Marc-Andre Fleury on verge of 500 career wins

Marc-Andre Fleury is nearing a major milestone.

The former Golden Knights goaltender is poised to become the third goaltender in NHL history to reach 500 career victories following Chicago’s 3-2 win over the New York Islanders on Sunday.

Fleury earned his 499th win by stopping all three attempts in the shootout and is set to join Martin Brodeur (691) and Patrick Roy (551) as the only goalies to reach 500 wins. He is 499-285-82 in his 18 seasons with the Penguins, Knights and Blackhawks.

Chicago hosts the New York Rangers, led by former Knights coach Gerard Gallant, on Tuesday.

Fleury’s next appearance will be his 900th in the NHL, and he is on pace to hit the 500-win mark faster than both Brodeur (500-273-120 in 908 GP) and Roy (500-287-114 in 933 GP), according to NHL public relations.

Fleury won the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goaltender last season, solidifying his Hall of Fame resume, and was the face of the franchise during his four seasons with the Knights.

He went 117-60-14 in 192 appearances with the Knights, leading the expansion club to the Stanley Cup Final in its inaugural season while uniting a city still reeling from the Oct. 1, 2017, mass shooting on the Strip.

But with salary cap space tight and the Knights committed to Robin Lehner as their long-term No. 1 goaltender, Fleury was traded to the Blackhawks on July 27 in exchange for minor league forward Mikael Hakkarainen, whose contract was later terminated.

After a difficult start, Fleury has won six of his past eight decisions and owns a 1.71 goals-against average and .944 save percentage since Nov. 8.

Overall, he is 7-9 with a 2.82 GAA and .913 save percentage.

“Marc-Andre, great game again. Especially the shootouts, he’s doing a tremendous job,” Blackhawks coach Derek King said Sunday.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.