Fleury of Golden Knights won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goalkeeper

Marc-Andre Fleury Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday won Vezina Trophyn as the NHL’s best goalkeeper.

Fleury, who was the award finalist for the first time in his 17-season NHL career, was 26-10-0 and finished third in the NHL in wins and shutdowns (six), and was third in the goals average (1.98) and saving percentage (.928) among goalkeepers to play at least 20 games. He started the season 5-0-0 and ended up winning every last nine starts.

“I think a really good team in front of me always helped,” Fleury said. “The whole staff, the trainers keep me lost and ready to leave every night. I just love the game. I still have a lot of passion for the game and I still have fun playing the game. I’m lucky to do what I want to do.”

Fleury helped Vegas (40-14-2) finish second in the Honda West Division and advance to the Stanley Cup playoffs during the fourth straight season. The Golden Knights lost to the Montreal Canadiens in six matches in the semifinals of the top seven Stanley Cups.

“My teammates, like I said, have been amazing,” Fleury said. “I kept playing a good defense in front of me. My partner Robin Lehner his support throughout the season. Goalkeeper coach Mike Rosati. I changed little things here and there and I think [he] helped me all season. Fans. At the beginning of the season, no one was in the auditorium and keeping them in Vegas at full capacity was so much fun. It just brings emotion and atmosphere to the building, and it was fun. “

Video: Vezina Trophy winner’s best plays Marc-Andre Fleury

Fleury scored two or fewer goals in 25 of the 36 matches, and Lehner helped Vegas win the Jennings Trophy, allowing the fewest goals in the regular season (124). Fleury is in third place in NHL history with 492 wins behind Patrick Roy (551) and Martin Brodeur (691).

“He had an amazing year,” Golden Knights coach Peter DeBoer said when Fleury was announced a finalist. “We wouldn’t have had a record, we wouldn’t be here without the year he had. You have to put a hat on him. He faced difficulties there last year (lost playing time after Lehner’s acquisition. Instead of his profession, he showed up at camp and fought and fought.

“I turned it into a Vezina trophy, I think. In a typical Marc-Andre way, I congratulate him … and he immediately talked about it being a team award and how well the team played in front of him, but you can’t ignore his contribution to what we do, and the period he had. “

Andrei Vasilevskiy Tampa Bay lightning and Philipp Grubauer Among the Colorado Avalanche were other finalists for the award, which is presented annually and voted on by NHL CEOs before the start of the post season.

Vasilevskiy was 31-10-1 and led NHL wins in the fourth straight season. He finished eighth in the GAA (2.21), sixth in the savings percentage (.925) and fourth in the quits (five).

Grubauer was 30-9-1 and finished second in wins (30), one behind Vasilevsky, and equalized Semyon Varlamov From the New York Islanders to the NHL lead with seven closures.

2021 Vezina Trophy vote

Points (1-3.)

Marc-Andre Fleury, VGK 108 (14-11-5)
2. Andrei Vasilevskiy, TBL 99 (12-12-3)
Philipp Grubauer, COL 36 (2-6-8)
4. Connor Hellebuyck, WPG 13 (2-0-3)
5. Semyon Varlamov, NYI 11 (1-1-3)
6. Hair Saros, NSH 10 (0-1-7)
7. Mike Smith, EDM 2 (0-0-2)

Distribution of points: 5-3-1 (1.-2.-3.)