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What were Marc-Andre Fleury’s best moments with Golden Knights?

It was almost as if the partnership was written in the stars.

The proud veteran who needed a new challenge. The fresh franchise that sought instant credibility. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury and the Golden Knights were made for each other.

Who can argue otherwise after their four years together?

Fleury, consigned to backup duty for back-to-back Stanley Cup wins in Pittsburgh, revitalized his career and became a Hall of Fame lock. His drive, passion and flair suited Las Vegas perfectly.

The Knights got an instant face their fans could gravitate toward and a star who gave them personality. They also received stability at hockey’s most important position.

The marriage ended in June when Fleury was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks, who visit T-Mobile Arena on Saturday. But his impact on the organization will live on forever.

Here are Fleury’s best moments with the Knights:

1. Expansion draft

Fleury was there from the beginning.

He was one of four players in attendance for the team’s expansion draft announcement June 21, 2017, along with defensemen Deryk Engelland, Jason Garrison and Brayden McNabb. His selection prompted a standing ovation from the crowd.

The event solidified him as an immediate fan favorite and one of the faces of the franchise. The Knights also got a second-round pick when they poached him from Pittsburgh.

Fleury had one of the longest tenures among the team’s expansion-draft selections. Only McNabb, center William Karlsson and left wings Jonathan Marchessault and William Carrier outlasted him. All four are still with the Knights.

2. 2018 Western Conference Final

Fleury’s most important stretch with the Knights came from May 16 to 20, 2018.

The team was facing the Winnipeg Jets, who had the second-best record and goal differential in the NHL in the regular season, and down 1-0 with a trip to the Stanley Cup Final on the line. It would have been an easy spot for the Knights to buckle. Fleury didn’t let it happen.

He allowed six goals in the next four games against a team that finished tied for the second-most goals in the league. He had a .956 save percentage in that span.

The Knights won all four, took the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl and advanced to play the Washington Capitals.

3. “The save of the century”

It was a moment so incredible the Knights made figurines out of it.

The team was leading 3-2 against Toronto on Nov. 19, 2019, at T-Mobile Arena with less than four minutes to play. Maple Leafs right wing Ilya Mikheyev hit the post with a shot from the left circle, and the rebound bounced to center Nic Petan at the bottom of the right one.

Fleury, from the top right corner of his crease, saw the puck had gone to the other side of the ice. So he leaped backward toward the net with his left glove hand extended in the hopes of preventing the game-tying goal.

He did. Fleury caught the puck, preserved the lead and sealed a Knights’ victory. Toronto coach Mike Babcock was fired the next day.

Fleury’s agent, Allan Walsh, dubbed it “the save of the century.” When the NHL ranked Fleury’s 22,827 career saves this summer, it was No. 1.

4. Win for the record books

Fleury’s fourth season in Las Vegas was all about chasing history.

He started the season with 466 wins, sixth-most all time. He ended it in third place. Fleury got his 490th win to surpass fourth-place Roberto Luongo on May 5 at Minnesota.

He had to work for it.

The Knights trailed 2-1 with 6:37 remaining after two goals from Wild rookie Kirill Kaprizov. Right wing Reilly Smith tied the score on the power play to force overtime, and defenseman Alex Pietrangelo then delivered the game-winning goal.

When the game ended, Fleury trailed only Martin Brodeur (691) and Patrick Roy (551) on the NHL’s all-time leaderboard. He became the third goaltender in NHL history to win 500 games Dec. 9 against Montreal.

5. The Vezina

Most goaltenders can only dream of Fleury’s career.

He has won three Stanley Cups. He has become a franchise icon twice over. He has etched his name into the NHL record books.

Yet, despite all that, there was always one gaping hole on his resume. Fleury was never a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, the NHL’s premier goaltending award.

That all changed last season. Fleury’s spectacular final season for the Knights earned him the Vezina and a share of the Jennings Trophy for the fewest goals allowed in the NHL with teammate Robin Lehner.

He finished 26-10 with a career-high .928 save percentage and career-low 1.98 goals-against average. That was enough to give him 14 first-place votes for the Vezina from the NHL’s general managers and a nine-point win over Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy.

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

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