MONTREAL — It was just over 44 minutes after the Minnesota Wild completely sucked the life out the Bell Centre that Marc Andre-Fleury offered a rescue breath.
Out he flashed for one last circus save in his home province, sliding onto his right pad and stacking the left one up to steal away the Canadiens’ best scoring chance of the night — a quick strike off Josh Anderson’s stick from 14 feet out.
It was a gymnastic ode to a fantastic career, and it helped cement Fleury’s third and final shutout in Montreal and sent the fans at the Bell Centre into their first frenzy of the night.
And then, roughly 15 minutes later, came their full-throated roar, as the Canadiens paid homage to Fleury’s legacy during a television time-out. They belted out his name in unison for what felt like an eternity, extending the pause in play and reducing him to tears.
“It was an honour,” the 40-year-old said after the Canadiens lined up to shake his hand, after the Wild paved his way off the ice, after he returned to more chants for his curtain call as the first star.
What it was, was a scene to behold. One only fairytale scribes could dream up.
Marc-Andre Fleury, native of Sorel, Que. and future Hall of Famer, stops every shot he faces in his final game against the team of his childhood.
“Patrick Roy was the first guy I really loved watching,” he said. “My dad was a big fan of the Canadiens, and we were always watching them together. Was in bed in ’93 and he woke up me up to watch the (Stanley Cup) celebration together and see the team celebrate and stuff, and that really put the dream in my head seeing that.”
Fleury rode it to the greatest heights a goaltender can reach, winning three Stanley Cups, Olympic Gold, the Vezina and Jennings Trophies. He took the royal Quebecois goaltending sceptre passed from Roy to Martin Brodeur to Roberto Luongo before him and held it just as high — and always with humility.
We asked Fleury how he’d describe his chapter in that story, and he deflected like we expected him to — with humour.
“I don’t know, that’s your job,” Fleury said. “I just try to stop the puck.”
Mission accomplished 19 times on this night.
They were 19 of 31,441 (regular season and post-season combined) saves Fleury’s made since stepping into the NHL, and he’ll make several more before retiring after this 21st season in the league.
Fleury’s brother in blocker and glove, Marc Denis, perfectly summed up his legacy to us.
“It’s achievements and championships that define greatness,” the former NHL goalie-turned-colour-analyst for RDS said, “but it’s attitude and approach as a teammate that transcends the sport.”
It’s what makes an admired player a universally beloved one, too.
We’ve all been exposed to Fleury, the merry prankster, who ran gags on Sidney Crosby and the rest of the Pittsburgh Penguins even long after he left the team that drafted him first overall in 2003. We have all heard about how much he lit up locker rooms in Las Vegas and Chicago with his legendary sense of humour and patented toothy smile, and about how he continues to do that with the Wild.
On the ice, we’ve seen how Fleury’s career has been marked by his indefatigable will and his nearly unparalleled acrobatic ability.
The Wild kept him from having to flash it through those first 44 minutes on Thursday, limiting the Canadiens to just 12 shots before Anderson gave him the moment he was looking for.
“I wanted to put on a good show so they could remember me playing well,” Fleury said.
There were only five thousand people in the Bell Centre who watched him gift Anderson the tying goal in Game 3 of the 2021 Cup Semifinal, and they all jeered him then — through one of the toughest moments of his career.
But the 21,105 at Thursday’s game responded the right way to one of Fleury’s most special ones.
So did the Canadiens, who were hoping to prevent a fourth straight loss but couldn’t quite find their footing in the game.
The Wild helped sweep it away in this 4-0 win.
“They play heavy, they play on top, and they don’t give you a lot of space. They’re a good team, so you’ve got to give them credit,” said coach Martin St. Louis.
“I feel like if you’re going to beat that team, you need a lot of juice.”
The Canadiens didn’t have it. It left them frustrated.
But they still extended their hands to Fleury afterwards.
“We lost the game, but we paid our respects to a player who has earned that respect with a long career as a Francophone Quebecer here in Montreal,” St. Louis said. “I think it was our obligation to do that, even with the result…”
Fleury took it to heart.
“I don’t think they’ve done that before,” he said. “I was surprised. It was very humbling for me that they stayed out, and Marty, too, who I played against for so many years.”
For the goaltender to experience it in front of his wife, his kids, and the 100 or so people close to him who attended the game, made it that much more special.
He got a hero’s send-off in La Belle Province.
“To have the respect of my teammates and the other team’s, the other players around the league, and the fans — even though I’m on the road — and the French Canadians, the English people from Quebec,” Fleury said, “it means a lot to me.”
