Marc-Andre Fleury Faces Penguins for Final Time

The Pittsburgh Penguins and former goalie Marc-Andre Fleury meet one final time in a contest against the Minnesota Wild.

Jan 25, 2025; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber (7) plays the puck in front of goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (29) against the Calgary Flames in the third period at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images / Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Minnesota Wild face off in a Sunday afternoon matchup. For the Wild, it's a chance to keep pace in the Western Conference playoff race. The Colorado Avalanche's recent victory pushed the Wild into a Wild Card position, but this game against the Penguins is an excellent opportunity to pick up two points.

This game packs an emotional punch for both the Penguins and the Wild. This will be the final time goalie Marc-Andre Fleury faces his former organization. Fleury was selected first overall by the Penguins in the 2003 NHL Draft and played his first 13 seasons in Pittsburgh.

Now, he faces his old team one last time and hopes to earn bragging rights over his old buddies Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang. He spoke following the team's recent loss to the Vancouver Canucks about his mixed emotions in his final game against the Pens.

"It's always still weird when I play against them," he said. "Obviously, I like to win against them to get a little bit of bragging rights, but they've been such great teammates and good friends, and so it's fun to cross paths."

At age 40, Fleury continues to impress. Serving as the back-up, he's played in 21 games and collected a 12-7-1 record. His goals-against average is the lowest it's been in the last three seasons, with a 2.74, and a .904 save percentage. He's been an excellent running mate for starter Filip Gustavsson as they approach a playoff run.

He'll get the chance to earn those bragging rights this afternoon. When Fleury and company visited Pittsburgh earlier in the season, he received a send-off party befitting of the organizational legend he is. This time, expect Fleury to be a bit more zoned in as he helps

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