Fleury: First start for Vegas in Pittsburgh 'a game I'll remember forever'
It was almost a perfect night for Marc-Andre Fleury.
The Vegas Golden Knights goaltender made his first start in Pittsburgh after years spent tending the twine for the Penguins, and was met with an emotional tribute and ovation from the team and its fans on Tuesday.
“In the warmup I had goosebumps.” —Fleury on the ovation Penguins fans gave him.
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) February 7, 2018
"This was a game I'll remember forever," Fleury added, per the Vegas Twitter account. "I thank everybody for all those years and showing up tonight."
Unfortunately for Fleury, he did not come away with the win, as he allowed five goals on 38 shots in the 5-4 decision and expressed his frustration with the result by tossing his stick while heading to the locker room after the final buzzer.
"It's good to play against them," Fleury said later after gathering himself, per the Penguins' website. "They're very talented, very fast, and able to create a lot of space and time for themselves to get some goals.
"Sometimes I caught myself thinking a little too much, what they like to do and their tendencies. Hopefully it will get easier to play them as it goes on."
As it stands, that won't be until next season, barring a meeting in the Stanley Cup Final.