MONTREAL — Marc-Andre Fleury posted a 19-save shutout in what’s expected to be his final game in Montreal as the Minnesota Wild blanked the Canadiens 4-0 on Thursday night.
Fleury, a 40-year-old from nearby Sorel, Que., is retiring after this season. The legendary goalie earned his third career shutout at the Bell Centre and several ovations with more than 100 friends and family in attendance.
Marco Rossi, Devin Shore and Liam Ohgren scored while Frederick Gaudreau added an empty-net goal for Minnesota (31-17-4), which won its third consecutive game. The Wild also beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 on Wednesday.
Fleury improved to 11-5-1 this season, his 21st in the NHL.
Jakub Dobes stopped 23 shots for Montreal (24-22-5) and recorded his first regulation loss in seven career starts (5-1-1). The Canadiens lost their fourth in a row after winning 10 of their previous 13.
After a scoreless first period, Minnesota jumped out to a 2-0 lead with back-to-back goals from Ohgren and Rossi early in the second.
Ohgren scored high to the blocker side at 3:41 after Dobes lost his stick, before Marcus Foligno set up Rossi on a 2-on-1 a little more than two minutes later.
Moments after Fleury stacked his pads to stop Josh Anderson in the third, Shore made it 3-0.
Takeaways
Wild: Fleury didn’t have to stand on his head. The Wild smothered the Canadiens, limiting chances by holding them to the outside all night.
Canadiens: Couldn’t generate momentum. Montreal’s best scoring chance of the night came with six minutes left in the second when Juraj Slafkovsky hit the post. The Canadiens played their first game without key shutdown defenceman Kaiden Guhle, who underwent surgery on a lacerated quadriceps muscle and is out indefinitely.
Key moment
The crowd roared for more than 30 seconds when the camera flipped to Fleury during the signing of “O Canada.” Canadiens fans serenaded Fleury with another lengthy ovation during a TV timeout late in the third period before chanting “Fleury! Fleury! Fleury!”
Key stat
Fleury improved to 13-6-5 all-time in Montreal during the regular season and 28-13-8 against the Canadiens.
Up next
Wild: Continues its five-game road trip against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.
Canadiens: Open a three-game California trip against the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday.
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