Their team out, Pittsburgh fans rally behind Fleury, Golden Knights

By Jesse Granger

Thursday, May 10, 2018 | 2 a.m.

The Golden Knights’ legion of fans has grown exponentially this season, and Monday an entirely new trailer was hitched to the bandwagon.

The Pittsburgh Penguins were eliminated from the playoffs for the first time in three years, and it didn’t take long for their fans to latch onto their next rooting interest — former longtime Penguins’ goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.

Pittsburgh’s chance at a three-peat ended with its 2-1 overtime loss to the Washington Capitals, but Fleury’s is still alive as he and the Golden Knights await an opponent in the Western Conference Finals.

It didn’t take long for Pittsburgh fans to flood social media with posts about switching their allegiances to Vegas for the remainder of the postseason.

Penguins fans have remained loyal to Fleury since his departure from Pittsburgh during June’s expansion draft. Thousands made the trip to Las Vegas when the Penguins visited T-Mobile Arena on Dec. 14.

On that night it was tough to distinguish which was louder: Penguins fans cheering for Fleury or their own team. At one point Fleury ventured far out of his crease, dove head first and poked the puck away just before the Penguins’ forward could get his stick on it.

Pittsburgh fans juggled the emotion of heartbreak for the missed scoring opportunity and admiration for the ultra-aggressive play they grew accustomed to during Fleury’s 13 years with the Penguins.

“It’s crazy,” Fleury said about the support he still receives from Penguins fans. “I spent a lot of time there and it was my home for many years. The people of Pittsburgh have always been great to me and my family.”

When Fleury and the Golden Knights made their only trip to Pittsburgh this season, Fleury was met with a sentimental tribute video that played on the Jumbotron during the game.

“I got to meet a lot of people in my time there,” Fleury said. “Obviously I know how big of fans they are for their team, and I’m sure they’re sad to see them go.”

The stands at PPG Paints Arena were packed with No. 29 Penguins jerseys, Golden Knights jerseys, and some that were commingled with the two stitched together.

Fleury won three Stanley Cups with the Penguins but has had the best season of his career with the Golden Knights. He set new career-highs during the regular season with a 2.24 goals against average and .927 save percentage, and has continued his spectacular play in the postseason allowing only 1.53 goals per game.

Goalie coach Dave Prior has been given a lot of the credit for all of the Golden Knights’ goaltending success this season.

“I think he’s helped with my mental approach, and on the ice he’s changed a few things for me,” Fleury said. “Throughout my career I’ve had different goalie coaches, including different ones in the summer. The game changes and I’ve made changes to my play throughout my career. I think everybody is contributing to helping make me a better goalie.”

At 33, Fleury is one of the leading candidates for the Conn Smythe Trophy, which is awarded to the most valuable player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He has already set a new career high for shutouts in a single postseason with four blank slates in only 10 games.

He credits his success late in his career to learning how to take care of his body.

“It was easy when you were young,” he said. “You eat whatever you want, you never hurt. I never stretched and I could do the splits, but now I have to do more to maintain that flexibility and comfort in the net.”

Whatever he’s doing, it’s working.

His spectacular play and jovial demeanor have made him a fan favorite in Las Vegas. The Nevada state flower was briefly changed from the sagebrush to Fleury on Wikipedia, but was quickly corrected.

And he’s still receiving plenty of support from nearly 2,000 miles away in the Steel City.

Jesse Granger can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Jesse on Twitter at twitter.com/JesseGranger_.