Vegas G Fleury makes first return to Pittsburgh to face Penguins (Feb 05, 2018)
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Penguins and Vegas Golden Knights had Tuesday's date circled for a long time. The game at PPG Paints Arena marks the return of longtime Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.
As emotional as that will be, there's an aspect to the matchup that is likely a surprise to most in the hockey world compared with what was expected entering the season.
Vegas (35-13-4) is leading the Western Conference in its first NHL season. The expansion team isn't stumbling and bumbling the way many first-year pro sports teams have.
Coach Gerard Gallant has gotten used to being asked at every stop the team makes about the Golden Knights' sustained play at a high level. He has a standard answer, pointing to the club's 8-1 start in October.
"I think the guys built a lot of confidence from Day One," he said Monday after the team practiced in Pittsburgh. "When you get off to a start like we got off to, the guys believe in themselves. That's the biggest thing. They believe in themselves. They believe we're a good team."
In fact, Vegas has a better record than the defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins (29-22-3), who are third in the tight Metropolitan Division.
So instead of a juggernaut against a newbie, Tuesday's game pits two of the top teams in the league.
"What they've done this year is unbelievable," Pittsburgh defenseman Ian Cole said of the Golden Knights.
"Their record obviously shows that, but they are certainly a team that they never give up. I don't know how many late-game rallies they've had, but it seems like you'll look at a scoreboard and they're down 2-1 and you think, 'Hey, they might actually lose tonight.' And they come back and win 3-2. And they've done it multiple times this year."
Vegas is 5-7-1 when trailing after two periods.
"From the start, the expectations weren't that high," Fleury said. "We have a good group of guys here, good leadership group, guys that have played a lot, been through a lot and won games.
"I don't think any of us wanted to be satisfied with just being OK. I think we wanted more than that. Life in hockey goes quick. I think you've got to make the most out of it. Winning makes a lot of things better, for sure."
Fleury, selected from Pittsburgh's roster by Vegas in its expansion draft last summer, arrived there as the promoted face of the new franchise. He missed several weeks earlier this season because of a concussion, but his numbers are stellar -- 15-4-2, 1.84 goals-against average, .939 save percentage.
He and the Golden Knights beat Pittsburgh 2-1 in their first meeting, but that was in Las Vegas.
It's expected to be an emotional return for Fleury to PPG Paints Arena after he won three Cups with the Penguins and set club records for wins (375), shutouts (44), playoffs wins (62) and postseason shutouts (10).
"It's going to be special," Pittsburgh defenseman Kris Letang said. "He was a big part of our team for a long time, a great teammate. He's a guy that was loved by the fans also. It's going to be an emotional night for him especially and for a bunch of guys who played with him for a long time."
If Fleury gives up a goal to his longtime close friend, Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby, it will stand as the 400th of Crosby's career.
Fleury will receive his latest Cup ring from the Penguins after Tuesday's morning skate, and the Penguins will air a tribute video to him during the game's first TV timeout.
"You always want to win, but I don't want to block everything out either," Fleury said. "It's going to be a special moment for me, playing the first game back here. I want remember it and remember my time here."
On the injury front, the Penguins announced Monday that forward Patric Hornqvist is week-to-week with a lower-body injury after being injured by a hit from defenseman Brooks Orpik in Friday's win over the Washington Capitals.
Hornqvist is fourth on the Penguins with 31 points (16 goals, 15 assists) this season.
