Marc-Andre Fleury is just 28 years old and he’s already the winningest goaltender in the history of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Fleury stopped 26 shots in a 3-1 victory against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday. In the process he surpassed Tom Barrasso, who won 226 games in a Penguins’ uniform.
Fleury has won 35 or more games in five of his previous six seasons and could move into the top 50 of the NHL’s all-time wins list with just 14 more victories this season. That’s to say nothing of the fact that he’s taken the Penguins to the Stanley Cup Finals twice and won the Cup once.
At the same time, Fleury couldn’t hold his own against Philadelphia in the 2012 playoffs and the Penguins ultimately decided to hedge their bets by getting Tomas Vokoun over the summer. Vokoun said that there won’t be a goaltending controversy, but he gives them another option should Fleury falter.
Even after all he has accomplished, Fleury still has a lot of work ahead of him and plenty to prove this season. Still, setting a franchise record and beating a heated rival in one night is a great way to start.