You could say the Vegas Golden Knights were waiting for Marc-Andre Fleury to return to the lineup from a concussion, but you would be only partially correct. The Knights have been solid in his absence but Thursday night Fleury made 24 saves in a 2-1 win over his former mates, the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“It’s different. You didn’t know what to expect,” Fleury said. “I was quiet [during the game]. I don’t know why. I always yelled at [the Penguins] in practice and whatnot.”
Vegas made history to become the fastest expansion team in its inaugural season to hit the 20-win mark.
James Neal and Jon Merrill struck for goals for Vegas.
“Everyone played hard for 60 minutes, and I was very happy to get that win,” Fleury said. “I thank them for playing such a great game.”
Ian Cole scored the lone Pens goal in the loss as they dropped to 16-14-3 with the loss.
Vegas sits with a remarkable 20-9-3 record in the Pacific Division.
“I think from the drop of the puck to the end of the game, it was a fairly even game. We played a good hockey game. Great goaltending on both ends. It’s fun, and the guys played hard. Our guys showed up for it,” Vegas head coach Gerard Gallant said after the game.
[WATCH: All Penguins vs. Golden Knights highlights]
Matt Murray made 24 saves in the loss.
“They just work so hard and that’s where they caught us by surprise, especially on the forecheck,” Murray said. “They’re definitely a hardworking team and fast team, and they’re good in transition.”
Pittsburgh has lost three straight.
“When they got the go-ahead goal, we pressed a little bit to try to create some offense, and when we do that, sometimes we become a high-risk team. When you’re only one shot away, you gotta stay with it and stay with the game plan and make sure you defend,” Pens head coach Mike Sullivan said after the loss.
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