Golden Knights’ Marc-Andre Fleury ties Curtis Joseph on NHL wins list

Marc-Andre Fleury grew up watching goaltender Curtis Joseph and admiring his “nice gear.”

Now the two share a place in NHL history. Fleury tied Joseph for the sixth-most wins all-time Saturday in the Golden Knights’ 4-1 win against the Arizona Coyotes.

Fleury and Joseph, known by his nickname “Cujo,” each have 454 wins. Only Henrik Lundqvist (458), Ed Belfour (484), Roberto Luongo (489), Patrick Roy (551) and Martin Brodeur (691) have more.

“Like I’ve said before, it’s very humbling to be among these guys,” Fleury said. “I’ve been fortunate myself to play with good teams and good teammates.”

Fleury, 35, matched Joseph’s mark after an impressive performance against the Coyotes. He made 27 saves to bounce back from his disappointing last outing Dec. 23 against the Colorado Avalanche. He tied a career-high by allowing seven goals in that game, but the NHL’s three-day holiday break helped him reset.

“I think it was good to get a little break, just relax,” Fleury said. “I didn’t do much, so it’s obviously very good mentally to get the win here at home against another division team. Those are big points for us there.”

Getting the win was also big for Fleury’s resume as he continues to build his potential Hall of Fame case. The three-time Stanley Cup winner has kept climbing the wins ladder since his move to Las Vegas three years ago.

Fleury has a 78-42-12 record with the Knights, and without those wins he would rank 17th all-time.

His next milestone will be breaking his tie with Joseph. “Cujo” was known for his acrobatics in net, something the flexible Fleury can certainly appreciate.

“I loved his feistiness and his battle in the game, and his style,” Fleury said.

The two actually met one time earlier in Fleury’s career. They dueled Oct. 18, 2008, and Fleury’s Pittsburgh Penguins won 4-1.

Once Fleury passes Joseph his sights will be set on Lundqvist. The 37-year-old New York Rangers goaltender is still active and has nine wins this season. It’s not hard to envision Fleury passing him soon. The Knights are currently first in the Pacific Division while the Rangers are tied for the 19th-most points in the league (42).

Passing Lundqvist would move Fleury into the top-five all time, which is certainly rarefied air. That’s not lost on Fleury, who has great reverence for the goaltenders he’s chasing.

‘These are all guys I loved watching growing up,” Fleury said. “And it’s an honor to be there.”

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Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.