nhl

Fleury, Reaves will forever be Vegas favorites

Marc-Andre Fleury is set to start Saturday night's showdown inside T-Mobile Arena, where the Western Conference's top teams - Minnesota and Vegas - will battle in the first of a home-and-home series. Ryan Reaves is questionable.

LAS VEGAS — When the Vegas Golden Knights and Minnesota Wild take the ice Saturday night inside T-Mobile Arena, for the first of a home-and-home series that concludes in Minneapolis on Monday, the most popular player could very well be wearing a visitor’s uniform.

Forget the fact we’re talking about the Western Conference’s top two teams, Marc-Andre Fleury will be in the building.

Minnesota coach Dean Evason confirmed Fleury will be in net for the Wild, and the fans surely will be excited to see their beloved former Golden Knight.

“A little crazy, right? Been gone for two years now,” Fleury said Friday after practice when told he was atop the list of 10 season ticket holders who were polled for their all-time favorite Knights. “But I feel very fortunate I had the chance to play here for so long and meet so many great people around the rink, and outside of it. Feel very fortunate at the welcome that people gave me here and the support they give me throughout those years.”

Ryan Reaves, also still adored by Las Vegas fans, is likely a game-time decision after tweaking something and missing the last two games due to an upper-body injury. Reaves was a full participant in Friday’s session, but Evason said they’ll take a wait-and-see approach.

Nevertheless, Reaves still gets excited at the thought of playing in front of Golden Knights fans thanks to his initial return when he played with the Rangers.

“Yeah, you know the first game back, I think I dumped the puck and I was going to run into Nabber and I heard some people chanting the “REAVES” that they used to do, it was pretty cool to hear,” Reaves said. “You know obviously when I first came back, a lot of signs and a lot of love. It was special last year for sure.”

Fleury, who has won eight of his last nine starts, said the magical first season that saw the Golden Knights bond with the Southern Nevada community after the Oct. 1 shooting and then with their run to the Stanley Cup Final, will always keep the original roster – which also includes Wild defenseman Jon Merrill – bonded in a special way.

“It started from scratch and the chemistry that was built on that first season and the good times and beating the expectations by a mile,” said Fleury, who ranks third all-time in the NHL with 544 wins. “I think we beat the expectation, and we had good success, we connected to the fans in the community and stuff. So I think all those little things kind of made the bonds a little stronger, I guess.

“All that just made that season so fun.”

Those infectious personalities weren’t left behind, either, as Evason said he’s seen firsthand the impact both players have had since their arrival to the Twin Cities.

“And not only in the building,” Evason said. “Obviously, they’re both fan favorites, they obviously are already in Minnesota, but I think more importantly they are team favorites in the locker room. Both are tremendous teammates. The guys love them and they play hard. They keep the room loose as well, but have an intensity and a work ethic, both of them, that can help our hockey club.”

For Reaves, it’s about not taking anything for granted at this stage of his career, which is the biggest reason he’s rarely without a smile and has offered a fun-loving personality wherever he’s gone.

“Honestly, it’s because I play in the National Hockey League,” Reaves said. “And you know, it’s millions and millions of kids’ dreams to do that, and I’m living it. And I’ve been doing it for 13 years, which is longer than probably most people expected me to be in the league for. So I don’t take any day for granted. I come to the rink, I work hard, but I have fun doing it because you never know when it’s taken away from you and I’m getting a little older now.

“You know retirement is creeping in the mind. Not yet, but it’s gonna be in the next couple of years probably. So I just want to enjoy the rest of the ride while I can.”

As for the back-to-back showdowns between the best of the West, it simply adds a bit more mystique and makes Saturday night’s battle even more special.

“I mean, it’s unbelievable, especially from when I got here, where this team was and how we’ve been able to climb out of some adversity,” said Reaves, who has six points (4 goals, 2 assists) in his last eight games played. “We went on a pretty good slide for a little bit and things just weren’t going right and then everything just started really clicking. And look where we’re at right now, we got a chance to battle for first place in the West, which is an accomplishment in itself. So we’re excited for this home and home.”

Said Fleury: “It’s a fun battle, fun chase. Our division is so tight, too. Dallas and Colorado are right there. Feel like we’ve been doing well, getting points, but they have also, and they’re right behind us. It’d be nice to keep fighting for that top spot, that’s for sure.”

One thing neither “Flower” nor “Reavo” will have to fight for Saturday, it’s the adoration of a fanbase that still places both among its all-time favorite Golden Knights.

Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x