The organizational history of the Pittsburgh Penguins is full of great players, and we decided to take a look at the best Penguins players to wear each number. Today, we continue the list by naming the best #29 in Penguins history.
View the original article to view the embedded media.
This was a tough one. There have been several #29’s that have impacted the franchise in different ways. Phil Bourque worked his way into helping the Penguins back-to-back in 1991 and 1992. Markus Naslund played great hockey for the Penguins in the late 90’s and became a top winger in the league.
But number 29 has had more impact on the Penguins franchise than “The Flower,” Marc-Andre Fleury.
© Charles LeClaire – Image images
“Flower” was drafted first overall by the Penguins in 2003. He made his debut that same season on a struggling Penguins team and had some trouble adjusting in his first two NHL seasons. But he, along with the Penguins, found his groove in 2006-07 — the first of 16 consecutive seasons the Penguins qualified for the postseason during the Crosby era.
Related: Best Penguins by Number: #28
Fleury went 40-16-9 that year, and he only got better leading up to the Penguins’ 2009 Cup run. In those two seasons combined, he posted a 54-28-9 record, a 2.50 goals-against average (GAA), and a .917 save percentage (SV%).
And he also provided one of the most memorable moments in franchise history by winning the franchise’s third Cup:
After that first Cup, Fleury continued to rack up regular season victories. He struggled mightily in the play-offs for four years, from 2010 to 2014, leaving many to wonder if he was up to the task in the biggest games.
But he still had some memorable games up his sleeve, including this one in 2016 against the Devils:
Despite struggling in the postseason and battling a number of persistent injuries, Fleury proved himself in the Penguins’ back-to-back Stanley Cup series in 2016 and 2017, and especially in 2017, when he split time with young goaltender Matt Murray.
Fleury made some great saves in the Conference semifinals against the Capitals, most notably during Game 7:
After opting to go with the younger, promising Murray as their starting goalie, the Penguins dealt Fleury to the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 Expansion Draft. He went on to win the Vezina Trophy with the Knights in 2020-21.
Fleury is currently playing for the Minnesota Wild in what is believed to be his final NHL season. He currently ranks second only to Martin Brodeur in all-time wins with 561.
Honorable Mentions: Greg Millen, Phil Bourque, Markus Naslund
Related: Best Penguins by Number: #27
Related: Best Penguins by Number: #26
