One last head-to-head for old teammates Crosby and Fleury

Long before they were teammates in the NHL, winning three Stanley Cups together with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and long before they were both the top overall pick in the NHL Draft in 2003 and 2005, respectively Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury and Penguins forward Sidney Crosby were on-ice rivals in the Canadian junior hockey ranks.

ADVERTISEMENT At least once, Crosby scored a goal on Fleury when they faced each other in the Quebec minors.

So it makes sense that they final time they met on a NHL rink (barring a miraculous and highly unlikely Wild vs.

Penguins meeting in the Stanley Cup Final this season), Crosby would get the best of his old teammate one more time.

With the Penguins leading 1-0 in the third period on Sunday in St.

Paul, Crosbys fluttering shot from the left circle just eluded Fleurys glove and ended up as the game-winner.

Fleury smiled through the pain of the loss after the game, and noted that the puck had gone off the stick of Wild defenseman Brock Faber on the way to the back of the net.

I feel like Im going to hear about this for a long time.

He still talks about his goal in Juniors against me, Fleury said.

Lucky too.

Missed his shot and it hit Fabess stick.

Its like, are you kidding me, this guy? I dont know, I still played for the win.

That is what matters, right? That is what pissed me off the most, losing that game.

Both men, who will undoubtedly meet again in the Hall of Fame, are in the twilight of championship careers, with Fleury announcing his retirement at the end of this season, and Crosby still playing an important role for a Pittsburgh team that is well outside the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

While Crosby has only worn a Pittsburgh sweater in his career, Fleury took Vegas to the 2018 Final, and has been a mainstay in Minnesota for the past few years.

While this is far from their only head-to-head meeting, Crosby beating Fleury has been rare.

ADVERTISEMENT I think I got three on him.

I think that was my third one, Crosby said.

I had one in Vegas when he was there, one here, I think last year, and that was my third one.

So yeah, to get one there in the last game against him, I will remind him of that many times.

For the record, Crosby had three shots on goal in their final meeting.

One beat Fleury, one went into an empty net, and one was saved by the goalie.

So everyone got credit for something, even if Pittsburgh got the win, in their final on-ice reunion.

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