For one final time, captain Sidney Crosby and the rest of his Pittsburgh Penguins will have the opportunity to face off against a friendly, familiar foe. Pittsburgh Penguins
As the Penguins prepare for their 3:30 p.m. ET afternoon tilt against the Minnesota Wild, it appears that Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury – a 14-year member and three-time Stanley Cup champion of the Penguins – will get the start in goal for Minnesota.
“It’s always still weird when I play against them,” Fleury told NHL.com Thursday. “Obviously, I like to win against them to get a little bit of bragging rights, but they’ve been such great teammates and good friends, and, so, it’s fun to cross paths.”
Crosby took some time at Saturday’s practice to reflect on facing Fleury one last time while also hoping to have “bragging rights” at the end of the night.
“It’s one of those things that you reflect [on] a little bit, but when you get out there, try to compete and have fun with it,” Crosby said. “He’s had an amazing career, and it was fun having the opportunity to play with him for a big chunk of it. So, yeah, just try to enjoy that competition and that aspect of it.”
He talked about “how fast time goes” when it comes to Fleury as well.
“You feel like, yesterday, you’re coming into the league, and I was so happy to be joining a young group of guys – including ‘Flower’ – that had high expectations,” Crosby said. “But we were all, kind of, growing up together in the league. So, I think you reflect on all that, just all the great moments that he was a part of. All the little things, not even hockey sometimes, whether it’s the road trips or the off-ice, you know, that stuff… that’s the stuff that sticks with you, too.”
Heading into this final game vs. Marc-Andre Fleury, Sidney Crosby said, “you reflect a bit…he’s had an amazing career, and it was fun having an opportunity to play with him for a big chunk of it.” Said time goes by so fast, and it feels like yesterday they came into the league. pic.twitter.com/bKwP6laJvZ
— Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) March 9, 2025
On the other side, Tristan Jarry will get his first start in goal for the Penguins since a 4-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Jan. 14. The Penguins waived Jarry on Jan. 15 – following that start – and he spent some time in the AHL after clearing.
He was recalled back to the NHL club on Mar. 3, and head coach Mike Sullivan emphasized that this is an opportunity for Jarry to assert himself again.
“He has an opportunity here to put his best game on the ice,” Sullivan said. “We all know when he plays to his capability, he’s a solid NHL goaltender. And that’s what I told him. He’s got a great opportunity in front of him, and he’s got to take advantage of it.”
Here is the starting lineup otherwise for the Penguins, which includes new acquisitions from the Toronto Maple Leafs in defenseman Conor Timmins and forward Connor Dewar:
The Wild currently occupy the first wild card spot in the Western Conference, 16 points back of the Winnipeg Jets, who are the NHL’s best team. They have lost their most recent game Friday, 3-1, against the Vancouver Canucks and are 5-5 in their last 10 games.
Their leading scorer, Matt Boldy, has 21 goals and 54 points on the season, and the Wild have 10 players with 20 or more points on the season.
Bookmark THN – Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!
