Marc-Andre Fleury posted 29 saves for his ninth career playoff shutout Wednesday, helping guide the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Eastern Conference Final with a 2-0 win over the Washington Capitals.
After playing the role of backup for the bulk of the regular season, Fleury was thrust into the crease to start the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs following an injury to Matt Murray. Needless to say, Fleury has shone brightly for Pittsburgh.
Nobody knows this more than the Penguins themselves, who after Wednesday's Game 7 win, had nothing but praise for "Flower".
"He stole us more than one game this series and kept us in a lot of others," Matt Cullen told reporters postgame.
"We give him a lot of credit and we're all so happy for him and proud of him. You can't ask for a better teammate than Flower and with what he's gone through the last couple years, to step up the way he has."
Fleury became the first netminder in franchise history to record a Game 7 shutout on the road. With the win, he pulled into a tie for first place among active NHL goaltenders with 61 playoff wins.
Though Fleury should be proud of what he has accomplished so far in the first two series, he seems to be even prouder of his team.
"It's been a hard series," said Fleury. "They're a good team. They came at us hard, they didn't quit until the end. But I'm real proud of our guys, the way we played. I thought the third period was awesome for us and we were able to hold onto the lead."
The Penguins will face the Ottawa Senators in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Final Saturday night.
For a complete listing of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoff Performer of the Night, click here.