Tag: Marc-Andre Fleury

The NHL reportedly threatened Marc-Andre Fleury, Wild over Native American Heritage Night goalie mask

The NHL continues to fight all the wrong battles

The NHL has a well-known and horrific track record of supporting minority groups. Just this year alone, the league has already created some completely avoidable controversies while trying to police players and teams who wish to support causes like LGBTQ pride.

For The Win’s Mary Clarke has already succinctly summed it all up once this year:

Coming into the 2023-24 season, the NHL had banned Pride Tape and other various sorts of “cause messaging” displayed on player uniforms and gear. Alongside Pride events, this would have banned players from showcasing support for Hockey Fights Cancer or military appreciation nights, among others. The impetus for this change? Ivan Provorov’s decision to abstain from wearing a Philadelphia Flyers Pride Night jersey in warmups earlier in the year, causing the NHL to ban theme nights altogether.

Largely due to the efforts of Arizona Coyotes defenseman Travis Dermott, players can once again use Pride Tape on their sticks. Yet it didn’t take long for the NHL to unreasonably bring down the hammer on a beloved player’s “cause messaging” for reasons passing understanding.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was all set to debut a new mask for Native American Heritage Night on Friday when the Wild host the Colorado Avalanche.

According to Michael Russo of The Athletic, Fleury wanted a special mask to honor his wife — who is a registered member of a tribe in Canada — and worked with a member of the Prairie Island Indian Community to help design a new lid he could auction for charity after the game. And, not for nothing, the helmet is absolutely gorgeous.

Unfortunately, the NHL won’t allow Fleury to wear the mask. The league reportedly threatened to fine the goaltender if he did take the ice with it on — even for warmups.

Per Russo:

Fleury said he was willing to limit his use of the mask to warmups — and accept a fine, according to his agent Allan Walsh — but the team will not let him because they were twice instructed by the NHL that it was against the rules. Fleury called the league’s decision “stupid.”

It’s truly hard to find anything the NHL could point to as a legitimate reason why Fleury shouldn’t be able to wear this paint scheme. If there is one, the league should speak up immediately and clear the air. Especially given the fact Fleury was able to wear a special edition mask honoring Native Americans when he was with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2021.

Otherwise, this threat of punitive action against the Wild and its players serves as another stark reminder that the league’s “Hockey Is For Everyone” messaging remains subject to the NHL’s terms and conditions.

Update:

NHL fans were so upset officials stopped a goalie fight between Marc-Andre Fleury and Jordan Binnington

We were ROBBED of a goalie fight!

By now, most hockey fans understand Jordan Binnington’s capacity to act like a child. In fact, the St. Louis Blues goalie is probably the most infamous for throwing a water bottle at Nazem Kadri during last year’s playoffs.

So when Binnington started a goalie fight with the Minnesota Wild’s Marc-Andre Fleury Wednesday, folks naturally wanted Fleury to beat Binnington up.

Plus, a goalie fight — awesome!

1. Who doesn’t want to see that?

2. How often do we actually get to see a goalie fight?

The answer is the officials at the game, who stopped Binnington and Fleury before they really revved up their fisticuffs. And … c’mon!

Ugh, we were robbed of some genuinely glorious goalie fight action. There’s no other way to slice. At least in Fleury’s case, his Wild got the last laugh in an 8-5 win where Binnington surrendered five goals.

Marc-Andre Fleury trade: Who won the deal between the Blackhawks and the Wild?

Last year’s Vezina winner is headed to Minnesota!

The 2022 NHL trade deadline is closing in and Monday saw a huge blockbuster deal go down before noon.

The Minnesota Wild have acquired goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury from the Chicago Blackhawks in what is, so far, the biggest deal of the day. Fleury was our highest-ranked goaltender on our trade target list headed into the deadline and for good reason, the 37-year-old is less than a year removed from a Vezina Trophy winning season and is an absolute pro to boot.

We’re still a handful of hours away from the deadline, so let’s break down the Fleury to Minnesota trade and hand out some grades to determine who won this blockbuster deal!

Zach Parise scored a ridiculous backwards no-look between-the-legs goal for Minnesota in Game 7

This is one for the highlight reel for Zach Parise.

We’ve already had some incredible moments early on in the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs, from back-breaking overtime goals to spirited bouts. What Zach Parise did to the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday, however, may top them all on the ridiculousness scale.

During the Minnesota Wild’s first period of Game 7 against the Golden Knights in the opening round, Parise got his team on the board with this incredibly skilled, between-the-legs goal to tie things at 1-1 with three minutes remaining. Not only was Parise’s tally an actual shot from between his legs, not a tap-in, he was also facing away from the net as he shot the puck in past Marc-Andre Fleury, completely no-looking the shot all the way to the back of the net.

It’s a stunning goal, one that put the Golden Knights on the back foot to end the first period.

And here are some more replays that do Parise’s goal justice as to how bonkers it was in real time.

Fleury had no chance to stop that one, as Parise was able to quickly snap that shot home before the netminder had any idea what was going on. The Vegas defense, however, has to be kicking themselves for letting Parise behind them with so much room to work from the crease uncontested.

Just a wonderful showcase of skill by Parise here to even things up for the Wild in a do-or-die elimination game.

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A Marc-Andre Fleury goal would cost Pat McAfee six figures

How much money would it cost Pat McAfee if Vegas Golden Knights’ goalie Marc-Andre Fleury scores a goal?

Pat McAfee makes more headlines weekly than he did in his entire NFL career.

The former Indianapolis Colts punter has one of the most entertaining shows going and he also has managed to find time to wrestle for WWE at the NXT level.

McAfee isn’t shy and that was never more obvious than this week when he had Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury as a guest.

McAfee joked with Fleury about scoring a goal. Fleury has not done so in his NHL career. That didn’t stop McAfee from making an offer the Golden Knights’ veteran is sure to try and accomplish.

McAfee said he would donate $100,000 to the charity/foundation of Fleury’s choice if the goaltender finds the opponent’s net/

Pekka Rinne broke a six-year drought between goalie goals in the NHL when he was able to pot one against the Chicago Blackhawks last season.

Have a look at Ron Hextall of the Flyers, who became the first goaltender to score in NHL history.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFfiPLazt1w

Los Angeles Kings at Vegas Golden Knights odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Kings at Golden Knights NHL matchup, with NHL betting odds, picks and best bets

The Los Angeles Kings (24-35-6) hit the road to take on the Vegas Golden Knights (36-22-8) Sunday at T-Mobile Arena at 10:30 p.m. ET (on NBCSN). We analyze the Kings-Golden Knights sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Kings at Golden Knights: Projected starting goalies

Cal Petersen vs. Marc-Andre Fleury

Petersen is expected to draw the start after Jonathan Quick posted an overtime win in Saturday’s matinee action against the New Jersey Devils at Staples Center. Petersen is 2-3-0 with a 3.02 goals-against average and .913 save percentage in his five starts to date.

Fleury is 26-14-5 with a 2.73 GAA and .908 SV% in his 46 appearances (45 starts) to date. He is expected to get the nod after Robin Lehner made his team debut and stopped 32 of the 34 shots he faced against the Sabres in a win Friday.

Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.

Kings at Golden Knights: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Golden Knights 5, Kings 2

Moneyline (ML)

The Golden Knights (-334) are heavily favored against the Kings (+260), and rightly so. Yes, L.A. won 2-1 in overtime on Saturday, but it was against the lowly Devils. A road trip, albeit a short one, against a Western Conference contender on the second end of a back-to-back is a recipe for disaster for the young Kings. Still, you can’t bet Vegas at this price. Look to the puck line. AVOID.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Golden Knights returns a profit of $3 if they win, while a $10 wager on the Kings results in a profit of $26 if the home team prevails.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The GOLDEN KNIGHTS (-1.5, -115) are a much better play on the puck line, although you’ll still have to eat a little chalk. Vegas has won eight in a row and covered the puck line in four of the past five.

Over/Under (O/U)

The trends go in both directions for these teams. The under dominates the trends for the Kings, but the OVER 5.5 (-139) is the play here. The over is 3-1-1 in the past five for Vegas, and 9-4-1 in the past 14 at home. The over is also 4-0 in the past four meetings in this series, and the Vegas offense should have its way against the Kings backup netminder.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Buffalo Sabres at Vegas Golden Knights odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Friday’s Buffalo Sabres at Vegas Golden Knights sports betting odds and lines, with NHL matchup analysis, picks and tips.

The Buffalo Sabres (29-26-8) visit the Vegas Golden Knights (35-22-8) Friday at T-Mobile Arena for a 10 p.m. ET puck drop. We analyze the Sabres-Golden Knights odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Both teams played Wednesday. The Sabres lost 3-2 at the Colorado Avalanche, while the Golden Knights blanked the Edmonton Oilers 3-0 at home for a seventh-consecutive win.

Buffalo took the first regular-season matchup vs. Vegas with a 4-2 home win Jan. 14. C Jack Eichel scored the go-ahead goal 7:57 into the third period.

Sabres at Golden Knights: Projected starting goalies

Carter Hutton vs. Marc-Andre Fleury

Hutton is 12-11-4 with a 3.18 goals against average (GAA) and a .898 save percentage in 28 games (27 starts). He’s 6-3 with a 3.06 GAA and a .905 SV% in February, losing his last start Wednesday at Colorado (31 saves vs. 34 shots). Hutton didn’t face Vegas in the Jan. 14 meeting.

Fleury is 26-14-5 with a 2.73 GAA and a .908 SV%. He took the loss vs. the Sabres Jan. 14, allowing 3 goals on 25 shots. However, he’s won his last five starts – including a 29-save shutout Wednesday – and is 7-2-1 with a 2.27 GAA and a .913 SV% this month. There is a slight chance Robin Lehner (16-10-5, 3.01 GAA, .918 SV%) could make his first Vegas start – he was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks Monday – but this wouldn’t change any of the suggested plays below.

Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.

Sabres at Golden Knights: Key injuries

Sabres

  • G Linus Ullmark (leg) out
  • C Dominik Kahun (knee) questionable

Golden Knights

  • RW Alex Tuch (lower body) questionable

Sabres at Golden Knights: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 8:55 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Golden Knights 5, Sabres 3

Moneyline (ML)

AVOID. The Golden Knights (-250) are understandably a big favorite – they’re 20-10-4 at home – but the price is too chalky for my liking. Every $2.50 wagered on the ML will only profit $1 if Vegas wins. The Sabres (+200) offer a nice 2-1 payoff, but they’re 10-16-4 on the road. PASS.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (PL/ATS)

VEGAS (-1.5, +110) is worth a small-unit play. The Knights have won their last six at home and have covered the PL in three of their last four. But Buffalo (+1.5, -134) is one of the better PL teams in the league, going 36-27 overall and 19-11 on the road. I’ll still take my chances with the Golden Knights since they’re the hottest team in the NHL right now.

Over/Under (O/U)

The OVER 5.5 (-143) is the STRONGEST PLAY. Three of Vegas’ last four games have seen at least 8 goals, while Buffalo is 4-2 O/U in its last six games. Plus, the O/U is 4-1 in the Sabres last five games vs. a team with a winning record.

Every $1.43 wagered on the Over will profit $1 if the two combine for 6 or more goals (shootout goals only count as 1 goal in the combined total).

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com. 

Johnny’s record since Dec. 1: 46-29-2. Strongest plays: 26-11.

Follow @JohnnyParlay11 and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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New York Islanders at Vegas Golden Knights odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s New York Islanders at Vegas Golden Knights sports betting odds and lines, with NHL matchup analysis, picks and tips.

The New York Islanders (33-17-6) visit the Vegas Golden Knights (29-22-8) Saturday at T-Mobile Arena for a 10:30 p.m. ET puck drop. We analyze the Islanders-Golden Knights odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Both teams played Thursday. The Islanders lost 5-0 at the Nashville Predators, snapping a two-game win streak, while the Golden Knights ended a two-game skid with a 6-5 OT home win vs. the St. Louis Blues.

The Islanders took the first regular-season matchup with Vegas when Ryan Pulock scored in OT for a 3-2 home victory Dec. 5.

Islanders at Golden Knights: Projected starting goalies

Semyon Varlamov vs. Marc-Andre Fleury

Varlamov is 17-9-4 with a 2.59 goals against average (GAA) and a .915 save percentage. Varlamov won his last start, stopping 35 of 38 shots in a 5-3 home win vs. the Philadelphia Flyers Tuesday. He did play Thursday in relief, stopping 16 of 18 shots in the Nashville loss. In the December victory vs. Vegas, the Russian native was the winning goalie, saving 31 of 33 shots.

Fleury, who didn’t play in that first head-to-head meeting, is 21-14-5 with a 2.87 GAA and a .904 SV%. He lost his last two starts, allowing 9 goals on 54 shots. He is 2-2-1 with 2.97 GAA and an .878 SV% in February, but he did shut out Nashville 3-0 Feb. 1.

Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.

Islanders at Golden Knights: Key injuries

Islanders

  • C Casey Cizikas (leg) out, on IR
  • RW Cal Clutterbuck (wrist) out, on IR
  • D Adam Pelech (Achilles’) out for season

Golden Knights

  • RW Alex Tuch (lower body) questionable

Islanders at Golden Knights: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 7:30 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Golden Knights 5, Islanders 4

Moneyline (ML)

The GOLDEN KNIGHTS (-176) are worth a small wager despite a price higher than I usually prefer. Every $1.76 wagered on the Knights’ ML will profit $1 if they win. Vegas is 15-10-4 at home, while New York (+145) is a respectable 15-10-2 on the road. But I expect the momentum from Thursday’s thrilling Blues win to carry over into this one for the Golden Knights – who are 5-3-2 since Peter DeBoer took over as coach.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (PL/ATS)

AVOID. Vegas (-1.5, +155) and New York (+1.5, -189) are both under .500 vs. the PL. The Golden Knights are 23-38 overall and 9-20 at home vs. the PL, while the Islanders are 26-30 overall, but 14-13 on the road vs. the PL.

Over/Under (O/U)

The OVER 5.5 (-134) is the STRONGEST PLAY. Four of Vegas’ last five games have seen at least 6 goals, while six of New York’s last eight games have reached at least 6 goals.

Every $1.34 wagered on the Over will profit $1 if the two combine for 6 or more goals.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com. 

Johnny’s 2019-20 NHL strongest plays: 9-4.

Strongest plays since Dec. 1: 22-9.

Follow @JohnnyParlay11 and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Vegas Golden Knights at Minnesota Wild odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Tuesday’s Vegas Golden Knights at Minnesota Wild sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Vegas Golden Knights (28-21-8) and Minnesota Wild (26-23-6) do battle at XCel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday. We analyze the Golden Knights-Wild sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Golden Knights at Wild: Projected starting goalies

Marc-Andre Fleury vs. Devan Dubnyk

Fleury has tailed off lately, going just 3-5-2 across his past 10 starts dating back to Jan. 7. He hasn’t won consecutive starts since a four-game personal win streak from Dec. 28-Jan. 4. The last time he faced the Wild, however, he allowed just two goals on 26 shots in a Dec. 17 win in Las Vegas. Fleury also won his only start in St. Paul last season, allowing only one goal on 30 shots.

Dubnyk was on the short end of 3-2 decision against the Colorado Avalanche Sunday, so he’ll be looking to pick himself up off the mat. He has just one win in his past four starts at home, and that victory came against the lowly Detroit Red Wings. Perhaps Alex Stalock gets a chance instead. He is 13-8-3 with a 2.85 goals against average and .905 save percentage, and he might give Minnesota a better chance. He allowed three goals on 29 shots in that 3-2 loss to Vegas earlier this season.

Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.

Golden Knights at Wild: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 10 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Golden Knights 3, Wild 1

Moneyline (ML)

The GOLDEN KNIGHTS (-149) are favored on the road, and they’re clearly the better team. The amount of your wager should depend on whom the Wild (+125) settle upon in goal. If it’s Dubnyk, bet the Golden Knights a little more heavily. If it’s Stalock, be a little more cautious. The road team is 4-1 in the past five meetings in this head-to-head series.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Golden Knights to grab the road win returns a profit of $6.70, while a $10 wager on the Wild results in a profit of $12.50.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The GOLDEN KNIGHTS (-1.5, +180) are tempting at a potential return of nearly double money. Again, the risk is considerably less with Dubnyk in the crease rather than Stalock. In fact, if it’s Dubnyk, roll the dice on a small-unit puck-line play. If it’s Stalock, AVOID.

Over/Under (O/U)

UNDER 5.5 (+125) is worth a play, as it is 3-0-1 in the previous four meetings in this series. Minnesota has struggled offensively, too, with the Under going 9-4-3 in their past 16 games at XCel, and 3-0-1 in the past four games overall.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Vegas Golden Knights at Carolina Hurricanes odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Friday’s Vegas Golden Knights at Carolina Hurricanes sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Vegas Golden Knights (25-20-7) and Carolina Hurricanes (29-18-3) tangle at PNC Arena in Raleigh at 7:30 p.m. ET Friday. We analyze the Golden Knights-Hurricanes sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Golden Knights at Hurricanes: Projected starting goalies

Malcolm Subban vs. Petr Mrazek

Starter Marc-Andre Fleury is expected to serve his one-game suspension due to his decision to skip the All-Star Game, so Subban should get the nod in Raleigh. He is 6-7-3 with a 3.04 goals against average and .898 save percentage. Subban has dropped each of his past two starts, and four of his past six assignments. Fleury is expected to return Saturday in Nashville.

Mrazek has registered an 18-12-2 record with a 2.59 GAA and .905 SV% in 31 starts and 32 appearances overall. The Czechoslovakia native has been even more impressive in Raleigh, going 14-6-0 with a 2.35 GAA and .910 SV% with two shutouts across 20 starts at PNC.

Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.

Golden Knights at Hurricanes: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 9:10 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Hurricanes 5, Golden Knights 2

Moneyline (ML)

The HURRICANES (-133) entered the all-star break with back-to-back wins against the New York Islanders and Winnipeg Jets, holding each team to just one goal. Over their past seven games the Hurricanes have yielded just nine total goals or 1.3 goals per game, so they’ve certainly been stingy lately. They also luck out not having to face ‘Flower’.

The Golden Knights (+110) enter this one with 3.0 goals per game, ranking 17th in the NHL, and they’re 15th in the league with 3.0 goals per game allowed. In other words, VGK has been nothing special this season, and the Knights are a dismal 19th on the penalty kill at 79.5 percent.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Hurricanes to win returns a profit of $7.50, while a $10 wager on the Golden Knights results in a profit of $11.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The Hurricanes (-1.5, +195) are a tempting play at this price, but goals should be at a premium in this battle between two sharp and rested goalies. The Golden Knights (+1.5, -238) are a better play on the moneyline if you like them, as they’re just too expensive at this price. AVOID.

Over/Under (O/U)

OVER 5.5 (-133) is the way to go. While, yes, Carolina has allowed just nine goals in its past seven games, as mentioned above, remember their all-star netminder is going to be wearing a ball cap while serving his one-game penalty for skipping the ASG. Carolina should be able to piece together some nice offense against P.K.’s brother.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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