Marc-Andre Fleury stopped all eight shots he faced playing the third period of his farewell game for the Pittsburgh Penguins, who defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-1 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh on Saturday.
The 40-year-old, who announced in April of 2024 that last season with the Minnesota Wild would be his final one in the NHL, signed a professional tryout contract with Pittsburgh on Sept. 12 to play one more time for the team that selected him No. 1 in the 2003 NHL Draft. Fleury played the first 13 of his 21 NHL seasons for the Penguins, winning the Stanley Cup three times (2009, 2016, 2017).
With under two minutes remaining, the crowd began chanting, “Thank you Fleury.”
The goalie had last played April 29, when he made six saves on seven shots in relief of Filip Gustavsson in the Wild’s 3-2 overtime loss at the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 5 of the Western Conference First Round.
Sidney Crosby had a goal and two assists in his preseason debut, and Rickard Rakell scored twice for the Penguins (2-1-1). Sergei Murashov made 12 saves on 13 shots before being replaced by Fleury to start the third.
Luca Del Bel Belluz scored, and Elvis Merzlikins made 32 saves for the Blue Jackets (2-3-0).
Del Bel Belluz put Columbus ahead 1-0 at 16:08 of the first period, scoring from the top of the crease off a pass from Yegor Chinakhov on a 2-on-1.
Crosby tied it 1-1 at 5:20 of the second period. He took a pass from Avery Hayes above the blue line, drove to the right circle and lifted a shot inside the left post.
Murashov stopped Chinakhov on a breakaway at 16:19.
Rakell then put Pittsburgh ahead 2-1 on the power play with two seconds left in the period, knocking in a loose puck in the crease.
Ville Koivunen extended the lead to 3-1 at 8:56 of the third. He intercepted Merzlikins’ clearing attempt from behind the goal and scored into an open net.
Rakell scored into an empty net at 17:32 for the 4-1 final.