Fleury goes for No. 400 as Golden Knights wrap up roadtrip

PHILADELPHIA — It was a tough question and Marc-Andre Fleury struggled to find the appropriate answer.

Of the 399 career victories Fleury has accrued in his NHL career, which is his favorite?

“If you’re not counting the playoff games, probably my first win,” Fleury said. “Your first one is always special.”

It came on Oct. 18, 2003, at the old Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh. Fleury, then a 19-year-old rookie, stopped 31 of 34 shots he faced and the Penguins rallied from a 3-1 deficit to beat Detroit 4-3.

Since that night, there have been many memorable moments. Winning three Stanley Cups. Knocking out teams in the conference finals. Spectacular saves.

Now 33, Fleury can reach a major milestone Monday as he goes for his 400th win when the Golden Knights face the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center. It’s an opponent Fleury is very familiar with over his 14 years in the NHL. He has faced the Flyers 53 times and owns a 27-18-2 record with two shutouts.

You don’t put up the numbers Fleury has managed without some help. He was quick to praise his former Penguins teammates and Golden Knights teammates for his success.

“I have been blessed to play on good teams and have good teammates,” Fleury said. “You can’t win games by yourself.

“Here in Vegas, we’ve got a good group of guys who work hard and never give up. It’s been a pleasure and a lot of fun to play with them and help the team win. It’s been very enjoyable to be part of this team, a great experience for me.”

Fleury would have easily passed the 400 mark by now. But the concussion he suffered on Oct. 13 against the Red Wings forced him to miss 25 games. And while injuries are part of the game, Fleury said he missed not being on the ice for the time he was on injured-reserve.

“I’ve tried to stay healthy, not always successful, but try to stay in shape, try and learn and get better,” he said. “It was tough not being able to help the team, but they did a great job while I was out.”

Since Jan. 7, Fleury has started 25 of the Knights’ last 28 games. He says he feels fine and as long as that’s the case he’s probably going to continue to play.

“He does it every day,” Knights coach Gerard Gallant said of Fleury, who is 24-9-3 this year with a 2.16 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage. “Since we got him, he has been nothing but a leader, a great teammate and the guys love him. He’s playing well and we’re fortunate to have him.”

But Monday isn’t just about Fleury.

The Knights are in a battle for a top spot in the Western Conference and still hoping to catch Nashville, which had won nine straight before losing 3-2 in a shootout to New Jersey on Saturday. The Predators lead the conference with 98 points while the Knights, who are currently No. 2 in the West, have 93, two ahead of Winnipeg.

The Knights (44-19-5) are also looking to build on the momentum they’ve built during the five-game road trip which concludes Monday. They’re 3-1 on the trip, having allowed just one goal in their last two games — a win over Detroit (4-0) and a shootout victory over Buffalo (2-1). After Monday’s game, just 13 games remain in the regular season. Of those 13, eight will be at T-Mobile Arena, where the Knights are 24-7-2 at home.

Fleury doesn’t want it to be about him heading into the final stretch. He knows what the number represents and it will add to his already exceptional body of work.

So what does he think about reaching 400 wins?

“It probably means I’m getting old,” he said with a laugh.

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Contact Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow @stevecarprj on Twitter.