Drafted first overall in 2003, Marc-Andre Fleury was a cornerstone for the Pittsburgh Penguins turnaround, but three Stanley Cups later, he’s the starting goalie for the expansion Vegas Golden Knights.
The former Penguin is coming off a two-month stay on injured reserve just in time to face his old teammates.
"I still have a lot of friends on the team," Fleury said. "That would be nice to see them, try to do good; they're a good team. The Cup champs, it's a good challenge for our team. I'd like to do my part to beat them."
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Since before the season began, when he was taken in the expansion draft in June, the new Vegas goaltender circled the date Dec. 14 on his calendar, when Pittsburgh would play the Golden Knights for the first time in Las Vegas.
Now that the time has come -- and with emotions put to the side -- Fleury thinks history could actually work against him.
"They know what I like to do," he said of the Penguins, who come to Las Vegas after losing consecutive games. "Hopefully there's not too much thinking out there, and I can just play my usual game and try to do well against them."
This game also has another juicy storyline, as Fleury’s fellow netminder with the Penguins, Matt Murray, was also activated off injured reserve earlier this week.
Murray has missed the past five games with a lower-body injury sustained back on Nov. 27.
Cox Media Group