PITTSBURGH — As his Minnesota Wild idol and closest friend on the team, Penguins legend Marc-André Fleury, started his final game in Pittsburgh, Freddy Gaudreau scored his first two goals of the season to help deliver Fleury’s 563rd career victory.
Gaudreau’s two goals aided a furious Wild comeback from two goals down to beat the Penguins 5-3 and close out their seven-game, 17-day road trip with a 5-1-1 record.
Fleury, who is one game from tying his childhood hero Patrick Roy for third all-time in games played for a goalie (1,029), made 26 saves on a night his original franchise and devoted fan base showered him with love. He did so with his wife, three children and mother in attendance.
After the game, Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang stayed on the ice to congratulate Fleury. His teammates serenaded him and wouldn’t leave the ice as the crowd chanted his name and gave him a loud ovation.
Marc-Andre Fleury received a standing ovation following this video being played at tonight’s game 💛 pic.twitter.com/bYRPzuvbTz
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 29, 2024
Jakub Lauko and Mats Zuccarello also scored for the Wild and Kirill Kaprizov had an empty-net goal and two assists for his sixth consecutive multi-point game (14 points over the stretch) and league-leading seventh. He has 10 assists over a six-game point streak and his brilliant pass to the backdoor for Zuccarello’s goal turned out to be the winner once Rickard Rakell scored his second goal of the game early in the third period.
That’s 97 career multi-point games for No. 97 in 287 games. He also had seven shots and another six attempted.
The outcome was the Wild’s first regulation win in Pittsburgh since Nov. 10, 2016. The Penguins were 5-0-1 against the Wild at home since Jan. 25, 2018, and 9-1-1 against the Wild in the previous 11 meetings overall.
“I think everyone in here knows what this night’s all about,” captain Jared Spurgeon said Tuesday morning in advance of Fleury’s final game in Pittsburgh. “To end the road trip on a great note as well as celebrate an awesome teammate, that brings a little extra to you.”
The Wild finally returned to Minnesota after the game, will take Wednesday off and practice Thursday in preparation for a three-game homestand that begins Friday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Kaprizov show continues. What a pass to Zuccarello. 4-2 #mnwild pic.twitter.com/6DsOTn520l
— Spoked Z (@SpokedZ) October 30, 2024
Wild’s bottom six come through offensively
The Wild entered Tuesday’s game with no goals from their fourth line this season and three from their third line.
But after a 2-0 first-period deficit, the two lines teamed up with goals 55 seconds apart to tie the score at 2 heading into the second period.
Just sneaking one in there pic.twitter.com/eBh2erkStQ
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) October 29, 2024
First, Lauko scored his second goal of the season from a tight angle, squeezing a puck between Penguins goalie Joel Blomqvist’s right pad and the near post. Then, on the next shift, Gaudreau picked up his first goal and point of the season after a turnover following Marcus Foligno’s strong forecheck.
Freddy was all over that 👏 pic.twitter.com/P5gFVAqpHy
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) October 29, 2024
Gaudreau scored his second of the game 98 seconds into the second period off a line change. Lars Eller committed a brutal turnover to Kaprizov, who headmanned the puck to Gaudreau for a breakaway goal. It was Gaudreau’s fourth career two-goal game and totaled the number of goals he scored in 19 games playing for the Penguins in 2020-21.
Fredrick Gaudreau’s 2nd goal of the night (and season) puts Minnesota into the lead!#mnwild pic.twitter.com/MOUaWICiJd
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) October 30, 2024
Faber gets into first career fight
Nine games into the season and the Wild finally have a fighting major and the unpredictable player was … Brock Faber.
In the second period with the Wild holding a 3-2 lead, Faber got into a wrestling match with future Hall of Famer Sidney Crosby. Defenseman Jack St. Ivany came to Crosby’s defense for a spirited scrap with Faber.
St. Ivany could find himself in trouble Wednesday with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety, however, because players are not allowed to come onto the ice even during a legal line change for the purpose of starting a fight.
Jack St. Ivany drops the gloves with Brock Faber after Brock got into it with Sid 😳🥊 pic.twitter.com/QHMEn869uE
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) October 30, 2024
Spurgeon returns to lineup
Spurgeon wouldn’t elaborate on what he has been dealing with since he woke up in Winnipeg Oct. 13 the morning after his second game of the season and had to fly back to Minnesota.
Spurgeon, who returned to Minnesota’s lineup after missing six games, said there had been “stuff going on” since his last exhibition game and they just had to take “some different routes medically (to) try and get back.”
Wild president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Guerin said Spurgeon’s absence was “part of the healing process” following season-ending hip and back operations last winter. Spurgeon, who turns 35 next month, couldn’t say whether or not he thinks this will be a season-long problem because nobody can forecast the future.
“Hopefully this is the last of it, but never really know,” Spurgeon said. “So we’re doing a good job of keeping the treatment going and everything like that. … After talking with doctors and stuff like that, it is sometimes common for it to happen.”
Spurgeon was plus-2 in 19:54 of ice time.
(Photo: Charles LeClaire / Imagn Images)
