Graney: Hollywood script, but no storybook ending for Fleury
Hollywood tends to make this stuff up.
As if there wasn’t enough drama between the Golden Knights and Minnesota — the best-of-seven series was tied at two games apiece entering Tuesday night — even more materialized to begin the third period at T-Mobile Arena.
Marc-Andre Fleury, the former Golden Knight and arguably the most popular player in franchise history, was in net for the Wild to start the final 20 minutes of regulation.
But it was the Knights who went home in triumph.
Brett Howden, who had battled illness the past several days, scored 4:05 into overtime for a 3-2 victory before a raucous crowd of 18,441 fans.
The Knights can now close out the series in Game 6 on Thursday night at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Fleury, who stopped all six shots he faced before Howden’s goal, replaced the ill Filip Gustavsson.
It was love at first sight yet again for many Golden Knights fans, who chanted “Fleury! Fleury! Fleury!” when the switch was made.
Yes, for the guy on the other team.
“I didn’t expect it, definitely not in the playoffs in the opposite team’s rink,” Fleury said. “Vegas will always be a special place for me.”
But it wasn’t to be his storybook ending. At least not on this night.
Fleury, who has announced he will retire at season’s end, had little chance to stop Howden’s blast from the slot off a Tanner Pearson pass.
If you have never seen Fleury skate fast, his exit from the ice was quicker than you could imagine.
‘Happened pretty quick’
“As a goalie, you always feel like you can stop it and should stop it,” Fleury said. “I haven’t seen the replay yet. It happened pretty quick. I saw him in the corner of my eye and knew he was down there. He just put it in the corner.”
It all came on a night when Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy jumbled his lines to resemble how things ended in a Game 4 overtime win in Minnesota on Saturday.
When he made some household changes he believed would make the ultimate difference. It did then. It did Tuesday.
One of the players Cassidy wanted more than any to get going was his best one in center Jack Eichel, who had not produced a point in five-on-five over the first four games of the series.
And, yes, that was Eichel skating onto the ice after the victory, named the game’s second star.
Had his best game of the five.
“He elevated in Game 4 — you could tell in the second and third periods then that he was more vocal and a little more physical in the battles,” Cassidy said. “I think he’s been the victim of some bad luck offensively. We’ve tried to help him as much as possible. We switched things up a bit to see if it could help.”
It did for sure. The new-look top line of Eichel, William Karlsson and Pavel Dorofeyev created several good chances over the opening 20 minutes, with Eichel assisting on both first-period goals.
The first was via a terrific pass to Karlsson, who finished a short-handed score. Eichel then found captain Mark Stone near the blue line, from which Stone fired a one-timer past Gustavsson.
Never forget
Drama?
It appeared the Wild had taken a 3-2 lead with 1:15 remaining in regulation, but the score was overturned when it was ruled Minnesota was offsides.
It meant overtime for a second straight game.
Which ultimately meant a loss for the Wild and Fleury.
“I was excited to have a chance to play again,” Fleury said. “And in this building, in front of the crowd and get a little chant going. That was pretty sweet.”
The goalie who was traded to Chicago in July of 2021 wouldn’t skate away a winner on this night, but one thing is for sure. … They have never forgotten him.
Ed Graney, a Sigma Delta Chi Award winner for sports column writing, can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com. He can be heard on “The Press Box,” ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 7 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday. Follow @edgraney on X.