Read Monday night NHL game reports.
Former Montreal Canadiens Nicolas Deslauriers found the back of the net on his new team debut and goaltender Cam Talbot stopped all 28 pucks aimed at him in the Minnesota Wild’s 3-0 win over the Golden Knights from Vegas on Monday night.
This victory was acquired under the eyes of Quebec goalkeeper Marc-André Fleury, three-time Stanley Cup winner and Vezina Trophy winner last season, whom the Wild had acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks during the day.
The Wild posted a third straight win and moved up to second place in the Central Division.
The Wild, who traded back-up goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen to the San Jose Sharks earlier Monday, added Fleury to form an experienced tandem with Talbot, not to make him a back-up.
The 37-year-old Fleury, who ranks third among all goaltenders in league history with 511 wins, watched the game from the players’ bench, wearing a forest green baseball cap and sporting his usual smile of boy.
For Fleury’s first game in a Wild uniform, the opponent was the team he played for the previous four seasons, and with which he recorded a 2.25 goals-against-average in 47 playoff games .
Matt Dumba also found the back of the net against rookie goaltender Logan Thompson, who blocked 33 shots. Ryan Hartman added a goal in an empty net.
Acquired on Saturday in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks to add muscle to the fourth line, Deslauriers scored the first goal of the game at 5:43 of the first period, on a pass from Brandon Duhaime.
The Golden Knights are heavily impacted by injuries. On Monday, they couldn’t count on star players like goalkeeper Robin Lehner, nor on Max Pacioretty, Mark Stone, Alec Martinez and Brayden McNabb.
Additionally, the Golden Knights traded Evgenii Dadonov to the Ducks on Monday afternoon.
Forward Michael Amadio and defender Zach Whitecloud were sidelined before the game due to COVID-19.
Dave Campbell, Associated Press