THE The Pittsburgh Penguins“The history of the organization is full of great players, and we decided to take a look back at the best Penguins players to wear each jersey number. Today, we continue the list by naming the best No. 29 in Penguins history.
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It was a tough year. Several players from the franchise had different impacts on the club. Phil Bourque worked hard to help the Penguins win back-to-back titles in 1991 and 1992. Markus Naslund played great hockey for the Penguins in the late 1990s and became one of the best wingers in the league.
But no No. 29 has had more impact on the Penguins franchise than “The Flower,” Marc-Andre Fleury.
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“Flower” was selected first overall by the Penguins in 2003. He debuted that season on a struggling Penguins team and struggled a bit to adjust in his first two NHL seasons. But he and the Penguins found their groove in 2006-07 – the first of 16 consecutive seasons in which the Penguins made the playoffs in 2009. Crosby era.
Related: Best Penguins by Jersey Number: #28
Fleury went 40-16-9 that year, and he only got better before the Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 2009. During those years, the next two seasons combinedHe posted a 54-28-9 record, a 2.50 goals-against average (GAA) and a .917 save percentage (SV%).
He also produced one of the most memorable moments in franchise history to win the franchise’s third Cup:
After that first Stanley Cup victory, Fleury continued to rack up regular-season wins. He struggled mightily in the playoffs for four years, from 2010 to 2014, leading many to wonder if he was up to the task in the most important games.
But he still had a few memorable saves to make, including this one in 2016 against the Devils:
Despite his playoff struggles and some nagging injuries, Fleury proved himself during the Penguins’ back-to-back Stanley Cup wins in 2016 and 2017, and especially in 2017, when he split time with the young goaltender. Matt Murray.
Fleury made some huge saves in the conference semifinals against the Capitalsespecially during match 7:
After choosing to call up the young and promising Murray as their starting goaltender, the Penguins traded Fleury to the Las Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 expansion draft. He went on to win the Vezina Trophy with the Knights in 2020-21.
Fleury currently plays for the Minnesota Wild in what is, presumably, his final NHL season. He currently sits second behind only Martin Brodeur in all-time wins with 561.
Honorable mentions: Greg Millen, Phil Bourque, Markus Naslund
