to playing the puck and reacting before the danger even has a chance to unfold.
Fleury is a real leader in the Vegas locker room and his unique personality translates to his game, allowing him to remain calm even when those around him are losing their heads.
dark. Next. Stone named IIHF World Championships MVP
His regular season was sublime whereas his postseason was up and down, but an A still feels deserved given the veteran’s overall body of work.
Signed through the 2021-2022 season, Fleury still has plenty of good hockey left in him and he’ll be hoping to add one more Stanley Cup to his already impressive resume.
The numbers:
Games: 61
Starts: 61
Wins: 35
Losses: 21
Overtime Losses: 5
Shutouts: 8
Shots Against: 1,745
Goals Against: 152
Goals Against Average: 2.51
Save Percentage: .913
Minutes: 3,636
Games (Playoffs): 7
Starts (Playoffs): 7
Wins (Playoffs): 3
Losses (Playoffs): 4
Shutouts (Playoffs): 1
Shots Against (Playoffs): 230
Goals Against (Playoffs): 21
Goals Against Average (Playoffs): 2.70
Save Percentage (Playoffs): .909
Minutes (Playoffs): 467