Marc-Andre Fleury amid slow start: 'Everyone wants to shoot me'
The Minnesota Wild and Marc-Andre Fleury have gotten off to a treacherously slow start. After going 0-2-0 to start the season, players and fans alike are more than disappointed in the team thus far. Back-to-back rough games are not normal for the veteran goaltender, who gave up seven goals in the first game of the season, followed by getting pulled in Saturday's game versus the Los Angeles Kings. Fans have been booing the team at the Xcel Energy Center, and Fleury believes it is rightfully so.
"You get home and in your head you're thinking, ‘Everyone wants to shoot me," Fleury told The Athletic.
Fleury then laughed, flashed his trademark smile and said, "Well, not that bad."
Fleury then laughed, flashed his trademark smile and said, "Well, not that bad."
The team held a charity event at the Treasure Island Resort & Casino, where players were bowling with fans in order to raise money for the Wild Foundation.
Fleury was among the loudest cheered players during the introduction, besides maybe Kirill Kaprizov. The 37-year-old spent most of the day signing about every hockey related object imaginable, as well as interacting as much as possible with fans.
"It doesn't feel great coming to meet the fans and still being pissed off and mad, but everyone was very welcoming," Fleury said. "A few people came up and said, ‘Oh, no worries, no worries. It's early in the season.' They understand."
"But even personally, it's been such a rough start. When you meet the fans, you feel embarrassed about it."
"But even personally, it's been such a rough start. When you meet the fans, you feel embarrassed about it."
Fleury admitted that he has been losing sleep over the rough start to the season, but the Wild are a team that can turn it around, especially since the season is young. Minnesota is in action again on Monday versus the Colorado Avalanche, before taking on the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday.
Marc-Andre Fleury didn't sleep much after Saturday's loss. Then @mnwild fans gave warm response at charity event. «You get home and in your head you're thinking, ‘Everyone wants to shoot me,'» Fleury joked. Spoke to Fleury + Spurgeon on rough start https://t.co/d35h1rT0p6— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithNHL) October 17, 2022
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