LAS VEGAS (AP) — Marc-Andre Fleury was on the bench the last time the Wild visited Vegas, but when he appeared on the video board late in that Jan. 12 game, the crowd cheered and chanted his name as if he had just made a save to help put the Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Final.
It was to be Fleury's last game at T-Mobile Arena unless Minnesota faced the Golden Knights in the NHL playoffs.
Well ...
The teams open their first-round series Sunday night, and Fleury and his Wild teammates will be back in the building. Like that January game, however, Fleury likely will be on the bench, but his mere presence is a reminder of Vegas goalies tree that is making its mark heading into the postseason.
Adin Hill will try to lead the Golden Knights to their second Stanley Cup title in three years. Logan Thompson, who was traded to Washington last summer, is a major reason the Capitals captured the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
“They've had a lot of good goalies come through this locker room,” Hill said. “A lot of good players, too. The roster (general manager) Kelly (McCrimmon) is able to put together every year is impressive.”
If Fleury remains arguably the most popular player in the Golden Knights' short history, Hill quickly became a fan favorite by doing something even Flower didn't accomplish — help lead Vegas to the championship.
Now he will try to do it again.
“You've kind of been there, done it, right?” Hill said. “Nice to have that experience under the belt, but a fresh slate this year. It's a new season. I'm just getting ready for that first game.”
This is the first time Hill enters the posteason as the Golden Knights' unquestioned starter.
He was down the depth chart two years ago when injuries ravaged the position and Vegas was the only team to have five goalies win multiple games. Then when Laurent Brossoit went down in Game 3 of their second-round series against Edmonton, Hill came in and his hot play was a key reason the Golden Knights wound up hoisting the Stanley Cup.
Hill and Thompson shared starting duties last season. Thompson entered the playoffs as the starter before he was replaced by Hill in Game 5 of the first-round series against Dallas. He finished the series, which Vegas lost in seven games, but Hill gave up just five goals over those final three games.
“There a lot of first times for Adin this year,” Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Fifty games. A complete healthy year. Signs an extension. So there's a lot of that, ‘Hey, I’m the guy.'”
Hill went 32-13-5 this season with a .906 save percentage and 2.47 goals-against average. He was a backup goalie on Canada’s 4 Nations team, and since that tournament, Hill has gone 12-3-1 with a .920 percentage and 2.11 GAA.
The Golden Knights awarded him in March with a six-year, $37.5 million extension.
That came about six weeks after the Capitals handed Thompson a six-year, $35.1 million contract. Thompson is in DC because he wanted the chance to be the clear No. 1 starter, and Vegas accommodated him with the trade last summer for a pair of third-round picks.
Thompson won 31 of his 42 starts before an upper-body injury in early April cut short his career-best season.
“He’s had a phenomenal year: a big reason for our success and earned himself a long-term contract from the organization,” coach Spencer Carbery said.
The Capitals could get Thompson back in the playoffs. He has been skating on his own, and it hasn't been announced who will be in the crease when Washington hosts Montreal in Game 1 on Monday night. Charlie Lindgren has a .866 save percentage since taking over for Thompson.
Should Thompson meet his old team this postseason, it be in the final, which would be a rematch from 2018 when the Capitals won in five games.
Fleury won't have to wait as along, and in fact will take part in practice Saturday at the Golden Knights' facility. As for actually getting into a game, Fleury might find himself in the same spot as that January trip to T-Mobile with Filip Gustavsson was on the ice and stopped 32 shots in the Wild's 4-1 loss.
Fleury, who spent four seasons with the Golden Knights including that 2017-18 team that reached the Stanley Cup Final, has as big of a network of fellow goalies as there is in the game given his 21 years of experience. He played with Thompson during the 2020-21 season.
“Yeah, for sure it’s fun to see them do different things. It’s always good,” said Fleury, who is expected to retire after this season. “Sometimes when you warm up, you get a chance to say hi or catch up a little bit after games in the hallways and stuff. I love hockey and I watch highlights and stuff. I like to see those guys I played with and how they’re doing.”
Both teams met in the first round of the 2021 playoffs in a series that went the distance. Fleury, playing for the Golden Knights, made 19 saves in Game 7 of Vegas' 6-2 victory.
“They had Flower and now we’ve got Flower," Wild forward Marcus Foligno said, "so maybe that’s the lucky charm we’ve got this time.”
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AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno in Washington and AP Sports Writer Dave Campbell in St. Paul, Minnesota, contributed to this report.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Mark Anderson, The Associated Press
