Wild's Marc-Andre Fleury delivers vintage performance on special night: 3 takeaways vs. Canadiens
MONTREAL — This was always going to be Marc-Andre Fleury's big night.
With the future Hall of Famer playing in his final game at the Bell Centre, he acknowledged it was going to be very 'special,' emotional. And it very much was, from the ovation the crowd gave him when the giant video screen focused on him during 'O Canada,' to the way they chanted his name, 'FLEURY!' during a lengthy TV timeout in the third.
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The chants even continued after the ensuing faceoff.
And Fleury delivered on the hype with a vintage performance, racking up his 76th career shutout in a 4-0 Minnesota Wild victory. There were a few of his greatest hits, from his poke check and sprawling stop on Josh Anderson to a windmill stop on the Montreal Canadiens forward in the third.
He grew up just an hour from the Bell Centre, pretending to be idol Patrick Roy making Game 7 saves in his neighborhood outdoor rink. Fleury always considered it an honor to play on this ice, and the whole city returned the favor Thursday. The entire Canadiens team shook his hand after the game, and then he got one last rousing ovation as the game's No, 1 star. Flowers, fittingly, were tossed on the ice.
Of all the heroes in Wednesday's 3-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, from Filip Gustavsson to the entire fourth line, it was defenseman Jon Merrill who received the 'HARD' chain for player of the game. It was a fitting choice by captain Jared Spurgeon, as Merrill had several gutsy plays down the stretch, including a block of Auston Matthews and clear in the final minutes. Thursday, Merrill followed it up with another strong game against Montreal. On Marco Rossi's goal in the second period, the whole play — the rush — was started after a block by Merrill in front of the net. Merrill is playing some of his best hockey at the right time, as when Jonas Brodin returns from long-term injured reserve, there will have to be some decisions made on the blue line in terms of who comes out of the lineup.
Textbook play right here 🙌 pic.twitter.com/u8tewXi1Fg
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) January 31, 2025
Liam Ohgren scored his first goal of the season, putting the Wild on the board in the second period. On the play, the Wild rookie collected his own loose puck in front and sent a wrist shot through Jakub Dobes. That whole line with Yakov Trenin, Freddy Gaudreau and Ohgren played well. But Ohgren's getting some production is an encouraging sign. His first game after his latest call-up was a little tough, but he said he's continued to feel more comfortable. In a two-assist game in Colorado, Ohgren said he's realizing he's got the time and space to make plays. General manager and president of hockey operations Bill Guerin said the other day that he'd like to see Ohgren 'play a little more free' as he 'tends to be a little robotic at times.' 'I think there's another level he can get to,' Guerin said. But the Wild have been happy with how Ohgren has played in his own end. Ohgren said spending most of this season in AHL Iowa might have been 'the best thing for me,' as he got to work on his 200-foot game. They focused on board battles and positioning in the defensive zone.
Öhgy wasn't stopping 🚨🚨🚨 pic.twitter.com/CjFNR5huzb
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) January 31, 2025
The fourth line had another really impressive game, led by Devin Shore. Shore, who assisted on the Wild's first goal Wednesday, gave Minnesota another insurance goal in the third period Thursday. It was his first in 30 games with the Wild. Shore, 30, on his sixth NHL team, was brought in this summer to give the organization the kind of organizational depth in case of injuries. He's definitely stepped up as of late, forming good chemistry with Jakub Lauko and Marat Khusnutdinov.
Get your Drumstick, that's a Shoresy goal🍦 pic.twitter.com/OgXBAuJAXG
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) January 31, 2025
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And he's right — the Panthers are the first to reach the Stanley Cup finals for three consecutive years, playing an 82 game season and navigating the $88 million salary cap. And there's no telling when this might feasibly end. The Panthers have seven of their top nine forwards and four of their top six defensemen under contract after this season — with seven of those 11 under contract through at least the 2027-28 season. 'I'm ready for another parade!' Ross said. Miami Herald sportswriters C. Isaiah Smalls, Jordan McPherson and Anthony Chiang contributed to this report.
